These are long pieces, but too important and informative not to share:
Monsanto’s Sealed Documents Reveal the Truth behind Roundup’s Toxicological Dangers
and
Posts Tagged ‘Monsanto’
4 Sep
The Truth of the Matter …
…lies somewhere between this:
The United Nations 2030 Agenda decoded: It’s a blueprint for the global enslavement of humanity under the boot of corporate masters
by Mike Adams …
And this:
Yes, pun intended. Truth upon lies upon truth upon lies — a mise en abyme. Yes, I agree with Mike Adams (except his comment that only male energy can save us — imho, we need a return of the Sacred Masculine, as well as the Empowered Feminine.We’ve got plenty of patriarchal BS, thank you very little, but we need the Male Principle to get back in touch with the sacred, and we need women to become empowered in ways beyond putting on a pantsuit and out-aggressing all the men. We also need to recognize that masculine and feminine energies are bigger than sex or gender, and that we each have some masculine and some feminine begging for expression. The manner of expression also makes a difference in terms of empowerment, compassion and effectiveness).
David and I listened to Mark Bittman’s talk last night, and I found myself agreeing with him in a lot of spots, but then pausing the video and interjecting a lot of “yeah, but’s,” mostly me adding a permaculture approach to food, which implements sustainability by creating closed systems and stacked functions. Permaculture works with Nature, not in spite of or by completely controlling Nature, including Human Nature. It’s permanent culture, but also permanent agriculture, and true permaculture puts people back in touch with the living planet and all Her beings in ways that corporate and globalist controlled “sustainability mandates” have no intention or possibility of generating. You don’t improve human-planetary relations by completely isolating people from Nature!
I also cringed when Mark Bittman made a huge point that he’s not saying to eat organic food, “just eat more veggies.” Ummmmmmm, when environmentalists start plugging for GMO’s and negating that pesticides, herbicides and the patenting of life have any impact on the environment, it takes a great deal of discipline for me not to say:
On the other hand –yep, I feel quite punny all of a sudden — clearly, we cannot continue down the current path. When will “environmentalists” start calling out geo-engineering as one of the worst impacts on the environment? When will sustainability “experts” start recognizing permaculture, organic home gardens, off grid living, and on-site recycling of manure (including humanure) as the way forward instead of the things to be destroyed via global regulations? When will humanity change because saving our planet is the right thing to do rather than needing a natural (or military-industrial designed) disaster or excessive taxation to coerce change?
I think I offended a friend the other day while discussing politics — something I rarely do, because my views are both radically right and radically left, so far afield that I’m guaranteed to offend someone with pretty much every comment. Basically, I said, I’m a compassionate anarchist, but I do recognize that the current system and the current iteration of humanity are so broken and dysfunctional that barring some kind of divine intervention or Act of (Earth) Goddess, I can see why it will likely take the route of a global crackdown on individual rights. “We live in a culture filled with babies and narcissists. Until the babies learn how much power they have and take responsibility for that power and the choices involved in wielding that power, the babies will always fall prey to the narcissists.”
By way of explaining why I would not attend a local political function this week, I emailed my friend: “I really don’t do well with politics. I am way too radical for pretty much everyone, but if I befriend them, empower them, help them get in touch with their inner guidance, then they do tend to have breakthroughs and find creative ways to work around the BS. It just takes a long time of underground, behind the scenes, friendly ‘work’ on my end. If I just try to explain stuff to people without first raising consciousness and empowerment, then I come across as rude, or I leave with smoke coming out of my ears. 🙂
“At least I know this about myself, and my way does get results — just not in any kind of normal way!
“Have fun, though. Glad you can keep your sense of amusement with these things. When I witness political speeches, it makes me momentarily give up on humanity ever making it beyond this or the next generation. Best for me just to garden and secretly throw pixie dust and Reiki.”
And so I conclude where I began … the truth of the matter lies somewhere between the Mike Adams “translation” of Agenda 2030 and the urgency of change and potential strategies expressed by Mark Bittman. It might be time to paint another portal door, though. Magic and Mama Earth are quite the wild cards!
6 Mar
Natural News ~ GAME OVER: GMO science fraud shattered by stunning investigative book worthy of Nobel Prize – Altered Genes, Twisted Truth
Woohoo!
GAME OVER: GMO science fraud shattered by stunning investigative book worthy of Nobel Prize – Altered Genes, Twisted Truth
By Mike Adams
(NaturalNews) The science fraud game is over for the biotech mafia. After years of running its corporate con that pushed dangerous poisons into the food supply and the fragile environment, the biotech industry’s lies are now exposed and meticulously deconstructed in an exhaustively researched new book launching March 20.
