House Backs Monsanto and BANS GMO Labeling

By Kristen Anderson

On Tuesday, US food companies and Monsanto sealed a critical victory as the House Agricultural Committee approved a measure that bans the mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods and prevents cities and counties from banning GMO crops within their jurisdictions. Several counties in California and Oregon already have bans in place, and this threatens those restrictions. The measure also paves the way toward preventing food companies from even telling you that their food is GMO free.

While dozens of countries around the world ban GE crops and have ousted Monsanto after citizens protested, petitioned, and took to the streets, the United States seems to want to do everything it can to keep its citizens in the dark about what they are actually eating. Americans clearly want labeling that presents them with accurate and consistent information about what is in their food. As it stands right now, each state has a different method of GMO labeling and some have none at all. Farmers and food manufacturers cannot keep up with 50 different standards. Maine has already passed a law requiring labeling GMO products, and those labels would be prohibited if this bill is upheld in the Senate.

Opponents of GMO labeling state that it would raise food prices and trick consumers into thinking that the GMO-free foods are safer, more nutritious, or otherwise superior to the foods including GMO ingredients. Farmers say that it will be impossible for them to feed the US population by 2050 if they are not permitted to cultivate GMO crops. They say that GMO crops are more resistant to pests and disease, require less land, and are hardier than their GMO-free alternatives. Farmers, already struggling to compete with factory farms and corporations, are facing an ever increasing number of laws and regulations governing how they acquire their seeds, treat their crops for disease and pests, and harvest and store our food.

When society shifted from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy and outsourced food production from the family farm to the farmer or corporation, the quality of our food changed forever. It became someone’s job to produce the largest tomato. It became someone’s livelihood to reduce their costs any way they could. It became much more important to control pests and disease because instead of losing 5 bunches of grapes a week, a farmer could lose thousands of bunches of grapes a week. The farm that produces the best yield survives, the farm that can’t will be eliminated.

Is this when consumers lost the right to know what was in their food? Was it when society elected to stop farming for one family at a time and farm for the masses? Or was it when one giant company controlled practically all of the seed stock in the world? Or was it when the government let themselves be bought by giant companies more interested in profits than in consumer choice and safety?

Sources:

Kristen Anderson writes for Activist Post and droppingkeys.net


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54 Comments on "House Backs Monsanto and BANS GMO Labeling"

  1. What this means-the smart people are not going to buy food without knowing if its GMO or not. The Dancing with Stars bunch will keep on eating it. Congress doesn’t pass legislation for our benefit…it’s done for the corporations and our brand new communist government.

    The reason Congress doesn’t give a crap about the labeling is that there is a NewWorldOrder coming and the enslaved masses are going to be fed this garbage to keep us weak, unhealthy and docile. Do you really think the elite are going to eat processed GMO, aspartame, MSG food, and all the other crap they use to poison us? Does anyone really think they drink fluoridated water?

    We don’t need GMO labeling, we need to eliminate the Federal Reserve, jail the bankers and fire all the politicians. Iceland did it. Our political system is fake, as well as our financial system. The government is run like a broadway play, with actors, writers and producers…we do not have a government..we have actors reading their scripts.

  2. How can something so obviously dishonest be turned into law? When a “law” becomes a natural criminal offense against humanity, then those creating the law are the worst type of criminals because their crime is universal, and harmful to all. And Monsanto has been given a license to hide their crimes.

  3. I think it’s time for a total government recall.

    • Why would you want to recall those opposing this bill?

      “Pompeo’s legislation has 30 co-sponsors so far, including nine Democrats.”

      Six polls have shown the public supports labeling laws by 93-96%.

      Congress clearly does NOT represent the people on this and many other issues with strong public support (public options in healthcare, universal background checks on guns, immigration reform, etc). The plain fact is that Democrats stand with the people on all these issues and Republicans oppose. Likewise with GMO labeling laws, most Democrats support, most Republicans oppose.

      Why would you want to recall those who represent the people?

      It is worth recalling, to refute the argument that both parties are the same, that the Iraq war authorization vote (which led to half a million civilian deaths and trillions in debt) was
      Republicans……97% for
      Democrats………58% against.

      We do not need to recall “government” but those who refuse to represent the people.

