A seedy story that bears repeating.. found at an unusual site....

[HysteryDiagnosis]

even the vegementarians get it... they hate us for our greedom. This is what the war is really all about, using another nations wealth to prop up an aging population and its economy.

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/iraq_seeds.htm
Iraqi Farmers Aren't Celebrating World Food Day
Nov 11, 2004

>>>As part of sweeping "economic restructuring" implemented by the Bush Administration in Iraq, Iraqi farmers will no longer be permitted to save their seeds. Instead, they will be forced to buy seeds from US corporations -- which can include seeds the Iraqis themselves developed over hundreds of years. That is because in recent years, transnational corporations have patented and now own many seed varieties originated or developed by indigenous peoples. In a short time, Iraq will be living under the new American credo: Pay Monsanto, or starve.<<<

Me: Pay gw's contributors or STARVE.

[madeline_con]

1. I've read about this before on DU. n/t

[rzemanfl]

2. Old news. n/t

[NanceGreggs]

3. That's what Bush meant ...

... when he said 'Freedom on the March'. Iraqis will now be free to march over to the local bank and take out a loan, in order to buy what was theirs to begin with.

Welcome to democracy, Iraq -- G.B. BU$HCO-style!

[havocmom]

4. The biggest threat of GM crops: patented seeds impoverishing farmers

Farmers get sued if GM crop DNA shows up in their fields. Some grain will blow in transit, getting into fields. Some gets eaten by birds and rodents to be later deposited somewhere else. Lots of seed find their way all over the place, just ask county agents in weed abatement programs!

But GM seeds getting on your land can be the beginning of the end for you and your farm.

Corporations are making a world where there is no such thing as self reliance/sustainability. They are making a world of slaves. GM seeds are a tool to this end. Water will be the other biggie. Private control of water will be what finishes off our enslavement.

[BrotherBuzz]

17. And let's not forget the folly of lack of genetic diversity

Under adverse conditions entire crops can fail when you put all your eggs in one basket. Back in the good old days when genetic diversity abounded, one variety might fail but others would survive.

[havocmom]

41. Indeed. It does set the stage for catastrophic crop failure & famine

But, hey, there's quarterly profit reports to think about! :sarcasm:

Fucking amoral corportists, they're gonna doom mankind yet.... ::havocmom wanders off, muttering under her breath, to find her heirloom seed catalogs::

all the more reason for people to garden when ever and where ever they can. If you have a window sill and a container, PLANT SOMETHING! Teach little people to garden. If you don't have little people of your own, get a community garden project going and enlist other little people.

I saw great things come from a garden at an inner city school in a poor part of a city. Great way to get the little people outside, teach age appropriate lessons in applies natural sciences, show kids that they do not have to accept things the way they are- give them the lessons of empowerment to change things, teach the sense of pride and accomplishment of making things happen, root them to the elements. Give them hope via the wonder of a seed sprouting. Illustrate to adults how easy it is to make changes for the better and not rely completely on the system.

Garden as a political act. It'll piss off Monsanto, and that's a GOOD THING! :evilgrin: And, you might just help save mankind by keeping plant diversity. Look into heirloom garden organizations and Seed Savers type exchanges. It could make a world of difference in a world gone mad.

[druidity33]

25. google Percy Schmeiser...

His case in Canada finally ended and unfortunately it has solidified the interests of the Companies over the farmers... he is still fundraising to pay for his legal expenses from something like 10 years of court battles.

[havocmom]

42. Thank you, druidty33! Could not recall the gentleman's name

Sadly, he is not the only one with the problem. Too many farmers will be driven off land due to legal costs incured from this sort of problem.

[Greyhound]

37. You got it exactly right...

That's the intended result of "The Plan", to enslave the human race. It's just so monstrous that the sheeple refuse to look at it.