The title of the book? Altered Genes, Twisted Truth – How the Venture to Genetically Engineer Our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public by Steven Druker.
The Foreward of the book was authored by one of the most celebrated living scientists in the world: Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE and UN Messenger of Peace. The derogatory “anti-science” slur used by biotech operatives (such as discredited biotech shill Jon Entine) against other scientists won’t work against Jane Goodall. Her legacy of science is irrefutably extraordinary, and she has received more science awards and accolades than almost any other scientist living today.
What does Jane Goodall have to say about the total science fraud of GMOs and the corrupt biotech industry?
In her own words, Altered Genes, Twisted Truth is “without doubt one of the most important books of the last 50 years.”
She goes on to reveal the stunning truth about the outright corruption, fraud and disinformation that now characterizes the biotech industry and the collusion of the FDA:
Altered Genes, Twisted Truth is the most chilling thing I’ve ever read. It’s about the huge conspiracy by the big companies who do genetic modification to keep the public from knowing the truth, to subvert the course of justice.
[GMOs are a] shocking corruption of the life forms of the planet.
…the huge conspiracy by the big companies who do genetic modification to keep the public from knowing the truth, to subvert the course of justice.
…the general public and government decision makers have been hoodwinked by the clever and methodical twisting of the facts and the propagation of many myths.
…a number of respected scientific institutions, as well as many eminent scientists, were complicit in this relentless spreading of disinformation.
Steven Druker is a hero. He deserves at least a Nobel Prize.
…the commercialization of GE foods occurred through the unbelievably poor judgment — if not downright corruption — of the US Food and Drug Administration (the FDA)… it apparently ignored (and covered up) the concerns of its own scientists and then violated a federal statute and its own regulations by permitting GE foods to be marketed without any testing whatsoever.
The evidence further shows how the agency assured consumers that GE foods are just as safe as naturally produced ones — and that their safety has been confirmed by solid scientific evidence — despite the fact it knew that no such evidence existed.
…it was this fraud that truly enabled the GE food venture to take off. And he asserts that the fraud continues to deceive the public and Congress, despite the fact that the lawsuit he initiated thoroughly exposed it.
…the mainstream media have been highly selective in what they report — and have consistently failed to convey information that would cause concern about these engineered products. Moreover, Druker demonstrates that the policies imposed by the media magnates have been, in his words, ‘not merely selective, but suppressive.’
…he relates several dramatic incidents in which journalists who tried to bring unsettling facts to light had their stories altered or totally quashed by higher level executives.
…it appears that such publications are downright deceptive, not only portraying genetic engineering in a misleading manner, but even misrepresenting some basic features of biology.
…even if these products did not entail higher risks, it’s doubtful they could significantly reduce malnutrition or solve any major problems of agriculture.
I want Natural News readers to help make this book a national bestseller
Let’s help make this a bestseller! Pre-order the book now: Altered Genes, Twisted Truth – How the Venture to Genetically Engineer Our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public
Additional quotes about the book from other scientists
“Steven Druker has written one of the few books I have encountered, in my many years of public interest work, with the capacity to drive major change in a major issue. What Ralph Nader’s Unsafe at Any Speed was to the auto industry and what Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was to synthetic pesticides, Altered Genes, Twisted Truth will be to genetically engineered food. It is profoundly penetrating, illuminating, and compelling, and it could stimulate a monumental and beneficial shift in our system of food production.” — Joan Levin, JD, MPH
“Altered Genes, Twisted Truth is a remarkable work that may well change the public conversation on one of the most important issues of our day. If the numerous revelations it contains become widely known, the arguments being used to defend genetically engineered foods will be untenable.” — Frederick Kirschenmann, Phd Distinguished Fellow, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University, Author of Cultivating an Ecological Conscience
“Druker’s brilliant exposé catches the promoters of GE food red-handed: falsifying data, corrupting regulators, lying to Congress. He thoroughly demonstrates how distortions and deceptions have been piled one on top of another, year after year, producing a global industry that teeters on a foundation of fraud and denial. This book is sure to send shock waves around the world.” — Jeffrey M. Smith, international bestselling author of Seeds of Deception & Genetic Roulette
“Altered Genes, Twisted Truth is very readable, thorough, logical and thought-provoking. Steven Druker exposes shenanigans employed to promote genetic engineering that will surprise even those who have followed the ag-biotech industry closely for years. I strongly recommend his book.” — Belinda Martineau, Ph.D., a co-developer of the first genetically engineered whole food and author of First Fruit: The Creation of the Flavr Savr Tomato and the Birth of Biotech Foods
“Altered Genes, Twisted Truth reveals how the inception of molecular biotechnology ignited a battle between those committed to scientific accuracy and the public interest and those who saw genetic engineering’s commercial potential. Steven Druker’s meticulously researched book pieces together the deeply disturbing and tremendously important history of the intertwined science and politics of GMOs. Understanding this ongoing struggle is a key to understanding science in the modern world.” — Allison Wilson, PhD molecular geneticist, Science Director, The Bioscience Resource Project
Steven Druker’s investigation into the history of fraud and deceipt that ushered in the era of GMOs deserves serious consideration before we take actions that will irreversibly alter the European food supply.” — Pat Thomas of Beyond GM
Through its masterful marshalling of facts, it dispels the cloud of disinformation that has misled people into believing that GE foods have been adequately tested and don’t entail abnormal risk.” –David Schubert, Ph.D. molecular biologist and Head of Cellular Neurobiology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies
“As a former New York City prosecutor, I was shocked to discover how the FDA illegally exempted GE foods from the rigorous testing mandated by federal statute. And as the mother of three young kids, I was outraged to learn how America’s children are being callously exposed to experimental foods that were deemed abnormally risky by the FDA’s own experts.” — Tara-Cook Littman, J.D.
