Surprised? Monsanto OPENLY WROTE OWN Monsanto Protection Act

[Segami]

I think Blunt is confused over which ‘people’ he is serving. I created this image to call Blunt out on his open decision to side with Monsanto over the public:

It should come as no surprise to many of you to find out that Monsanto actually authored the wording of its own Monsanto Protection Act hidden in the recently passed and signed Continuing Resolution spending bill. How could a major corporation write its own laws and regulations, you ask? Quite frankly I think it’s important to understand that the entire Senate passed the bill containing the Protection Act, but the politician who actually gave Monsanto the pen in order to write their very own legislation is no others than Roy Blunt — a Republican Senator from Missouri. As the latest IB Times article reveals, the Missouri politician worked with Monsanto to write the Monsanto Protection Act. This was confirmed by a New York news report I will get to shortly.



As you probably know I do not play the political clown game of left versus right, and instead highlight corruption and wrongdoing wherever it is found — regardless of party affiliation. In the case of Senator Blunt, he admits to colluding with Monsanto, a corporation that has literally been caught running ‘slave-like’ working conditions in which workers are unable to leave or eat (among many worse misdeeds). This is one of the most blatant offenses against the citizens of the United States I’ve seen in a long time. A population that Blunt swore to serve. It’s not for the United States public at all, and it’s a serious matter that I don’t think is properly understood. The passing of this bill into law means that Monsanto is now immune from federal courts regarding any suspension or action on their crops that have been deemed to be dangerous to the people (or the environment).



This means crops that were approved and later found to damage the environment or the public will be immune from United States government action. Theoretically, one million studies could find that Monsanto’s latest creation was causing a massive cancer wave and under this law Monsanto could continue to peddle the crop to the public. The federal courts would (or will) be helpless to stop Monsanto, effectively giving Monsanto power over the entire branch of the United States government. Food Democracy Now, a major activist organization that organized signatures to fight the Monsanto Protection Act, described the rider:

“The Monsanto Protection Act would force the USDA to allow continued planting of any GMO crop under court review, essentially giving backdoor approval for any new genetically engineered crops that could be potentially harmful to human health or the environment.”

Sounds like a great idea, right?




Serving Corporations, Not People



Senator Roy Blunt and those who knowingly passed the Monsanto Protection Act (including President Obama who signed it into law just last night) have chosen to serve corporations over people. Ironic, really, as corporations legally are people — a legal area commonly used to avoid real jail sentences for major CEOs and executives who knowingly were involved with the deaths of consumers around the world. It’s sad, really. I read up on Senator Blunt, and he does seem to constantly side with corporations over the public. Even on his Wikipedia page one line reads that Blunt ”consistently sided with Big Oil and other dirty polluters over a cleaner, more sustainable future.” I was even able to find a quote by Blunt defending his decision to allow Monsanto to write its own regulation through the Monsanto Protection Act. He told the NY Daily News in defense of the Monsanto Protection Act and his relationship with the company in writing the rider: “What it says is if you plant a crop that is legal to plant when you plant it, you get to harvest it.”

cont'







http://naturalsociety.com/surprised-monsanto-openly-wrote-own-monsanto-protection-act/

[WilliamPitt]

1. . . . . . . . . .

That little rider your little conspiracy theory is up in arms about does not protect Monsanto from prosecution. What the rider does is simple. To plant a restricted crop, the farmer needs to have permission from the federal government. The bill does not change that part because the farmer always needed permission to plant restricted crops.

Where the bill comes into play is right now. If a farmer has permission to plant restricted crops, but the paperwork gets lost somewhere, the farmer is protected from lawsuit. As long as he can prove he has permission beforehand, he will not get sued or anything of the sort. Before, if a farmer is caught planting restricted crops without permission, he could face fines and be ordered to destroy the crops. It does not matter if the farmer gets permission before hand.

Nowhere in that rider does it give Cargill blanket protection from lawsuit.

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/03/dear-liberals-its-not-king-obamas-fault-its-ours/

P.S., the rider will die in six months.

[OnyxCollie]

2. Remember back in August of '08,

when the Bush-era FISA amendments were due to sunset, and all Congress had to do was nothing and they would return to normal, and telecoms were concerned that they would be prosecuted for illegally spying on Americans during the Bush administration, how did that turn out, and more specifically, what actions did then Senator Obama take?

[theaocp]

4. Oops. n/t

[sabrina 1]

6. Yes, I do remember which is why I ignore the 'it will expire in six months'

platitudes. I remember that we were told the Bush Tax cuts would expire also, so we didn't need to 'hand-wring' over it. I doubt anyone is buying these excuses.

When someone finds themselves always in a position of having to make excuses, maybe they are doing something wrong? I know that is how it works in RL for most of us.

And why are Monsanto personnel being appointed to positions of power by a Democratic Administration? What are the excuses for that, I haven't seen them yet?

[bvar22]

9. How many times????

"Don't worry.
We'll Fix It Later."

[sabrina 1]

10. Maybe it would be easier to list the number of times something actually DID

expire/get fixed? Going back to Clinton's atrocious Welfare Reform which was also supposed to 'get fixed', I can't think of one time when this placation promise has ever been kept!

If anyone can prove me wrong, I will be happy to see it.

[trueblue2007]

23. OKAY...... WHO PUT THE MONSANTO RIDER INTO THE BILL IN THE FIRST PLACE?????

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/27/farmers_and_food_safety_advocates_lead_monsanto_backlash_partner/


and those who are angry at Obama for signing the bill are also incensed with Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D- Md., who is accused of failing to give the amendment that inserted the language a proper hearing.

