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You have to LOVE the double talk!

by seasoned
6 replies
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http://www.kivitv.com/news/local/210456421.html

SPOKANE, Wash., June 8 (UPI) -- Two Washington state wheat farmers have filed a lawsuit against Monsanto Co., alleging genetically modified wheat found in Oregon damaged their business.

The farmers, who operate Wahl Ranch in Adams County and Dreger Enterprises in Lincoln County, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Spokane. They are seeking a class-action status, with damages to be determined by the court, The Seattle Times reported.

The plaintiffs said they grow soft white wheat, the same kind of wheat grown by an Oregon farmer who found a genetically modified strain in his field.

Since the genetically modified wheat was found, Japan has stopped ordering soft white wheat from the two Washington farmers.

"We've seen a drop in future and current cash prices on wheat already, and at least one shipment of wheat turned away or refused. We think this is actual damage," said Kim Stephens, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
OK, the OTHER crop APPEARED to be the same, and they can't be sure it isn't.

Because of that, Japan is KNOWN to have stopped buying the wheat.

They have seen a drop in prices at the SAME time, when prices should be GOING UP due to inflation.

In other words, Monsanto hurt them, and THEY WANT TO BE COMPENSATED!

"USDA has said the wheat crop is safe, [the Food and Drug Administration] confirmed food and feed safety in 2004
SO WHAT? That means nothing HERE, and even less ELSEWHERE!

, and USDA has stated repeatedly that there is no indication that glyphosate-tolerant wheat has entered commerce," McClain said.
So they are INTENTIONALLY SCAMMING PEOPLE? They sell the wheat SUPPOSEDLY so farmers can grow it to SELL, and HERE they say NONE has ever been sold! The argument made more sense when they sold nutrasweet. THERE, they advertised baked goods with it and, when it was found that baking it made it MORE harmful, they claimed they never said you could cook with it.

They say:

Kyle McClain, Monsanto's chief litigation counsel, said the farmers have "scant basis for a lawsuit."
WHY? It sounds pretty open and shut to me! This is effectively a corporate biological "PUMP AND DUMP"! "PUMP AND DUMP" is a FELONY! People have been thrown in jail for it. OK, P&D is generally buying stocks low, lying by saying the price will go much higher, and then selling when it all does. HERE, they lie saying it is so great, sell it, and then reality hits and it affects things potentially forever. Same concept! If you ask me, they are MORE culpable HERE! And this stuff is PERISHABLE! They can't wait for any corrections.

Steve
  • Profile picture of the author David Maschke
    Ok, I agree with you 100%. But I'm going to step into Monsanto's shoes and play the devil's advocate, just for fun.

    Post hoc ergo propter hoc, Latin for "after this, therefore because of this"

    The burden of proof would fall on the farmers to prove Japan refused the shipment because of the modified crop, and prove that refusal was enough to cause a fall in prices, let alone prove the fact GM wheat is harmful.

    Monsanto's best play here is, "Our seed is so good, there was an overproduction of wheat, which is why wheat prices are falling. We sold a lot of seed, and our stockholders are happy. Food prices are lower, and Norma Snockers, who is on food stamps, is happy too. As for Japan, we do not know why they refused shipment, and we cannot control their economic policy."
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by David Maschke View Post

      Ok, I agree with you 100%. But I'm going to step into Monsanto's shoes and play the devil's advocate, just for fun.

      Post hoc ergo propter hoc, Latin for "after this, therefore because of this"

      The burden of proof would fall on the farmers to prove Japan refused the shipment because of the modified crop, and prove that refusal was enough to cause a fall in prices, let alone prove the fact GM wheat is harmful.

      Monsanto's best play here is, "Our seed is so good, there was an overproduction of wheat, which is why wheat prices are falling. We sold a lot of seed, and our stockholders are happy. Food prices are lower, and Norma Snockers, who is on food stamps, is happy too. As for Japan, we do not know why they refused shipment, and we cannot control their economic policy."
      Japan STOPPED ordering soft white wheat, and has been known to not want GMO. Monsanto claiming that they sold more would be like shooting themselves in the foot. Then again, the USDA is saying that no such sales have been made.