“The evidence is comprehensive, clear, and compelling; and its credibility is irrefutable. No one has documented other cases of irresponsible behavior by government regulators and the scientific establishment nearly as well as Druker documents this one. His book should be widely read and thoroughly heeded.” — John Ikerd, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Missouri — Columbia
“Altered Genes, Twisted Truth will stand as a landmark. It should be required reading in every university biology course.” — Joseph Cummins, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Genetics, Western University, London, Ontario
“Steven Druker’s meticulously documented, well-crafted, and spellbinding narrative should serve as a clarion call to all of us. In particular, his chapter detailing the deadly epidemic of 1989-90 that was linked with a genetically engineered food supplement is especially significant. I and my Mayo Clinic colleagues were active participants in the attempt to identify the cause of this epidemic. Druker provides a comprehensive analysis of all the evidence and also presents new findings from our work. Overall his discussion of this tragic event, as well as its ominous implications, is the most comprehensive, evenly balanced and accurate account that I have read.” — Stephen Naylor, PhD CEO and Chairman of MaiHealth Inc., Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, & Pharmacology Mayo Clinic (1991-2001)
“Based on over 30 years of teaching computer science at universities and on extensive experience as a programmer in private industry, I can state that Steven Druker has done an excellent job of demonstrating the recklessness of the current practices of genetic engineering in comparison to the established practices of software engineering. His book presents a striking contrast between the two fields, showing how software engineers progressively developed greater awareness of the inherent risks of altering complex information systems – and accordingly developed more rigorous procedures for managing them – while genetic technicians have largely failed to do either, despite the fact that the information systems they alter are far more complex, and far less comprehended, than any human-made system.” — Ralph Bunker, PhD
Pre-order the book now: Altered Genes, Twisted Truth – How the Venture to Genetically Engineer Our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public
Publisher’s description
This book uncovers the biggest scientific fraud of our age. It tells the fascinating and frequently astounding story of how the massive enterprise to restructure the genetic core of the world’s food supply came into being, how it advanced by consistently violating the protocols of science, and how for more than three decades, hundreds of eminent biologists and esteemed institutions have systematically contorted the truth in order to conceal the unique risks of its products–and get them onto our dinner plates.
Altered Genes, Twisted Truth provides a graphic account of how this elaborate fraud was crafted and how it not only deceived the general public, but Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and a host of other astute and influential individuals as well. The book also exposes how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was induced to become a key accomplice — and how it has broken the law and repeatedly lied in order to usher genetically engineered foods onto the market without the safety testing that’s required by federal statute. As a result, for fifteen years America’s families have been regularly ingesting a group of novel products that the FDA’s own scientific staff had previously determined to be unduly hazardous to human health.
By the time this gripping story comes to a close, it will be clear that the degradation of science it documents has not only been unsavory but unprecedented–and that in no other instance have so many scientists so seriously subverted the standards they were trained to uphold, misled so many people, and imposed such magnitude of risk on both human health and the health of the environment.
2 Feb
Mobilized & Winning: an Encouraging Update on the TPP
Finally, some good news! We’re not done yet, but it’s great to see the unified diversity resisting the dreaded TPP. As one protestor’s sign says, “Monsanto, Chevron and Halliburton all want TPP. Any questions?” Please click here for the full article, “Mobilized & Winning: Now It’s Time to Escalate.”
How We Win
“The movement opposed to corporate trade is larger – representing tens of millions of Americans; broader – representing people concerned about food, water, healthcare, the Internet, workers’ rights, the environment, banking regulation and more; and more committed because they have seen degradation of the economy and environment by NAFTA and similar corporate trade agreements.