“In this hidden backroom deal, Sen. Mikulski turned her back on consumer, environmental and farmer protection in favor of corporate welfare for biotech companies such as Monsanto,” Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety, said in a statement. “This abuse of power is not the kind of leadership the public has come to expect from Sen. Mikulski or the Democrat Majority in the Senate.”

A number of the provision’s vocal opponents allege that it was quietly inserted while the bill was still in the Senate Appropriations Committee, which Mikulski chairs, and that her committee did not hold any hearings on its language. They say many Democratic members who voted for the bill were unaware.

[sabrina 1]

24. They are giving the impression that this was some big surprise they

got and could not deal with in a hurry. That is a lie. It was known about including who was trying to get it attached to the Bill, LAST JULY at least.

It's bad enough that they are deceiving the people, but to assume we are that stupid, that we cannot find out the facts at this point in time, is downright insulting.

They had nearly a year to stop this. It was NOT a surprise move, it was a well known fact for at least nine months, and they knew it.

[Roselma]

25. maybe it is a trick...

Maybe this is misreported anyway. Read:

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/03/28/conservatives-laugh-as-liberals-attack-president-over-non-existent-monsanto-protection-act/



Conservatives Laugh As Liberals Attack President Over Non-Existent ‘Monsanto Protection Act’

worth a couple of minutes of your time to read

[elehhhhna]

12. this sunset shit is a way to fuck us every time

make a law or not

[sabrina 1]

5. And the Democrats are on the wrong end of Corporate Blackmail, yet again.

Is there ever going to be a time when Democrats foil Republicans and their Corporate masters? A time when we don't always have to make excuses for WHY Republicans 'made them do it'?

Any time when they have positions of power, they can use those positions as effectively as Republicans apparently do?

'Blanket protection'. That means they have 'some' protection to me. Well, since Monsanto wrote the language, I'm sure they felt it would benefit them somehow.

And we know about the 'don't worry, it will expire in a few months' argument.

We're still waiting for the expiration of most of Bush's policies. They seem to keep being extended.

We're still waiting to revisit the PO, as promised, but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm waiting for the people we elect to stop the Republicans from implementing their Corporate policies, to actually do it. But over and over again all we hear are excuses. Makes you wonder what we gain when we win. Republicans otoh, win even when they are in the minority or lose the WH.

[elehhhhna]

13. that's funny!!! We are being managed by one party,

that pretends to be two parties. One is evil, one is inep0t. Bad cop/worse cop, if you will.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

17. Well there's this... Monsanto petition tells Obama: ‘Cease FDA ties to Monsanto’

In 2009, President Obama appointed Michael Taylor as a senior adviser for the FDA. Consumer groups protested the appointment because Taylor had formerly served as a vice president for Monsanto, the controversial agricultural multinational at the forefront of genetically modified food.

-snip-

Taylor’s position, which is currently deputy commissioner for foods at the FDA, includes ensuring that food labels contain clear and accurate information, overseeing strategy for food safety and planning new food safety legislation. He is the first individual to hold the position.

Before he joined the FDA, Taylor was the vice president for Public Policy at Monsanto from 1998 to 2001. He has since worked for the FDA in a number of capacities, most recently returning to the administration as senior adviser to the commissioner in July 2009.

-snip-

Smith cited as problematic Taylor’s prior involvement in overseeing the policy of Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH/rbST). Milk from injected cows has been a controversial topic, Smith points out, with many medical organizations and hospitals speaking out against it.

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/monsanto-petition-tells-obama-cease-fda-ties-to-monsanto/2012/01/30/gIQAA9dZcQ_blog.html

[MoclipsHumptulips]

18. Six months my ass

full on bullshit, corporations rule.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. DU Rec

[City Lights]

7. Our government is run by corporations.

The people are fucked.

[woo me with science]

22. +1 It's in our faces now.

Who ya gonna vote for, sucker?!

[99Forever]

8. If this surprises anyone...

... they just aren't too freakin' bright.

Thanks for signing this into law, President Barack Obama, good to see who's interests you are watching out for.

[Autumn]

11. Mikulski is the one who put this in. It bothers me that a democrat would do this

A bill she didn't write or support. What was she doing? Was it like... Oh wait heres another bill laying around over here in the corner, I don't know whats in it but lets just put that on the budget bill too.

The bill was " largely unchanged" whatever the fuck that means.

I think shit like that is a real problem. As for it expiring.... heard that shit before.

[sabrina 1]

14. They knew about Monsanto writing this for nearly a year. They had that much

time to take it out. De Fazio and Tester tried with not much help from the WH.

There is just NO excuse for the inclusion of this rider as we are being subjected to yet again. All we ever hear are excuses.

I agree, she sounds like a child who didn't do their homework. She should have been out there, like De Fazio, condemning this since last July at least. She is trying now to claim 'surprise'. BS, this has been known about for months.

[Autumn]

15. I think the claim of not knowing what was in it is bullshit.

She had to have known. No other reason for it to have been added. It's not even an excuse, just a piss poor job of ass covering. She added it, she supports it.

[Berlum]

20. k and r

supreme stinkage on the Monsanto Protection Racket Act.

[polly7]

16. Wow.

That's beyond f'ed up.

I hate Monsanto with a passion.

[Moostache]

19. I loathe that company...

When I found myself out of work in 2009 (like so many others), I had a choice to make between applying my training and education in Biochemistry for them or for another company focused on medical devices and disease diagnosis. It was a decision made in milliseconds...

I would never work for Monsanto no matter how much money they offered me. I would rather change careers and ditch 20+ years of experience than cash a check with their corporate feces logo on it.

On another note, I am quite sure that Clarence Thomas is thrilled with this news...

[Segami]

21. I'd be curious to know if Clarence and his wife sit down and enjoy

themselves with a nice bowl of Monsanto frankenfood product(s)?