[Clara T]

5. ORDER 81: Re-engineering Iraqi agriculture

Despite its recent troubles, Iraqi agriculture’s long history means that for the last 10,000 years Iraqi farmers have been naturally selecting wheat varieties that work best with their climate. Each year they have saved seeds from crops that prosper under certain conditions and replanted and cross-pollinated them with others with different strengths the following year, so that the crop continually improves. In 2002, the FAO estimated that 97 per cent of Iraqi farmers used their own saved seed or bought seed from local markets. That there are now over 200,000 known varieties of wheat in the world is down in no small part to the unrecognised work of farmers like these and their informal systems of knowledge sharing and trade. It would be more than reasonable to assume that somewhere amongst the many fields and grainstores of iraq there are samples of strong, indigenous wheat varieties that could be developed and distributed around the country in order to bolster production once more.

Likewise, long before Abu Ghraib became the world’s most infamous prison, it was known for housing not inmates, but seeds. In the early 1970s samples of the many varieties used by Iraqi farmers were starting to be saved in the country’s national gene bank, situated in the town of Abu Ghraib. Indeed one of Iraq’s most well known indigenous wheat varieties is called ‘Abu Ghraib’.

Unfortunately, this vital heritage and knowledge base is now believed lost, the victim of the current campaign and the many years of conflict that preceded it. But there is another viable source. At the International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Syria there are still samples of several Iraqi varieties. As a revealing report by Focus on the Global South and GRAIN comments: ‘These comprise the agricultural heritage of Iraq belonging to the Iraqi farmers that ought now to be repatriated.’

If Iraq’s new adminstration truly wanted to re-establish Iraqi agriculture for the benefit of the Iraqi people it would seek out the fruits of their knowledge. It could scour the country for successful farms, and if it miraculously found none could bring over the seeds from ICARDA and use those as the basis of a programme designed to give Iraq back the agriculture it once gave the world.

The US, however, has decided that, despite 10,000 years practice, Iraqis don’t know what wheat works best in their own conditions, and would be better off with some new, imported American varieties. Under the guise, therefore, of helping get Iraq back on its feet, the US is setting out to totally reengineer the country’s traditional farming systems into a US-style corporate agribusiness. Or, as the aforementioned press release from Headquarters United States Command puts it: ‘Multi-National Forces are currently planting seeds for the future of agriculture in the Ninevah Province’

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=SMI20050827&articleId=870

Bears Repeating

[HysteryDiagnosis]

9. Like I said..... contributors, just imagine if we didn't get in Iraq and

sew up all these little details.... other evildoer nations such as France, Germany and Russia would still have influence, contracts, and economic power in Iraq... couldn't allow that now could we.


http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0104,ridgeway,21673,6.html


Bush's Ties to Monsanto
Franken Shrub

One way conspiracy buffs can get a handle on the new Bush administration is by examining the many ties between the president's team and Monsanto, the big Missouri chemical company that promotes genetically engineered foods.

For starters, consider the fact that Bush Sr. appointed Clarence Thomas, a Monsanto attorney, to the Supreme Court. Thomas cast a key vote in the decision that handed the White House to George Jr.

In addition, John Ashcroft, Dubya's choice for attorney general, was the top recipient of Monsanto contributions during his losing reelection campaign for the U.S. Senate. While he was in the Senate, Ashcroft fought hard for Monsanto. He was active abroad in convincing hesitant nations to accept genetically engineered crops and is credited with persuading the British to push for European Union acceptance of Monsanto's Roundup Ready corn.

Other links include Donald Rumsfeld, the new secretary of defense, who was president of Searle Pharmaceuticals, now owned by Monsanto, and Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, who was on the board of directors of Calgene Pharmaceuticals, another Monsanto affiliate.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. I said it bears repeating.... meaning that "it bears repeating" :)

[Wilms]

7. It does. Recommended.

Thanks for posting. Newbies need to hear it. Oldies could be reminded.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. K & R

:kick:

[bonito]

10. Pharmaceuticals?

Great, thats must be the reason ionic silver is covered up so well.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

19. It will turn you GRAY... and I don't mean your hair either. nt.

[bonito]

20. Drinking the coolaid makes you blind.

I'm talking about silver ions.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

21. Silver ions in excess will make you gray.... but in proper amounts

they will suffocate most bacteria.

