Editorial | WWIII Over MONSANTO?

Read this article about the possibility of war over the US corporation Monsanto.

The article that you just read is about the possibility of Russia declaring war on the US over the Monsanto corporation. 

War over Monsanto is something that has been in the back of my mind for a while now. 

I've seen a couple of articles about it, but nothing quite like the one I suggested you read. Something just clicked in me this morning. Millions of people around the world protested against Monsanto this past May, thereby showing how the world is not taking Monsanto's thread to our food supply lightly. Many millions more are set to protest at this next one in October. Hundreds of thousands of farmers are committing suicide in India over bT cotton.  People all over the world are dying or are becoming sterile due to the toxic chemicals that the US has introduced into the food supply. I do not hold Monsanto responsible for these catastrophes. I hold the US government in contempt for turning their backs on the common people of this nation. It's obvious that the US government's allies are corporations that put the needs of elitists above the needs of the common man. The US government has had a revolving door with Monsanto. It is policies like these that the world is noticing. 

I do feel like all animals and insects are in danger due to these pesticides and neonicotinoids (Neos), but I am especially concerned over the birds and the bees. 

Just a few weeks ago thousands of bees were found dead in Oregon. Last week the beekeeping industry brought a lawsuit against the EPA. Without bees our food supply will dwindle. I'm concerned that Neos can alter the gender of amphibians and what that could mean after more long term studies of GE foods are completed.  I'm also concerned about what potential affects these biochemicals are doing to our environment. I've been thinking about this since I viewed this video (see our collection of videos) about how the biochemicals are affecting the environment in Kauai.  As you may or may not know, all the Hawaiian islands are the Ground Zero of Biotech chemicals. The coral reefs are starting to become diseased and are dying.  Another good film to watch is Prophets of Doom. It discusses the imminent fall of America. In the movie they discuss water and energy as being possible downfalls, but I thoroughly believe that wars over food and water will be America's downfall.

While lots of people will be incredulous, I believe that war is a real danger. 

Russia has a lot of allies, the Middle East will find any excuse it can to fight us, and Europe is rationalizing the need to ban more and more biotech companies. These countries all have their fair share of nuclear bombs (<-- Click link to see what countries have bombs and how many they have) and they will not want to use bio warfare due to the very reason they will attack, but the US will not consider that a hinderance. In WWII the US used nerve gas, in Vietnam they used Agent Orange and in the Iraq war they used bio warfare. Because Monsanto will be backing the US, you know there will be something bigger and nastier that will be used for this war. That will mean the death of many more people around the world.

Don't get mad, GET ACTIVE!

*HOW YOU CAN HELP* in Austin

I invite you ALL to join us in the screening of "More Than Honey" that is showing on Aug. 18th. It will further enlighten us about how the extinction of bees will lead to a world wide food extinction. Tickets are $10 and it will be shown at Alamo Drafthouse Village that Sunday evening. MAMAustin plans on setting up a film festival to educate others about the importance and  immediacy of the dangers of Monsanto and other biotech companies. The highlight of our film festival will be "The World According to Monsanto" movie viewing and forum with an expert panel. We also invite you to be involved and join us at our next activist meeting on Friday, July 18th at 6:30pm at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin (Click to view all events).

How you can help elsewhere

Research all you can on these topics. Watch documentaries (start with our YouTube channel where you'll find many playlists). Share all the Monsanto material you can get your hands on! Tell everyone you know about what you know. 

I hope that MAMAustin can count on your support to help us fight the US government on this important issue.

In the meantime, remember to eat organic, local, grow your own and vote with your dollar!

Editorial | GMOs, a Tool, to Aid in Killing the 'Poor Problem'

One of the biggest things that has bothered me the most about GMOs is that the government knew when they were introduced into our food supply and they did nothing to stop it. The people were the last to know about what we were being fed.

I find it hard to swallow that a government that I believed in has abused my trust. If the US government hadn't been in bed with Monsanto then this never would have happened. Like the industrial age, the US government has allowed itself to become intertwined with big business. And, like that age, I find that the corporations, aka monopolies, also have a huge amount of power. This leads to a corrupt government and corrupt business practices.

We worked so hard to get rid of these things. We got rid of child laborers, sweatshops, and even allowing hard drugs to be included in things we eat and drink. We made some great strides as a country in that age. However, I feel like we're quickly moving back into that play yard again.

A Nation Divided by Wealth

Like that era, we are becoming a poorer nation. The rich have remained rich and we allow them to have the power. Rather than striving forward with a strong middle class society, we find ourselves in a cataclysm between the very rich and the very poor. It is on the backs of the working class poor that these wealthy people stride forward.

Inequality is at its ugliest for the hungriest people. While food support was being targeted for cuts, just  20 rich Americans made as much from their 2012 investments as the entire 2012 SNAP (food assistance) budget, which serves 47 million people. 

And as Congress continues to cut life-sustaining programs, its members should note that their 400 friends on the  Forbes list made more from their stock market gains last year than the total amount of the  food, housing, and education budgets combined. -The Salon

The Poor Problem in the United States

This situation begs the question of why the government is doing this to it's constituents. The answer is not so difficult to ascertain. The answer lies in our history. From the beginning of time we have had a poor problem in this country. Social workers began working with the immigrant poor and offering them programs in the 1900's, but the government didn't start backing them until the Great Depression. As we know more and more programs have cut back what the poor receive--welfare reform has been a huge platform for the wealthy Republicans. Have they finally found a way to strike back at the poor?

Based on wage figures from the IRS, half of Americans are below or near the poverty lines. The IRS reports that the highest wage in the bottom half of earners is about $34,000. To be eligible for food assistance, a family can earn up to 130% of the federal poverty line, or about $30,000 for a family of four. Even the Census Bureau recognizes that its own figures under-represent the number of people in poverty. -The Salon

Did the U.S. aid in creating GMOs as an answer to the 'poor problem'?

Monsanto has given the tool to the US government to get rid of the poor problem. While the wealthy continue to get wealthier and more powerful, the poor are falling due to economic crises, and lack of funding for social welfare. While Monsanto may have created the tool, the US government has taken the ball and run with it by getting in bed with Monsanto. Too many government officials, including the former Secretary of Defense Hillary Clinton and Social Justice Clarence Thomas have been employed by Monsanto. The Food and Drug Administration has had so many people come and go from Monsanto that it is impossible to tell who exactly is running that agency. 

GMOs are a tool for the United States to eliminate the poor problem. The poor are uneducated. Does that make them easily led? Their lack of education is not entirely their fault since the US is just now being awakened by the March Against Monsanto and the wool is just now being lifted from our eyes.  While the poor are dining on Chef Boyardee and Natural Light, President Obama and Hugh Grant, the CEO of Monsanto, are dining on non-processed food and organic wine. The poor must settle for chemical ridden food that will either lead to their demise or to their sterility, therefore creating a loophole for wealthy Americans to stand tall on a bridge upheld by the backs of the world's poor.

Until next time, keep watch on what you eat and remember to vote with your dollar!