...for the "investors," the next ones to be hosed after the SuityRats scurry down the anchor chain with "severance packages" in their fat, ratty cheeks. That's the way "free markets" work! 

Poor nation.  Poor planet.   

by waldopaper (15 articles, 3 quicklinks, 34 diaries, 609 comments [84 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 at 12:23:55 PM

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Join them.  Help out.  Let's not just comment from the sidelines.  This group held a "Taking It Back" meeting in Missouri last week, determined to break through this monopoly so people can farm again in the US.  That's big news.  Those people are businessmen and cattlemen and those who believe that "real" competition matters and are standing up for it.

 Give yourself a treat and some hope by supporting them.  Something significant is going on.

by Linn Cohen-Cole (76 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 189 comments [12 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 at 2:55:45 PM

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Monsanto over the past few months has been claiming that they and their GMO seeds will be the savior of world food and will lower food costs elevating the affordable food staples for the poor.

This is a fine example on how Monsanto intends to lower food production cost, then again I guess they expect the farmer to take another hit so people can afford to eat.

by Kenneth Young (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 4 comments) on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 at 3:13:03 PM

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Should be broken up into tiny bits.  Their corporate charter should be revoked.

There needs to be an uprising against them.

GM foods should require labels clearly indicating their modifications and the potential health risks to the people eating them.

Our food supply is so poisoned by this "stuff" they call food.  They need to be held accountable.

We need to end the Corporate protections for these CEO's and other corporate officers that do such vile harm to people and the planet.  Their should be criminal culpability these are crimes worse than war crimes. 

by August Adams (11 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 583 comments [11 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 at 5:43:24 PM

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This article is superb! I put it up on Digg. Write on, Linn!

by Jeanne Roberts (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 21 comments) on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 at 6:23:34 PM

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...tiny bits.  Revoke the corporate charter. 

There is only ONE WAY that one family can "farm" 1,000 acres and barely be able to make it... and that's cheap fossil-fuel energy and chemicals... and THAT is about to end wid a quickness.  

FACE IT:  the era of 'industrial farming" is about to go... and GOOD RIDDANCE. Yeah, I would like to "help out" and "not just comment from the sidelines," but I'm freaking BROKE... and besides that, I'm busy growing SWEET POTATOES... some say the world's most nutritious vegetable.  

See... I bought into the "knowledge worker" hype...  so now I'm busy trying to learn how to do do stuff that's REAL.  At MY age, that aint freakin EASY.  But I wish them well.  "Organizing" within "the system" and presenting petitions to congressional stuffed teddy bears "watching" teevee sets is useless as boobies on an iron frog.  

This Winter, food and fuel will become both scarce and expensive to the breaking point.  The energy grid will flicker... and when (and where) it DOES go dark... water won't flow and the toilets won't flush... and then it's Zombie Time... we're talking about "individuals" shooting each other for toilet paper. So yeah, I'd like to "DO" something, but "the system" is ALREADY a Punch-and-Judy show... and the only people who don't KNOW that yet are those of you who still have "jobs."  

There WILL BE "reform."  The nature of it depends on how well we ALL adapt to "Zombie Time." With the laws and the "Prison Industrial Complex" already in place (BY DESIGN), we have fertile ground for a newer and better version of Nazi Germany... Feuherer and all.  

I HOPE that I am just a paranoid old coot and totally wrong.  

by waldopaper (15 articles, 3 quicklinks, 34 diaries, 609 comments [84 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 at 6:44:15 PM

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We can only hope that these diabolical cretins haven't already released GMO that will turn this planet into some weird version of Dr. Monroe's Island.

There is also the threat of Nuticide with companies such as CODEX.

One thing for certain, we're in a fight for and of our lives.

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 at 6:45:21 PM

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When corporations make the rules, enforce the rules, and litigate the rules what else do you expect?  

"Globalization" or is it "Capitalism" or is it "free trade", oh whatever, ain't it grand? 

Then after paying their high prices and after the executives take the profits in "bonuses" they can appeal to the government to have the taxpayer bail out the company.

Welcome to Fascism folks and there's more to come. 

by Dennis Kaiser (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 35 diaries, 730 comments [137 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 at 7:39:05 PM

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As you correctly point out the USDA is Monsanto's "partner" & Clarence Thomas their judge. The government is the problem here, so why turn to them to be the solution too. You wouldn't hire the fox to guard the henhouse, would you?

If you want competition get the government out of the way. They caused the problem, when they're gone the problem goes with them.

by Darren Wolfe (15 articles, 400 quicklinks, 141 diaries, 1031 comments [84 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 at 6:11:04 AM

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This is more than corporate greed.