[bonito]

31. Been using it for years

the graying condition known as argyria is harmless given a life or death situation I'll go grey any day, actually as of late there are reports of a reversing of the condition, haven't had to go there, but have not found any reports with someone argyria using ionic silver, not to be confused with silver nitrate or salts. ionic silver made with low current pure silver electrodes and distilled water produces positive charged ions and to small a percent of negative charged particles, is safe and inexpensive to prepare at home.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

33. What do you use it for??? This is getting interesting fer sure.... nt.

[bonito]

34. Some backround info

Ionic silver is incredible, my wife has been sick for a number of years now.
Some of the doctors say M.S. some say small strokes, but nobody really knows, we treat the symptoms as best as we can, but there came a time when it was not good enough.
Research, brought silver aboard when she was dying from pneumonia at the time it was Pseudomonas aeruginosa, after a few treatments of silver through the nebuliser it was gone, then came staph, mersa, and even bacterial pneumonia, enter silver, gone. c-diff no problem.
As for myself, tooth abscesses, and deodorant, best ever.
my brother has been soaking his toes in it for fungus and is seeing positive results, Oh and theres ear infections sinus infections, I could go on and on.
In any event I'm going to set up this swimming pool with silver for obvious reasons, I just wish others would also experiment with it, talk about bird flu and what have you to contend with. Peace

[HysteryDiagnosis]

36. Could you say once again how you "make it"??? That is highly

interesting and should probably be on every front page in the nation.... thanks in advance... 4.

[bonito]

39. Ok

I was buying it at first, there are many brands at the health food store, but got concerned with the quality I might be getting, so after a little research decided on buying a generator and preparing it my self.
You can use 3 9v batteries with some wire and silver and cook some easy enough, but the generator will shut it down at 10 to 12 ppm avoiding other problems. google silver puppy. thats the generator I use.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

44. Thanks for the info.... it's people like you who if given the opportunity

could slash our healthcare crisis to a mere fraction of what it is.

[troubleinwinter]

11. It IS the ULTIMATE weapon.

I love science, and some years ago, thought GM would help to feed the hungry of the world. It sounded wonderful to me.

That was before I discovered a tinfoil hat that fits me perfectly, and learned how corrupt the corporate global criminal fascists truly are.

Now, what if the crop is forced on a population and has been engineered/known to be susceptible to ONE disease/virus/pest..... and this particular pest is introduced on purpose later? Theoretically, a whole area/country/population could be wiped from the earth by starvation/economic ruin.

The soil would not have been turned to glass or made uninhabitable by nukes. But the population can be utterly decimated.

Nice clean weapon, and who would even know?

I recall the Potato Famine in Ireland.

[Angry Girl]

14. Ding ding ding ding!!!! And we have a winner!

*sigh*

[troubleinwinter]

16. It is worthy of a discussion thread.

[mikelewis]

30. Even more recently was Saddams destruction of the Marshlands...

He used access to the Euphrates as a weapon to drive out the Marshlanders thoughout the 90's. This was done with the dikes and dams we funded and built for his country. In fact the final nail in the project was finished in 92 long after the Gulf War. We knew he was using access to water as a weapon but we didn't care. Why? Because it was believed that under the Marshlands lay easier access to oil. Why should we care what Saddam did to his own people as long as the black gold flows cheaply into our tanks?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

32. Hypocrisy in foreign policy and foreign affairs comes with a

heavy pricetag, as we most certainly are seeing today.

[oblivious]

12. Thanks for posting this again. Some good links there.

Including the actual CP law. I just read through the whole thing. As I read it, if the original variety is contaminated by the protected GM variety, the contaminated original becomes protected too. Imagine an Iraqi farmer trying to figure this out. Imagine Monsanto trying to enforce this!!

B. The authorization of the breeder shall be required to carry out the acts cited in paragraph (A) of this Article in respect of the harvested material, including the entire plants and parts of plants obtained through the unauthorized use of propagating material of the protected variety, unless the breeder has had reasonable opportunity to exercise the breeder’s right in relation to the said propagating materials.