      • The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), which gathers leaders to solve the world’s problems, promotes Monsanto, the maker of RoundUp® and RoundUp Ready® seeds. Hugh Grant, Monsanto’s Chairman and CEO spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative conference in September, 2014. Ms. Clinton’s top campaign advisor, Jerry Crawford, was a lobbyist for Monsanto for years and is now the political pro for her Super PAC, “Ready for Hillary.” Clinton spoke in favor of the government’s Feed the Future (FtF) program, aUSAID funded, corporate-partnered program that brings RoundUp Ready® technology to the most vulnerable populations of the world. Hillary Clinton’s donors include Monsanto ,the drug maker Pfizer, ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, Goldman Sachs, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and many more .

        • Also I regret to inform you that President Barack Obama signed H.R. 933, which contained the Monsanto Protection Act, into law. President Obama knowingly signed the Monsanto Protection Act over the urgent pleas of more than 250,000 Americans who asked that he use his executive authority to veto it. President Obama failed to live up to his oath to protect the American people and our constitution.

        • I am no fan of the Clintons. The fact remains that many more Democrats support GMO labeling laws than Republicans. During the campaign for GMO labeling laws in California, the California Democratic Party was a core supporter.

          Get rid of these Democrats who stand with the Republicans, but don’t throw out those that actually represent the people.

          When the Dems voted 58% against the Iraq war authorization, Clinton voted with the Republicans (97% for. Would you throw out the 58% who voted against war based on her standing with the Republicans.

          My point is simple: it makes no sense to get rid of those politicians who support the interests and views of the vast majority of people because of the scumbags who don’t. Get rid of the scumbags and re-elect those who support the will of the people.

      • Bullshit Dale.Those votes are probably planned to give the illusion that there was some level of dissent.Charade

        • Any excuse to avoid facing the truth, eh? Democrats(most but not all) have led the fight against laws banning labeling. In the recent vote, the majority of Dems voted against the ban, and in 2013, the vote to guarantee the right of states to require labeling, of 27 who supported, it 24 were Democrats, 2 Independents, and 1 lone Republican. That is no illusion: that is a clear and indisputable difference of Democrats standing up for states rights and consumers rights, and Republicans standing with the corporations to ban labeling laws.

          George, you just don’t want to face the truth…I call you out for bullshit, based not on an unsupported “probably planned to give the illusion” but on the actual evidence and vote count. Bullshit, George. You probably said that to give the illusion that there is no party divide on the issue.

          • Boy are you clueless. There is only ONE party in Washington and you and I “ain’t in it” to quote George Carlin. Let’s see…………who is pushing the TPP and TIPP,a “secret” worldwide Corporatacracy takeover of national sovereignty. Why none other than Barack O’bomber and a bunch of democrans and republicrats.

            Who repealed the Glass Stegal Act set up in the 1930’s to protect Americans
            from another Depression…………why none other that democran/NWO presidente puppet Bill Clinton…………setting up the current massive government debt cycle and enriching the banksters to the tune of $trillions. Don’t think another Depression could happen if $250+ trillion in derivatives blows up courtesy of not separating commercial from private banking?

            After the Afghanstan/Iraq War was started, did the dumbocrats ( or republicrats) ever vote stop it over the last 12 years even when they had control of both the House and Senate? Nope. No instead they shoved through (along with some compliant republicrats) Bozocare in a feeble massively expensive attempt to takeover the sickness care system. That resulted in a net gain of about 1 million people getting sickness insurance (mostly the worst kind…Medicaid) when you subtract all those who lost their plans from the newly signed up Medicaid insured. Impressive!

            Yes-sir-ee-bob………..live on in your “two party” fantasyland. It’s called “divide and conquer” and was set up that way from the git-go to keep the population thinking they had some say in government policy……when in reality only the Corporatacracy/Oligarchy with its billions to buy off politicians has total control over all decisions.

            Anyone really believe anything will change if Hillary or Bush becomes President? That’s why Trump scares the s*** out of both of them.

            What do you want to bet this GMO labelling ban legislation will be passed by both the House and the Senate and become law despite 90% of Americans wanting to know if they are purchasing GMO foods or not? Will Obozo the democrud clown veto it if is passed? Not a chance in hell!

            I’ll place my bet with Monsanto and the one party bought-off system.

          • CMRedwood | July 19, 2015 at 8:50 pm |

            Excellent. Deafening Silence from you-know-who!

          • The House vote on the anti-GMO labeling law shows two parties, despite what Carlin once said:
            Democrats against 150. Democrats for 45.
            Republicans supported the bill by a vast majority.

            And don’t forget the vote on war authorization against Iraq:
            Repubs 97% for
            Dems 58% against.

            If voting for or against a war which cost half a million lives and 3-4 trillion ($40,000 per household), or keeping or losing the right to know what you are eating, are the same, both parties are the same.

            This logic was illustrated in Orwell’s 1984:

            War is Peace
            Ignorance is Knowledge.
            Yes is No.

    • NO, THAT’S A WASTE OF TIME! IT’S TIME TO JAIL THEM. THEY DON’T REPRESENT THE REAL AMERICANS!! THEY ARE TRAITORS! THEY NEED TO BE IN JAIL NOW! LET’S GO!
      WE WILL REMOVE THESE CRIMINALS. THANK YOU! AND MAKE THIS RIGHT!

  4. Time to throw all these bought off flunkies out of office.

    • How about if we keep those that support GMO labeling and throw out the others?

      • That’s a swell idea but I’m afraid that only works in a true Democracy.

        • Democracy is a matter of degree; we have the power to get rid of those who oppose the interests of the people….if we use it. If we think it is only a futile dream, that is a a self-fulfilling prophecy of surrender.

          Democracy demands constant citizen activism and eternal vigilance. Our mission is to complete the American Revolution.

          Do not fear; fear is the companion of surrender. Fight back.

          • EnditsoonLORD | July 19, 2015 at 6:04 am |

            You live in la la land.

          • dale ruff | July 19, 2015 at 9:00 am |

            How so? HOw is the recognition that to create democracy, we must struggle and fight back against plutocracy. Have you ever fought back?

          • EnditsoonLORD | July 19, 2015 at 10:12 am |

            1. Look around and see what democracy has brought us. All democracies are destined to fail for the very reasons that you see before you. Democracy is a sham.
            2. As if by democratic process we can change what democracy has brought us.
            How old are you? Not being combative but no amount of voting or activism has changed the course of this country for the better since its inception and it wont help now either.

          • 1. I did not say we have a democracy; we do not: we have an oligarchy. See what it has brought us.
            2. Your second point is based on a false premise: that we have real democracy. We do not. It is a goal, which is why I say we must fufill the American REvolution, which was based on the concept of democracy (equality and consent of the governed)
            3. The chief critics and enemies of democracy have been the fascists. Hitler, Mussolini, Pinochet, Marcos, etc have all condemned democracy.
            4. I am old enough to have participated in several successful social movements: I marched with Dr. King and that movement brought about the end, after 400 years, of legal discrimination. I also struggled to end the War on Vietnam, which eventually brought the majority of Americans to oppose that war, to cause LBJ to step down, and to end the war, which many in the Pentagon (even today) wanted to pursue, including using nuclear weapons.
            5. Other activism which has made significant changes: womens suffrage, labor struggles to establish health and safety rules, the 8 hr day, the end of child labor, etc. Also, rights for the disabled and gays came through citizen activism.
            5. Democracy is not a sham but a system based on equality, consent, democratic institutions such as a free and diverse press, an independent judiciary, and inviolable rights, and majority rule, with the minority rights protected and the minority able to become the majority: all together these make up the foundations of democracy, a system which fulfills our values but which has been perverted by the plutocracy.
            6. You can stand with Hitler and the democracy haters; I will continue to fight with my brothers and sisters for democracy, the rule of the people.

          • EnditsoonLORD | July 19, 2015 at 12:46 pm |

            1. We live in a democratic republic. True democracy is no better. Your search for scape goats does not change that.
            2. Whether we live in a democracy or not, the democratic process is not going to stop the downward slide of this country.
            3. I AM an enemy of democracy. It is guaranteed to degenerate by it’s very design and further more, to those who care, it is against GOD.
            4. The civil rights movement only served to make racism a government sanctioned practice instead of an individual right of association. And we got our ass kicked in the political Vietnam war and that is why we tucked tale and came home.
            5. See #4. Also creating “rights” out of thin air is not a good thing.
            5. Five again? Wrong wrong wrong. You do not have to have a democracy for justice or equality. If you had a complete democracy you would still have the same people in power and the same problems. And as long as you and others like you believe that it will right itself then it will just continue to get worse.
            6. I stand on the side of truth and reality. I don’t believe in fighting for fairy tales and false hope.

          • CMRedwood | July 19, 2015 at 9:02 pm |

            Dale champions “democracy” rather than our Constitutional Republic precisely because he does not fully support the US Constitution. He is enamored with the UN. Furthermore, having formerly studied political science (apparently at Harvard and Berkeley) he alludes to knowing about the role of the Trilateralists’ deep capture of the US executive office and the plan for Technocracy, but he never discusses these issues, and instead runs with neoliberal spin. That isn’t the trademark of an innocent and curious sympathizer with the Truth and Freedom movements, rather we are observing the classic traits of a professional disinfo operative.

  5. So maddening! I spent countless hours on the GMO labeling campaign here in CA. I collected hundreds of signatures, went to public events and grocery stores and answered peoples questions about Prop 37 and GMO’s. The county I worked in did vote in favor of GMO labeling, just not the whole state. And still I wonder about voter fraud. The whole “it will raise the cost of food issue,” not the safety of GMO’s is how Monsanto beat us. It was an absolute lie. The actual study found it raised the cost by something ridiculously insignificant. I don’t remember exactly but it was something like 28 cents a week. When Europe started labeling, the companies simply reformulated their products not to contain GMO’s so they didn’t have to label them. Grocery costs did not increase there.

    This 4th of July was dismal for me as far as the state of the nation is concerned. What independence? Rights are being taken left and right (as the saying goes and the political parties too). The only bright spot, other than my family, was marching in the 4th of July parade with the Mom’s Across America March (MAAM) label GMO’s group. I’ve done this three years in a row and we get constant applause! So the government will act in favor of big business. The people will do what they have to do. We know better. And I will keep fighting even for the ignorant!

    • I remember that campaign. 2/3 of Californians supported GMO labeling laws, but the Monsanto propaganda was totally deceptive. It did not identify itself as being funded by Monsanto, it did not mention gmo labeling, and it put out messages like: Vote against more state meddling, vote against raising food prices, vote against more bureaucracy and more meaningless rules. This dishonest campaign was able to get enough people who supported GMO laws to vote against the Proposition (More taxes! More bureacracy! More government intrusion!) the Proposition.

      Clever and deceptive propaganda can make useful idiots, who vote against things they believe in. Perhaps it’s time to take the money out of the political process, or at least to make it accountable and transparent. Of course, those who control the process with money, such as Monsanto, will spend hundreds of millions to keep money in politics (“Keep government hands off your money!
      End government control of free speech!”.

      It’s bad enough when Congress does not represent the people but it’s worse when propaganda induces people to vote against their own beliefs!

      • Too true! Edward Bernays has made true his statement: “If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it?”

        • Too true two! Goebbel’s was an ardent student of Bernays and American “public relation” (a classic Orwellian term).

          I support banning all money from the political process and ban all political propaganda. Candidates will use the public airways and persuade with their own words. Only the mightiest struggle can bring about this result, but many nations already have it…so it’s not a dream, just a tough tough fight like all significant progress.

  6. I just banned doing business with any person or business that cannot confirm a product I am buying is genetically modified. I’m not eating that…franken-food and am thoroughly offended we the people weren’t fully informed about all this health hazard and ecological hazard sooner.

    People, it’s time for boycotts of all GMO products and paper trail elections to empower vetted oath keepers!

    • Right on! For instance, most corn is GMO but where I live, California, the corn is not GMO…if Monsanto gets its way, it soon will be. We have to fight back in all ways, individual and collective.

  7. Hm. That’s not what I heard.

  8. GMO labelling is on Obama’s hit list when he signs the secret TPP deal. Obama will add anything he wants “after” congress approves iCongress stopped reading the TPP at the word “trade” and have no idea what’s in it! It’s time to raise hell in Washington!

    • This is an agreement among many nations. Obama has little power to change it. If the TPP passes, Monsanto will achieve its goal of banning labeling laws in nations party to the agreement.
      We are on the cusp of corporate fascism on a global scale. Fight back!

      • Obama is Kool-Aid swilling globalist puppet of the international banksters. If he gave a rat’s backside about humanity he would stop this legislation on GMOs, and the TPP, and so much more. This is not chiefly about Monsanto, that would be a misdirection, there is a bigger picture here.

        • Obama for all his faults does NOT have the power to stop legislation beyond his veto power, which he can only exercise after Congress has acted. His response to GMO dangers has been totally inadequate but the problem goes far beyond him. The blame for the bill which would make state labeling laws illegal lies with the Republicans. I think my term “corporate fascism on a global scale” indicates this is not only about Monsanto but about the growing influence of corporate fascism to makes our laws and override our rights.

          This is NOT about Obama but the broader development of global corporatocracy and the rightward turn of US politics, centered in the Republican Party, which opposes the public will on gun law reform, taxes, immigration, gmos, and a host of other issues.