This is just another attempt to bring the human race to it's knees.

Grow your own food and boycott Monsanto products. 

by Bob Gormley (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 1094 comments [65 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 at 8:22:21 AM

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"...libertarian." Your blind faith in the "Invisible Hand" slips into idolatry. If you have ever worked for a big company (like Monsanto) you know they HATE "competition" and their zeal to destroy it is second only to their desire to "maximize profits." Monsanto's sterile GMO frankenseeds are an attempt to do both. You buy from Monsanto or you starve.

When a corporation reaches this size and power, only a "government" is capable of stopping it. The solution (for the corporations)? 1. BUY the "government." (see Idiocracy) Mission accomplished. ( via rigged elections... Diebold etc. ...good old "privatization") 2. "Privatize" the military. Work in progress... Blackwater et. al... PLUS the "all volunteer" economic draft... just in case the "government" gets any ideas about who's REALLY running things.

Where do YOU, the "consumer" (you used to be a "citizen." Then you were a "customer." NOW you're just an eating-and-pooping unit) fit in?? Answer: YOU DON'T. What- "vote with your dollars?" Bwaahaahaahaa... the corporations have you right where they want you, "libertarian."

Why- all the rich people want to do is create MORE rich people, right? Bwaahaahaahaa... and if you fawn and toady enough, they'll let YOU be rich TOO... now- prove your "loyalty" by killing the "competition." And that is precisely what they have you doing, "libertarian," by keeping your brain locked in the 18th century. Wait until you arrive in Dickens' London. You'll LOVE it.

It's a "free market" paradise!

by waldopaper (15 articles, 3 quicklinks, 34 diaries, 609 comments [84 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 at 9:19:38 AM

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You talk about the corporations buying the government & using it to their advantage. That's my point. You can't argue with me by agreeing.

BTW, it's not a free market you're describing.

You should at least have some idea of what you're talking about before getting so sarcastic. But then again, if you knew what you were talking about you wouldn't feel the need to be sarcastic anyway.

by Darren Wolfe (15 articles, 400 quicklinks, 141 diaries, 1031 comments [84 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 at 11:04:33 AM

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...the corporations buy the government.  Therefore, the "government" is the problem.  I.... see.......  

by waldopaper (15 articles, 3 quicklinks, 34 diaries, 609 comments [84 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 at 11:16:46 AM

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The myth of the slogan "Free Markets, Free Minds" is on trial. How dictatorship is ideal for corporate growth. The difference with the Libertarian is that the corporations would not get subsidies directly however they would get tax free status and no regulation whatsoever. Right now we have a facade of some regulation [minimal] but enough for the Libertarian to complain. This merging of corporation and state along with the theocratic is a dangerous mix. In both Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia corporations ran rampant without restraint to get the job done no matter how dirty they made the land or used slave laybor to accomplish it. We are seeing similar things today in the USA and other countries spreading like a disease. Monsanto is an example of a world spanning corporation working to corner the market on a most important commodity---food. Along with water essential to our survival. A valiant effort to fight both of these trends is going on around the world right now. Terminator seeds is a dangerous trend for it is wholly supported by a high-tech culture and should it faultier due to environmental cataclysm or war would condemn the survivors to starvation and death. But then the corporate credo for the bottom line isn't the service they provide but the quarterly growth in profits they care about. Corporations need to be reigned in before they move to nation-state status giving them even more power than the super-human status they already have since 1886. "Santa Clara County vs Southern Pacific Railroad" This is just part of the reason why we are all in such dire straits while we are being assaulted of all sides as our economy is dismantled from the inside-out crushing our ability to resist their takeover. The recent ruling 5 to 4 on "Al-Marri vs Pucciarelli" where it was decided that the president could arbitrarily take a USA citizen rename them and 'enemy combatant' and incarcerate them forever and never give them their 4 Amendment rights to time in court with its protections. In effect removing outright being a free American. Bad times. the GWOT is not expected to end in any of our lifetimes.

by nightgaunt (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 448 comments [27 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 at 1:33:29 PM

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The answer to Monsanto is for the public to revolt and not buy any of their poison GMO food. WE buy nothing but organic foods, particularly corn. There is no way to know what effect those seeds have on us and Monsanto doesn't care. What do they eat? I hope it is their own seeds. Maybe if they poison themselves they might wake up.

by Caronome (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 327 comments [15 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 at 5:11:50 PM

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 Heres something to lighten your day. Such a great story, every one should see.              http://www.squidoo.com/Christian_The_Lion

by Lew Ranger (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 48 comments) on Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008 at 3:27:13 PM

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