“The key is for this movement to mobilize now. The next two months will decide whether corporate trade is finished for the remainder of President Obama’s term in office. If people take action (go to www.StopFastTrack.com), we will win.
“There is also a week of national actions being planned in February during the congressional recess. Take the pledge at www.FlushtheTPP.org to get involved and stay informed.
“This is a battle between mass people power and trans-national corporate power. It is a battle the people can win, and it is essential for every issue we care about that we win.”
19 Jan
EcoSense for Living: Food Fight
Thank you, Ella!
Think you know what GMO’s are and where they’re found? This video will probably give you additional information, and it’s a great way to educate friends, family members and neighbors. Unfortunately, we need to get these things banned, before they pollute our entire food chain, as well as our water, air and land.
From YouTube:
For the latest from Calton Nutrition, subscribe here: http://bit.ly/CaltonNews
——————-Click To See More—————————
SUBSCRIBE to our channel for updates on our latest videos! The quality and accessibility of food has been a hot button issue throughout the ages. Lack of secure food has been the source of revolutions and toppled governments. In “Food Fight,” we look at the tug of war over America’s diet. From questions plaguing genetically-modified ingredients to wheat-free/gluten-free concerns to the rapid decline of bees, we explore pressures on the safety and security of our food supply. Rich Food, Poor Food authors, Jayson and Mira Calton, guide us through a grocery store and reveal how to make smart choices and avoid unwanted ingredients.
A very important YouTube comment:
I want to thank the Ecosense team for bringing to light the number of corn additives like citric acid, vinegar and maltodextrin that are in our food. It would be great if they would also mention that GMO corn derivatives are also used to fortify milk – including organic milk. All vitamin D fortified milk contains corn oil as a carrier with propylene glycol, a corn derivative. Additionally, organic meat can be cleaned with citric acid and packaged with soaker pads saturated with citric acid. The arm of the USDA that issues organic certification allows this (according to a large organic chicken manfacturer).
8 Jan
Natural News ~ Glyphosate contamination will cause 50% of children to be autistic by 2025, according to researcher
It’s not just about the GMOs themselves, but what goes along with them, namely toxic chemicals and gut-destroying pathogens. In addition to this article below, you might enjoy Ronnie Cummins’ recent essay, “Consumer Self-Defense: 12 Ways to Drive GMOs and Roundup off the Market.” Ronnie shares some information I didn’t know, which puts other battles into perspective, too. For example, remember that Tryptophan incident used to justify all manner of attacks on supplements? Who knew that the Tryptophan supplement in question was a GMO? Ultimately, we need a ban, and soon. At issue is helping the general public to recognize why. Any and all methods to do so seem valid, imho, since most people still have no clue of the differences and crossovers between organic, conventional, GMO-free and completely toxic. Anyway, I recommend both articles, but I’m copying in the autism one below, because it’s a simpler argument with a specific timeline. Please do click through to Ronnie’s essay, too.
By Julie Wilson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Today, 1 in 68 children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the U.S., a rate that’s increased 30 percent since 2012, according to a March 2014 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Boys are five times more likely than girls to have ASD, and white children are more prone to the condition than black or Hispanic children.
Speaking at a conference sponsored by the holistic-focused Groton Wellness organization, research scientist Dr. Stephanie Seneff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology presented data showing a consistent correlation between glyphosate (a key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide), and the rise in autism.
Dr. Seneff also made an alarming prediction regarding the recent spike in ASD: “At today’s rate, by 2025, one in two children will be autistic.”
According to a fellow panelist, “All of the 70 or so people in attendance were squirming, likely because they now had serious misgivings about serving their kids, or themselves, anything with corn or soy, which are nearly all genetically modified and thus tainted with Roundup and its glyphosate.”
Kids with autism have biomarkers indicative of glyphosate toxicity
It’s unsurprising that Dr. Seneff struck a cord with other professionals at the special panel on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as she’s most certainly an expert on the matter. She’s published over 170 scholarly peer-reviewed articles and is an expert in biology and technology. She’s also listed as the first author on 7 out of 10 papers published in various medical and health journals on modern diseases as well as drug side effects, nutritional deficiencies and the impacts of environmental toxins on our health, according to reports.
During the special panel discussion, Dr. Seneff spoke about the alignment between the side effects of glyphosate toxicity and autism, noting that they closely “mimic” one another. The illustrations she presented show that, since Monsanto’s Roundup became a flagship weedkiller in 1990, the number of kids with ASD has soared from 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 68.
Seneff’s research shows that children with autism have biomarkers indicative of excessive glyphosate, including zinc and iron deficiencies, low serum sulfate, seizures and mitochondrial disorder, according to the Alliance for Natural Health.
Monsanto denies all evidence pointing to such a connection, arguing that Roundup is harmless because humans don’t have a shikimate pathway, which the chemical inhibits. However, Seneff notes that our gut bacteria do in fact have this pathway, and these bacteria are crucial for supplying the body with amino acids.
Seneff also argues that most studies on the dangers of Roundup are too short to truly identify the effects of Roundup accumulation in the body over time.
According to Seneff, there are two key problems with autism that are completely unrelated to the brain but are connected to glyphosate exposure:
1. Gut dysbiosis (an upset in the natural balance of microorganisms in the gut)
2. Disrupted sulfur metabolism (sulfur and sulfate deficiency)
While certain microbes break down glyphosate, they leave behind ammonia, and, interestingly, children with ASD tend to have higher ammonia levels, explains Seneff in an interview with Jeffrey Smith of the Institute for Responsible Technology.
Seneff says Roundup has the following side effects: It kills beneficial gut bacteria, allowing pathogens to grow; interferes with the synthesis of amino acids and methionine, which leads to shortages in critical neurotransmitters and folate; chelates (removes) important minerals like iron, cobalt and manganese, and much more.
Sources:
31 Aug
Monsanto in Ukraine: IMF loan for Ukraine may give GMO giant a backdoor into EU
Yep. No surprise here … So interesting in that Russia has come out with such a strong anti-GMO stance. They get sanctioned then boycott Western agriculture. Um, somehow, I think Russia’s getting the better end of the deal here. Certainly better than Ukraine. I’d pass on Frankencrops, too.
Monsanto in Ukraine: IMF loan for Ukraine may give GMO giant a backdoor into EU
Ukraine’s bid for closer ties with the west could come at a cost. With the IMF set to loan the country $17 billion, the deal could also see GMO crops grown in some of the most fertile lands on the continent, warns Frederic Mousseau.
Very few, not least the Ukrainian population are aware of these details, but according to Mousseau, who is a Policy Director at The Oakland Institute, in return for the cash, Ukraine could very well become a test ground for GMO crops in Europe, something the rest of the European Union has been looking to prevent. RT caught up with the Frenchman, who voiced his concerns at what may lay ahead.
RT: When this $17 billion deal is approved by the IMF and the Ukrainian ban on GM crops is lifted, does that mean it is just a matter of time before Ukrainian farmers grow modified crops?
Frederic Mousseau: This is very likely because there is a lot of pressure from the bio-technological industry, such as Monsanto, to have these approved in Ukraine. It is also part of the EU Association Agreement, which has a particular article which calls for the expansion of bio-technology and GMOs in Ukraine.
RT: If it was one of the pre-conditions of the multi-billion dollar loan, do you think it is fair to say that Monsanto has considerable influence over the IMF and the World Bank and even dictates terms to them? Continue reading . . .
Selected RT_News LInks
British MP and RT host George Galloway brutally attacked ‘over his Israel views’
Fukushima fail: Radioactive groundwater levels not falling
There’s another region Russia needs to focus on – and it’s the world’s 6th largest economy
‘Soul of the sun’ detected for the first time by scientists
Ecuador set to create state-backed digital currency… to ditch dollar?
US judge rules Microsoft must handover personal data stored abroad
EU drafts new sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, but ‘wants no confrontation’
‘Gun boom’ in the US is over, but weapon sales still high
UK seeking to bar Russia from using SWIFT banking network – report
Federal cybersecurity director convicted of child porn charges
SF Source RTNews
11 Apr
The Positive Power of Money
May 9, 2014, at 3 p.m., but Operation Monsanto Stock Plunge already began working yesterday just following the original announcement! Details here. “Do you want to be the last person owning Monsanto stock?” Stick it to ’em.
Boycott their foods. Boycott their products. Boycott their seeds. And if you own mutual funds, pull your money from biotech stocks. If the Supreme Court wants to affirm that only money matters in politics and policy, then fine, we can play the money game, too.
Where can you safely spend your money? Try organic farmers’ markets, small heritage seed companies committed to seed purity, and click here for a list of 400 companies who don’t use GMO’s.
6 Apr
Long Comments Discussion Bump-Up RE: Toxic GMO’s
This string of commentary has taken enough time and frustration that I’m bumping it up to its own post.
Posted by Jon Berkowitz on April 5, 2014 at 2:01 pm edit
Genetic modification of a plant affects only polypeptides translated from the genome template. Proteins in GMO and non-GMO foods may have variation in three-dimensional structure, but all that structure is rendered moot when the protein is digested to free amino acids by enzymes in the stomach and in the small intestine. While there might be vanishingly small variation in amino acid representation in the digestion mix, amino acids are still amino acids whether they come from a GMO plant or a non-GMO plant.