C. The provisions of paragraphs (A) and (B) of this Chapter shall be also applicable to the following varieties:

1. The varieties which are essentially derived from the protected variety where the protected variety is not itself an essentially derived variety. The variety is considered essentially derived from another variety according to the following criteria;

a) it is predominantly derived from the initial variety, or from a variety that is itself predominantly derived from the initial variety while retaining the expression of the essential characteristics that result from the genotype or combination of genotypes of the initial variety;

b) it is clearly distinguishable from the initial variety; and

c) except for the differences which result from the act of derivation, it conforms to the initial variety in the expression of the essential characteristics that result from the genotype or combination of genotypes of the initial variety. If it is similar to the original variety as for its main properties resulting from the hereditary composite or a group of the hereditary composites for the original variety, except what is related to the differences resulting from the derivation;

2. The varieties which are not clearly distinguishable from the protected variety
in accordance with paragraph (B) of Article 4 of this Chapter; and

3. The varieties whose production requires the repeated use of the protected variety.

[Angry Girl]

13. The story of the mayacoba bean and Larry Proctor's "patent"

The yellow mayacoba has been enjoyed for hundreds and hundreds of years in Mexico. Some rich assh*le goes on vacation down there, finds this yellow bean on sale everywhere, brings it home, grows a few and then decides he's going to patent it! Now the rights to the mayacoba bean belongs to him and a lot of farmers get screwed big time. Biopiracy of the first order.

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/food_politics/beans/3.html

[CrispyQ]

22. Patenting food sources.

Holy fuck, what monsters.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

27. I'm sure the fundies believe that Jesus would approve.... nt.

[eppur_se_muova]

15. Thanks for spotlighting the issue of "biopiracy". For links go to

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?tab=news&x=17&go=homepage&y=15&q=biopiracy&scope=all

to search for "biopiracy". I recently read an article on BBC.co.uk about India fighting back by documenting its traditional herbal medicines before they can be patented.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

18. traditional herbal medicines before they can be patented

democratic nations don't try to STEAL from other nations, they aren't interested in bio piracy/terrorism. They would never do anything that would shortchange the indigenous peoples of any particular nation.... unless of course the shock and awe works like it should. It's easy to kill people, but it's hard to kill their spirit.

Perhaps someday some unruly rogue nation will come to Amerika and lock down parsley, and all the chefs in Amerika can just draw a little green sprig on their plates... mebbe somebody can start making plates with a pic of parsley in the background... maybe soylent green will be just around the corner.... yech.

[Cats Against Frist]

23. This is one of the single most fucked up things that I've read

about the Iraq invasion. I've known about this, for some time. It is not just this, however -- the nation's wealth, which was, "technically" held, in trust, by Iraq's people, is being sold off to foreign investment and commercial interests. They're piecing up that country and taking it for everything they can. Think about it. With the oil wealth, it makes that country more valuable than Microsoft. What greedy-ass capitalist wouldn't claw tooth and nail to get a big piece of it? Shameless.

[Toots]

24. Seeds need water to grow and whomever controls the water controls all life

on earth. You think it is about oil but you are mistaken........

[Raster]

26. remember "...they hate us for our freedoms..." n/t

[HysteryDiagnosis]

28. Our freedom to levy illegal decrees upon whoever the *** we

want to without hesitation or remorse.

[mopinko]

29. it is not about our country.

this is not about the rich in this counrty. rich is it's own country. it has citizens all over the world.

[FreedomAngel82]

35. I wouldn't be in the mood for celebrating either

[Lori Price CLG]

38. Kicked, and recommended for 'Greatest' page. n/t

[greiner3]

40. Archer Daniel Midlands is another fun company;

:sarcasm:

[donheld]

43. I think most americans have no clue this is going on

This maybe common knowledge on DU but it's not knowledge at all to most others.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

45. Ya mean shrub, Rummy and the DICK aren't telling the American

people why the Iraqis are fighting us tooth and nail and KILLING OUR CHILDREN???? Pity.

[Greyhound]

46. Kickworthy n/t

:kick:

[oblivious]

47. I second that!

:kick: