The most effective way to control the world is to control the supply of an essential item such as water or oxygen. Fortunately, completely controlling the supply of essentials is usually very difficult. Unfortunately, our patenting system in the United States has recently been transforming in such a way that encourages monopolies of control over many very common items, including food.
One of the biggest problems I see with our patent system is that it allows for the complete control over strains of genetically modified food and animals. At first glance it may not seem like a monopoly on specific strains of food would matter much. Farmers would just be able to not buy the strain or to use the seeds from their own already modified plants if they so wished, right? Wrong.
The U.S. patenting system allows for genetically modified seed to be sold in mass with restrictive stipulations placed upon them. For example, genetically modified seeds are often sold with the restriction that the seeds cannot be reused in the next years crop, so the farmer must purchase more costly seeds directly from source next year. This allows for a monopoly on this specific strain of seeds such that anyone who has these genetically modified plants are forced to buy their seeds from the supplier with the patent.
This doesn't seem so bad, right? A smart farmer would just not buy the genetically modified seeds in the first place if these crazy stipulations were placed on the use of these seeds. Unfortunately, this approach still does not circumvent this flawed system. Many plants spread their pollen far and wide, ensuring that genetically modified plants will contaminate any crops near them. Once a genetically modified hybrid plant has been produced, the law leaves the ownership of this plant in a potentially very dangerous place.
A company called Monsanto has been practicing this form of controlling the world over the years and they are becoming increasingly better at it. Monsanto owns thousands of patents on herbicides, insecticides, genetically modified seeds, and they have even filed a patent for genes present in pigs. Monsanto distributes the most popular herbicide and they are by far the leading producer and patent owner of genetically modified seed.
There are many conspiracy videos explaining how Monsanto is attempting to gain control of all pigs worldwide and is generally harming the world as a whole. Regardless of Monsanto's intentions, they obviously do not care at all about the health of the world (see Agent Orange) and they are in a position that allows them nearly complete control over all food. It is a bit curious how many people have supposedly been fired or humiliated for researching or reporting bad information about Monsanto.
Although people are fighting back and sometimes winning battles, Monsanto is winning the war. Congratulations to the Monsanto Corporation for grossly taking advantage of human ignorance and obtaining the power to control the world in the most effective way I have ever seen.
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3 comments:
Nice article. If one thinks a moment, they'll realize, this is why food is becoming so expensive. You won't hear that on the media.
Farmers are, year after year, having to re-purchase seed, instead of using seed from their own crops they grew the season prior, as they had done forever.
Monsanto's seed even blows with the wind... pollinating the crops of farmers who choose not to use their seed. Monsanto then sues these innocent farmers, due to their patent having invaded the innocent farmer's crops. You would think it would be the other way around, the farmer sueing Monsanto for basically ruining the farmer's crops. But no.
These GM seeds are very dangerous. There is no independent research of any seed prior to it reaching your plate. There may be fish genes in your vegetables, there is definitely pesticide in your produce - aka Roundup Ready Seed.
Another very serious concern is Soy. Most of the soy today is GM. No soy - either GM or not - has been certified GRAS for human consumption. Soy is only approved as a cardboard binder. Not for food. Yet look on most every label in the grocery store, and there it is - soy in some form or another.
Read "Soy, The Untold Story." Even the NIH, many, many others, know and have known this for decades. Soy is not healthy to consume, it's dangerous. As is Aspartame, which is also genetically modified, by Monsanto.
Tyt,
1)"If one thinks a moment, they'll realize, this is why food is becoming so expensive. You won't hear that on the media."
What is the "this" that is the cause of food "becoming so expensive"?
2)"There is no independent research of any seed prior to it reaching your plate."
I agree. Seeds of all sorts are not independently researched before be generated plant is fed to humans.
3)"Monsanto's seed even blows with the wind... pollinating the crops of farmers who choose not to use their seed. Monsanto then sues these innocent farmers, due to their patent having invaded the innocent farmer's crops. You would think it would be the other way around, the farmer sueing Monsanto for basically ruining the farmer's crops. But no."
Good point. This seems backwards. How can the intellectual property laws or the courts' application of the laws be improved?
-Nog
Nog,
I assume the "this" TYT refers to is the fact that Monsanto has power over nearly all genetically modified crops on the planet.
As far as how intellectual property laws can be improved: abolish the ability to patent genes. I do not think there is any reason good that genes should be patented. Genetic mutations are very common in nature. Patenting a genetic mutation is like patenting a breed of dog. It doesn't make any sense to "own" patterns in nature.
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