      And ******WHY****** is it "glyphosate-tolerant"? The ONLY reason I can think of is so they can use certain herbicides, like roundup, around it. THAT way, the poison can go through and be ingested by animals, like PEOPLE, instead of killing the wheat so people won't touch it.

      BTW moderate USE of glyphosphate herbicides has been linked to ALZHEIMERS!
      New Study Links Monsanto’s Roundup To Autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s | Collective-Evolution

      If I, with no valid reason, gave a material like this to another, I could even be charged with MURDER, if they die. If they get very ill, I migt be charged with attempted murder. Many HAVE! Some might have even after giving rounup tainted goods. Why should monsanto get off?

      Steve
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      • Profile picture of the author David Maschke
        Enter the biotech rider, an unprecedented end-run around such court decisions. The law -- conveniently snuck into the must-pass budget bill -- requires USDA to ignore a court order and allow the planting of new genetically engineered crops while the agency conducts further review, after which time it's likely too late to undo any harm. It would be like the Food and Drug Administration saying to food makers: go ahead and put those potentially dangerous food additives on the market while we keep studying them to see if they make people sick. (Okay, we do that too but only because we don't have laws against it.)
        I thought I would a least get a "check," to borrow jargon from chess, with the Monsanto protection act.

        But it seems the act is just a run-around a court order, at least according to the article I'm quoting. Perhaps the farmers will get their day in court.

        So if it goes to court, will the judicial system elect to maintain their constitutional power, or will they say it's out of their hands because of the protection act?

        I've talked to a lot of farmers in my area, they all love Monsanto. I'm a cynic when it comes to such things.
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        • Profile picture of the author ThomM
          Originally Posted by David Maschke View Post

          I thought I would a least get a "check," to borrow jargon from chess, with the Monsanto protection act.

          But it seems the act is just a run-around a court order, at least according to the article I'm quoting. Perhaps the farmers will get their day in court.

          So if it goes to court, will the judicial system elect to maintain their constitutional power, or will they say it's out of their hands because of the protection act?

          I've talked to a lot of farmers in my area, they all love Monsanto. I'm a cynic when it comes to such things.
          When I run into farmers like that I ask them how the koolaide tastes They are the ones that don't have a clue about sustainable agriculture or I.P.M for that matter. The smart farmers understand that it all begins with the soil and that a healthy soil will always out produce what they do with all those chemicals. They don't understand that all those chemical pesticides they use ends up destroying the soils they plant on trapping them into a system that always ends up with them using more and stronger chemicals to produce the same yield as when they first started using them. Also you have to pay attention and understand your soil to use sustainable agriculture instead of just relying on an application schedule.
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          Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
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          As you are I was, as I am you will be
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Apparently a LOT of farmers just keep buying seed. So they would necessarily notice the problem. And a glyphospate resistant plant would be INCREDIBLY easy to care for. Glyphosphate works like DDT. Farmers likely liked DDT ALSO!

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

      Apparently a LOT of farmers just keep buying seed. So they would necessarily notice the problem. And a glyphospate resistant plant would be INCREDIBLY easy to care for. Glyphosphate works like DDT. Farmers likely liked DDT ALSO!

      Steve
      A lot of farmers just do as they're told, usually be the co-operative extension. The problem there is the extensions get their information from the Ag. department and Universities that rely on founding from companies like monsanto.
      Back in the late 80's and early 90's I worked with local farmers through the extension implementing I.P.M. programs. At the time the ag. dept. was trying to get 70 or 80 % of all farms in the program. Then monsanto came out with their first g.e. crops and suddenly the ag. dept. wasn't interested in I.P.M. anymore.
      What's interesting now is if you do a search for I.P.M. you will find a description of it on the E.P.A. website before you'll find one from the U.S.D.A. In fact when I did the search (I use Startpage HTTPS) there isn't a link to a U.S.D.A. page in the 6 pages of results I looked at. But then I.P.M. is more about sustainable agriculture for the land and farmer.
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      Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
      Getting old ain't for sissy's
      As you are I was, as I am you will be
      You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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