When a GMO food is digested, the digestion products, amino acids, are no different than the mix of amino acids generated by digestion of a non-GMO food. The whole GMO obsession is one big hoax.
Posted by laurabruno on April 5, 2014 at 2:24 pm edit
Then how do you explain all the (numerous) studies showing otherwise? The only times these studies are refuted is when Monsanto takes over the publication or someone gets threatened. The hoax is having the rolling door between our government and Monsanto and paid shills spouting company propaganda. If GMOs are so great, then why the thuggery, why the corrupt business practices, why the refusal to label anything, why the bribery and pressure to keep GMOs unaccountable for organic farms’ crop pollution (and it IS pollution) … why the refusal to conduct REAL scientific, long-term studies before determining something is safe? Even if the proteins were similar, your comment accounts nothing for the toxic herbicides and pesticides these crops are routinely drenched with — chemicals that HAVE been proven to cause cancer. You’re either a paid shill yourself, or a sadly misinformed artificial flavor and FD&C Kool Aid drinker. I would encourage you to research glyphosate and Agent Orange. They’re not health tonics. Also interesting that your url is just a straight https://www.facebook.com url.
Posted by Jon Berkowitz on April 5, 2014 at 3:05 pm edit
Rest assured, I am paid or supported by nobody in my comments. I am a protein chemist with a thy-year career studying proteins from native sources. What I recited to you are the facts. Your studies may reveal this or that but what I have put down are the facts and it’s likely that Monsanto isn’t doing long-term studies because they too recognize the truth that the facts reveal. I not here to discuss the relative merits of pesticides and herbicides as you bring up. That isn’t even tangential to the legitimacy of the claims that GMO foods are dangerous. You can kick against the the pricks all day long, but in the end, the basic facts and the logic that accompanies them will prevail. “Don’t harbor beautiful theories by concealing ugly facts.” (Bill Patton) For the record, I am a big fan of organic gardening/farming and have been involved in the natural foods movement since 1975
Posted by laurabruno on April 5, 2014 at 3:18 pm edit
Good to hear you’re not a paid shill. I disagree that pesticides and herbicides are irrelevant to the discussion. GMOs and these toxins go hand in hand and are designed to do so. Blessings, Laura
Posted by Jon Berkowitz on April 5, 2014 at 11:51 pm edit
The discussion concerns the legitimacy of the claim that GMO are hazardous to human health. If, as you say, that pesticides and herbicides go hand-in-hand with GMO crops then you need to come up with a explanation of why the adjustment of one to several genes in the germline of a compromises resistance to pests and competing plants. Pest resistance is also something that can be manipulated for advantage. This can reduce or eliminate need of and herbicides to great economic benefit. I challenge you to demonstrate the verity of your claim that GMO crops and pesticides and herbicides “go hand-in-hand.” That aside, it seems you are unwilling to recognize the argument I have set forth that refutes the legitimacy of the entire GMO-foods crusade. And it’s irresponsible and misleading to propagate untruths.
My Facebook page is openly available to anyone who wants to view it. I don’t know what problem you had with my Facebook url because your sentence was cut off before the end. I am the Jon Berkowitz who resides in Niskayuna, NY
Posted by laurabruno on April 6, 2014 at 1:57 am edit
Have you really not heard of Bt corn that is designed to be its own pesticide and that cows that eat this corn are having some of the same effects (exploding stomach) as the insects? Have you not heard of Roundup ready corn and soy? As in, these are designed to withstand increasingly heavy sprayings of glyphosate? Do you think they design things to be sprayed by glophosate and then just miraculously don’t spray it? Are you not aware of Agent Orange being used because of RoundUp resistant superweeds?
Where do you think all these chemicals go if not into the food, water and land? My ex-husband was a Vietnam Vet who was exposed to Agent Orange. It’s not a health tonic. What about studies now indicating the role of GM corn in increased food sensitivities and gluten intolerance due to damage of human digestive tracts? What about the fact that most of these pesticides and herbicides are known carcinogens and neurotoxins?
I am not spreading disinformation. Dow chemical and Monsanto are chemical corporations in the business of industrial chemicals. That is a fact. Their GM Frankenfoods are designed to withstand absurdly high applications of their chemicals. To say the connection is not relevant to the dangers of GMO’s is like the bought and paid for Federal gov’t saying “Just because we have the NDAA and the right to drone American citizens, c’mon it’s no big deal, because at our discretion we might decide not to. Why do you assume because we designed the laws this way and insist through court cases that we maintain these rights to do away with due process and just kill people at our discretion that we intend to use the laws to imprison without trial or kill without consequence? That’s paranoid.” Roundup ready soy growers aren’t going to use Roundup. Right.
