The great state of Washington is now the hotbed of controversy about labeling foods that contain Genetically Modified Organisms. GMO. Last year it was California with proposition 37 being the juicy issue of controversy with GMO manufacturers spending nearly 50 million dollars on deceitful propaganda to fill the heads of voters with scary lies in a successful attempt to have them vote against passage of the labeling law. It was all pretty silly, Monsanto claiming that passage of a labeling law would increase food costs for the average family by over four hundred dollars a year. That's a lot of ink. Oops, not actually ink, this little quote from the No on Prop 37 website tells us what they actually base that 400 bucks on.
"by forcing food products to be repackaged or remade with higher priced ingredients, Prop 37 would cost the average California family up to $400 per year in higher grocery costs."
Of course the law never said that products had to be repackaged, just adding a tiny disclaimer label stating it contained GM foods was all that was needed. At least until current packaging stocks ran out and new ones printed. But then the really big one, "remade with higher priced ingredients" Yup, the truth is right there on their own propaganda website. Monsanto and all know for a fact that consumers won't buy their crap. Food manufacturers will have to reformulate their shitty food products using traditional ingredients that do in fact cost more money because of their scarcity since GM crops dominate the marketplace after the Monsanto drive to create their own personal monopoly over seed production thus limiting availability of non-GM seeds for planting.
Monsanto knows people don't want to eat their Genetically Modified Crapola!
They are desperate to keep GM labeling out of AmeriKa. They have done a great job so far. The states that bent to consumer pressure and passed in-state labeling referendums in fact were only attempts by the legislatures to placate the populace while still keeping the grubby monetary handouts from Monsanto coming. The labeling laws only take effect if neighboring states enact similar laws. Therefore no blame can be assessed against those lawmakers. None of the elected rulers in our land want to ever offend the gift of free money handed out to them by big corporations. And Monsanto and the food industry are in fact the biggest in the land. Well except for the drug companies. And they already have their industry protected by purchasing the favors of our leaders. Well, actually just purchasing our leaders. I understand that congressmen and senators come pretty cheap when you purchase them in wholesale quantities.
Anyway, with the upcoming passage of an actual voter decided law to label GM foods, Monsanto and the others are preparing for a battle again. Monsanto is out there telling the residents of Washington a whole host of lies about their products. Here are some of the lies that Monsanto et al are spreading via their website, their propaganda machine and actually if you write to your elected representatives and senators about GM foods, they send this crap back to you. Charles Keating (remember him) taught us just how much it costs to purchase the favors of senators. (one point five mil per five senators) It was a lesson well learned by Monsanto and other big corporations. Anyway, here are the more salient points that they attempt to pass off as "Truths".
1. No one has ever proven that GMO's are harmful to people.
Surprisingly, this is true. Researchers from all over the world have proven that GM foods are harmful to rats, pigs, hamsters, mice, insect populations including bees. They have proven that the BT toxin that was previously thought to be harmless does in fact harm human tissues. But to corral a bunch of humans and feed them GM crops long term then actually dissect those humans and determine what caused all of their disrupted systems, no, that hasn't been done yet. (GM REPORT) ((I think the heads of Monsanto should volunteer to do this))
2. GM crops are the only way to stop world hunger.
Well, nice if it was true. It isn't. Transportation is the major cause of world hunger today. And of course, governmental corruption. A recent study showed that traditional farming methods in Europe have far and above outperformed GM crop production. (GM Report Card) And with far less pesticide and herbicide use.
3. GM crops need less pesticide use
Again, this one is a true sore spot with me. It is simple and BASIC science. Insecticides and Herbicides don't kill every single individual targeted plant or insect. Those that survive, breed and pass on their resistance. The fields of AmeriKa are choking on sixteen herbicide resistant species of weeds and hundreds of species of insects. All because of wholesale spraying of chemicals and the failure of the BT toxin inserted into the genetic makeup of the GM crops.
4. GM technology is the same as cross-breeding of crops that has taken place for thousands of years
Lies lies lies lies. See number 7 at (Frankenfood)
5. The FDA and the USDA have approved all GM crops as safe
No they haven't. Congress gave Monsanto permission to market all GM crops during congressional hearings in 1996. Approval is a formality for individual products and is BASED on TESTS PERFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER of any given new plant. Neither the FDA nor the USDA do ANY testing themselves on any GM plants. EVER!
6. GM foods are exactly the same as their non GM counterparts
What a crock. Nutritional analysis has shown us just how far off this myth is. See number 6 on this one again (Frankenfood) And as a side note, the EPA has just RAISED the allowable limit of glyphosate residues on crops fed to animals up and past levels that are KNOWN to be harmful and destroy human tissues. Where is the substantial equivalence there? Traditional farming uses far less herbicides and organic uses none. And quite successfully too!
If you know anyone that lives in Washington state, let them know that they need to be careful of the Monsanto propaganda machine that is gearing up there to spread the usual lies and rhetoric there that they did in California last year. Tell them to not be mislead, that the government in AmeriKa does not prosecute corporations for spreading untruths about products that make money for them, and for your elected rulers. As always, listen, learn, research and discover the truth for yourself.
Don't let advertising do your thinking for you, that is unless you are the type that thinks that Honey Bo Bo is the epitome of salient and progressive entertainment. If so, there is no hope for you whatsoever.
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