          To lump all parties and politicians together leads to cynicism and apathy, which benefits the most reactionary elements, which most support the corporate fascist state. Making this about Obama is a misdirection. This is about the
          power of the banks, the transnationals, and the way that many politicians, most unanimously the Republicans, have been bought off by the necessity to pander to Big Money. We need to support those politicians willing to promote the
          interests of the people, to fight for campaign finance reform, etc.

          People get their rocks off cursing Obama. That accomplishes nothing and is indeed a misdirection. He will be out in 18 months but the problems will be exactly the same. We have to go after the people promoting these laws and preventing policies supported by the people. We have to go after the laws which give Big Money control of the political process, and this means supporting those on our side, as well as opposing the corporate servants.

          Some think lumping all together is sophisticated insight; it is not; it is cynicism, which blurs distinctions and only serves the interests of the most fascist interests among the corporations and their servants in office.

          • CMRedwood | July 20, 2015 at 7:42 am |

            You are being disingenuous. Honest public addresses would derail these monstrosities. Being able to give the world the truth on a gigantic platform is real power. No doubt, that is why the late great Aaron Swartz was taken out.

            The turn is totalitarian, Technocracy embraces both totalitarian fascism and totalitarian socialism. RINOs and DINOs = circus routine. What better example than the parody style public “arguing” of James Carville and Mary Matalin? About as realistic as “professional” wrestling. What a freaking joke.

            The fake left vs. right political paradigm is old and wearing thin.

  9. I keep hearing the declaration by the Queen of Hearts in “Alice in Wonderand”: “Off with their heads!” The politicians obviously are not listening to us, and since they have no need of their ears, perhaps they should be relieved of them. The flaw in our system is the belief that when we elect someone, they are beholden to the majority opinion within their districts. This is the foundation of democracy. The short circuit is our reliance on the good faith of our representatives. They have no honor when their vote (supposedly on our behalf) is really directed by the size of the “donations” they receive under the table from corporate donors. I would love to see the full membership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives sit down to a sumptuous meal of totally GMO food products, and be forced to eat them.

  10. ten miles square.. outside of those square ten miles.. congress can piss off!

  11. This is about genetically modifying us via our food. How can we prevent it if we don’t even know what is in it?

    • You hit the nail on the head. That’s another major objective, the first being the introduction of patents to “own and control” virtually all essential food production.

  12. We’re witnessing a full blown Corporatocracy.
    We all know that corporations enjoy excessive inappropriate influence, it goes further than that.
    OUR GOVERNMENT IS A CORPORATION! DBA: USA, Inc.. Search: Act of 1871.
    We are not the ‘Stakeholders’, but Monsanto is.
    This is the stage of the game where a charade that resembles civic’s class is still being lodged.

    However, nothing could be further from the truth.

  13. I wonder if these people from Monsanto eat their own foods.

  14. This is the thing many of us were afraid of. The resolution passed that we are not to know what our food contains so GMOs start to kill us rather quickly. There never is any substitute for natural nutritious foods, but Monsato must sell their poison without delay…

  15. Please publish a list of the representatives voting for this ban. There should be consequences.

  16. Monsanto had their man in place and Obama appointed him over the FDA, just for insurance…

  17. The solution? Buy 100% organic, and nothing else.

  18. Those whores should be recalled as there is NO EXCUSE for their support of Monsanto’s deadly GMO frankinfoods along with their poisonous herbicide.

  19. Thankfully for society, the House Agricultural Committee has more sense than you lot!

  20. HeadScrewedOn Straight | July 19, 2015 at 11:05 pm |

    The babyboomers in charge the past 20 years have bulldozed their offsprings future into the ground…These babyboomers refuse to take fluoride out of the water, refuse to acknowledge the presence of chemtrails, refuse to label or more importantly eradicate the use of GMO’s and Glyphosate on food crops, allow tens of million of violent Muslim and Central Americans into the US, refuse to acknowledge of the danger of vaccines that contain formaldehyde, aluminum, ethyl mercury, refuse to acknowledge the dangers to Smart Meters, and they continue to occupy and make war on other countries after a dozen years in the MidEast…What is neurologically wrong with these old asshats?

  21. HeadScrewedOn Straight | July 19, 2015 at 11:11 pm |

    Why does no one, I mean NO ONE ever mention that GMO foods have only been around since 1996…Were the grocery store shelves empty before 1996 and they found a solution to feed the 250 million Americans in the US back then?

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