The reason we have superweeds is because of the massive use of Roundup on GM monocrops. And who’s to say that a tiny shift in proteins isn’t a big deal in terms of the body and the endocrine system? Look at what tiny shifts in an ecosystem do – huge ripple effects. Playing with genetics is, at best, something that ought to require good ethics and a sense of responsibility. Monsanto has shown neither. Consistently.
If you are not familiar with the ravages of indigenous communities and the poisoning of their food and water, then I encourage you to research what’s happening in South and Central America. It is ALL related. Monsanto favors BigAg practices and BigAg is what’s depleting our topsoil of nutrients and poisoning our land and water. That all factors in. I’m sorry if you can’t see that.
Posted by laurabruno on April 6, 2014 at 2:33 am edit
http://naturalsociety.com/gmo-soy-agent-orange-2-4-d-herbicide/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/glyphocancer.cfm
http://voxxi.com/2013/04/10/monsanto-gmo-poisoning-argentina/
http://micmn.com/3852/gmo-corn-may-turn-your-tummy-into-a-poison-production-factory/
Posted by Jon Berkowitz on April 6, 2014 at 2:22 pm edit
My initial post concerning the basis for claiming that GMO foods and non-GMO are indistinguishable did not have the purpose of launching into the controversy regarding pesticides and their toxicity into which you have manipulated this discussion. You have not addressed my initial assertion that, after digestion, the product from GMO foods is indistinguishable from that of non-GMO food. This is the central thesis of the controversy surrounding GMO foods. Even unique post-translational modification of products emerging from genetically modified plants are rendered into amino acids and simple sugars in the gut before absorption into the bloodstream. Are you aware of any of the beneficial results from genetically engineered crops? For example, this article http://www.goldenrice.org/Content2-How/how1_sci.php discusses the engineering of the rice genome so that the crop produces beta carotene for the purpose of ameliorating vitamin A deficiency among natives in primitive communities.
Furthermore, you have not cited the literature in asserting claims regarding the evil that pesticides are as you suppose. You seem to disregard the fact that the body has a certain capacity to detoxify noxious compounds and that resides in the liver. Not that we should tempt this capacity by seeking out opportunities to ingest toxins. But it is a significant factor in clearing the body of those things it cannot use. Unfortunately you don’t seem to understand that we all have potentially carcinogenic processes taking place in our bodies and the causes of metabolic equilibrium shift toward products of these processes and the appearance of malignancy is not determined by one factor but by many. Thus, to say “Agent Orange causes cancer,” is not scientifically sound because there’s no quantitative consideration in the claim, nor is there any mention of the enormous variation in tolerance that exists among people for the toxins found in pesticides. Another element to consider is that the bulk of the pesticides fractionate with the fibrous parts of plant material and are eliminated before they get the chance to be absorbed. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691599001106).
But again, I would like to know how you can operate in this cause while not admitting the specious pretexts upon which it is based. Studies of anything biological usually yield a spectrum of results and frequently researchers will use calculations to arrive at results which support final conclusions that are consistent with the researcher’s objectives. You can debate, interpret and manipulate results. But you cannot do this with facts. And the facts concerning germline manipulation of plants and the resulting protein products produced by this do not support the notion that GMO-foods are different in their elemental constituents after digestion than non-GMO foods and therefore there is no logical or scientific basis for the assertion that there is a difference between them. Here is a study from a reputable, mainstream scientific journal which supports my stand: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691511006399
Posted by laurabruno on April 6, 2014 at 2:43 pm edit
I have not manipulated the discussion, as I do not feel you can argue GMOs in a vacuum that fails to address pesticides and herbicides. If you feel so strongly about GMOs being safe then go ahead and campaign for them. Somewhere else.
There have been enough studies and experiences of birth defects, neurological issues, cancers and respiratory issues and even death after spraying of such. A friend of my partner’s family had their young, healthy child drop dead the afternoon of mistakenly riding his bike downwind of a field as they sprayed pesticides on it. My father got the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma specifically associated with glyphosate after a summer of spraying Roundup on dandelions. The level of toxins found in bloodstreams and crossing the placental barrier would seem to indicate that we have far exceeded many people’s capacities to detoxify them.
I have sent links to articles. I will read the one you sent, but I personally don’t care if GMOs digest the same. I don’t believe it does in all cases, as per the humans now having Bt in their own guts. I also do not see how you can reasonably separate pesticides and herbicides from health concerns with GMOs. As for feeding the world? Permaculture and restoring the land so it is not so depleted of life giving nutrients. Permaculture also creates systems that mimic nature and help to enlarge and protect harvests.
I don’t have time to continue this discussion with you. Clearly, we do not agree. In the long haul, mankind has not shown that altering Nature is a universally wise decision. People have an immediate revulsion against some things for a reason. Third World countries are among the groups banning GMOs. They would rather starve than eat that crap. Enjoy your organic gardening whilst trumpeting the safety of GMOs!
Posted by laurabruno on April 6, 2014 at 2:59 pm edit
Twelve “long-term” studies of 90 days or up to two years! LOL, 90 days to two years is not long-term, particularly when some studies have indicated multi-generational effects from both GMOs and the toxins associated with them. It is this sort of short sighted thinking that got us into the corporatocracy and medical mafia destroying our world. I do not worship the god of science. I’m sorry if that’s your chosen profession and religion, but, while science does sometimes have value, science and the corporations worshiping it are also largely responsible for most of the problems they purport to solve. Indigenous wisdom worked well for millennia before science insisted on improving Nature. Even Pasteur recanted some of his work on his deathbed.
As I said, enjoy your organic gardening whilst promoting the “longterm” safety of GMOs. In my world, safety includes living environment, as well as quality of life — all life, not just humancentric. We have not even gotten into discussions about the bees and pesticides. Try solving world hunger without bees! The way things are going, we might have to. I’m sure science will bless us with a solution to that, which causes another whole series of problems, for which they will also have the (patented) solution.
1 Apr
Jon Rappoport ~ Monsanto Aliens
This article begins with some incredibly telling quotes from leaders in Monsanto, a biotech industry consultant, and the FDA. The quotes alone make a powerful and obvious statement of corruption and intent.
by Jon Rappoport
April 1, 2014
“I recognized my two selves: a crusading idealist and a cold, granitic believer in the law of the jungle” – Edgar Monsanto Queeny, Monsanto chairman, 1943-63, “The Spirit of Enterprise”, 1934.
“Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the F.D.A.’s job” – Phil Angell, Monsanto’s director of corporate communications. “Playing God in the Garden” New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998.
“Ultimately, it is the food producer who is responsible for assuring safety” – FDA, “Statement of Policy: Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties” (GMO Policy), Federal Register, Vol. 57, No. 104 (1992), p. 229
“What you are seeing is not just a consolidation of seed companies, it’s really a consolidation of the entire food chain” – Robert Fraley, co-president of Monsanto’s agricultural sector 1996, in the Farm Journal. Quoted in: Flint J. (1998) Agricultural industry giants moving towards genetic monopolism. Telepolis, Heise.
“People will have Roundup Ready soya whether they like it or not” – Ann Foster, spokesperson for Monsanto in Britain, as quoted in The Nation magazine from article “The Politics of Food” [49] by Maria Margaronis December 27, 1999 issue.
“The hope of the industry is that over time the market is so flooded [with GMOs] that there’s nothing you can do about it. You just sort of surrender” – Don Westfall, biotech industry consultant and vice-president of Promar International, in the Toronto Star, January 9 2001.
(Quotes compiled by the Organic Consumers Association.)
They don’t need to come from another galaxy. They’re aliens.
Their mindset is a combination of “let’s see what happens when we experiment on everybody without knowing what we’re doing” and “let’s wall ourselves off from life and compartmentalize our souls and act like soldiers taking over the Earth.”
This IS alien. Mega-corporate is alien to life. It thrives on machine existence. It gains its strength from acting like a machine. A machine that spouts lies at every opportunity to advance its agenda.
Mega-corporate spokesmen are programmed to emulate an image of science, emulate a thought-form that symbolizes science.
They’re cartoons of science. Mechanical cartoons.
Efficiency. Rationality. Certainty.
It’s no accident that a great deal of science fiction presents aliens as machine-like, soulless, without conscience. This is a reflection of what society has become.
They came from outer space. They had a plan. They had a detailed agenda for a takeover. They invaded. They deployed their troops. They conquered territory after territory. They expanded their operation. They executed their strategy. They used local traitors.
They said what they had to say, to placate the masses. They promised peace. They promised abundance. They tried to sound human. They pretended they were alive.
Promises and pretenses are what giant corporations, governments, religions, and priest-classes are all about. But above all is the pretense of being alive.
Behind the pretense is: selling organization.
It doesn’t really matter what kind of organization it is. There are untold billions of people who work for mega-organizations, and there are billions more who accept organization as the sign of sanity.
The sign of sanity in the world.
If you work for, or support mega-organization, you’re sane. If you don’t, you’re insane.
Perfect alien propaganda.
Jon Rappoport
The author of two explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED and EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free emails at http://www.nomorefakenews.com
Laura Bruno's Blog 