Obama picks MONSANTO guy as head of agriculture... This'll be some interesting change, won't it?, page 2

Originally posted by Irish M1ck
For those of you who want a real outlook on this situation, without the paranoid spin, here is a piece about it:

Tom Vilsack

lol @ "paranoid spin"

from the article you just linked:

Vilsack has been a strong supporter of biotechnology. He was named Governor of the Year in 2001 by the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Interesting, let's take a look at who's on the board of directors for this "Biotechnology Industry Organization:"

www.bio.org...

Pharmacia Corporation
Merck & Co., Inc.
Pfizer, Inc.

outstanding. I'm happy to know that Vilsack is supported by Merck and Pfizer, I mean, it's the little guys that really count.

I fail to see how this article was without spin. It was about 10% relevant facts and the other 90% were fluffer (he likes to run, he was in an orphanage, etc.)

I'm far more interested in the types of connections these guys have to big business, especially in regards to companies like Monsanto, Merck and Pfizer. Thanks for leading the paranoid people such as myself onto even more reasons to dislike this pick.

reply to post by scientist

---

No problem. He uses a stapler sometimes at work too, if you want to add that onto the list of things you accuse him of that mean nothing. Yes, my source is clearly so biased by telling his life story, yet your source, Organic Consumers has no agenda (oh, other than trashing any other food source than organic food).

Pardon me if I am not stocking up on food yet, you haven't quite convinced me that I should be concerned. You call him "Monsanto guy", yet you have no real reason other than this:

The airplane in this animation is a referral to the controversy that Vilsack often traveled in Monsanto's jet.

[edit on 12/20/2008 by Irish M1ck]

Do you know what biotechnology is? I get the feeling you think it's synonymous with genetic engineering. It's not.

Biotechnology is the use of biological processes, organisms, or systems to manufacture products intended to improve the quality of human life. The earliest biotechnologists were farmers who developed improved species of plants and animals by cross pollenization or cross breeding. In recent years, biotechnology has expanded in sophistication, scope, and applicability.

From the original source:

Governor Vilsack is not a "Monsanto" guy. He is primarily attacked as being a Monsanto advocate because he supported a seed bill dealing with "genetically engineered" crops. The bill simply kept individual counties from drawing arbitrary lines on where GE crops can be planted. I consider this a smart move because the hype against GE plans is as silly as the hype against Nuclear Power plants. Regardless, this hardly puts him in Monsanto's bag.

I've seen so many threads like this lately that claim: Obama picked (insert name or descriptor here) for his cabinet! Now I KNOW he's the devil! And as I read the posts, I see replies like: "Now I'm really scared" or "This does it! He's worse than I thought" or "You're kidding me! THAT guy? This isn't CHANGE"

In other words, the responses don't contain any more information than the original post. I get the impression that you guys don't know about him either, you are just using it as an excuse to blast Obama.

If I'm wrong, let me know. WHy don't you like the guy? Specifically. If you could give me some REAL information about this guy (Does he work for Monsanto, for example?) perhaps I could form an opinion. Because I don't know the guy at all. And I mean sources, not a cartoon without sources or credits that's apparently one guy's opinion.

reply to post by scientist

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Thanks Scientist! This is going into my Obama reseach file right away!
The stuff that is stacking up on Obama is not looking good for any of us.
And he has not even taken office offically and is already being a good little puppet for his masters..

Monsanto.. You have to be kidding me!!! These S.O.B want to control our food supply!! They are up to no good, and are rotten to the very core!

This just shows me another puppet is playing the game.. But this time around people like Obama.. So he can do no wrong, and will further divide us to the point where if I make a remark about Obama..
Then Im a right winger!! When for the past 8 years on ATS Ive been labled a left wing liberal!! haha funny how things turn about when you control the hearts and minds of people.

Obama.. Yeah thats real change there buddy.. Ive got my eye on you.
And you have not even taken office yet..
What kind of horros will we endure upon his watch??

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

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He flew in their jet at one point. They seem to know that for sure. Well, at least an organic website said so.

How could you not be concerned?

I was an ardent Obama supporter, but I do not support this cabinet pick. And yeah, I think the fact that Vilsack uses a Monsanto corporate jet says a lot. Furthermore, he supports the biggest green-washing fraud of all - ethanol. And factory farms. Need I go on?

In case people forgot or don't know about Monsanto:

The World According to Monsanto

More info/opinion on Vilsack:

www.counterpunch.org...

The Secretary of Agriculture is responsible for directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its $97 billion annual budget, including the National Organic Program, food stamp and nutrition programs, agriculture subsidies, and the Forest Service.

While Vilsack has worked to restrain livestock monopolies, his overall record is one of aiding and abetting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs, also known as factory farms). Vilsack’s support for unsustainable industrial ethanol production has already caused global corn and grain prices to skyrocket, literally taking food off the table.

Vilsack’s business as usual positions have included the following:

• Vilsack has been a strong supporter of genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops, especially pharmaceutical corn.

• The biggest biotechnology industry group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, named Vilsack Governor of the Year. He is also the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership.

• When Vilsack created the Iowa Values Fund, his first poster child for economic development was Trans Ova and their pursuit of cloning dairy cows.

• The undemocratic 2005 seed pre-emption bill was the Vilsack’s brainchild. The law strips local government’s right to regulate genetically engineered seed.

• Vilsack is an ardent supporter of corn and soy based biofuels, which use as much or more energy to produce as they generate and drive up world food prices, literally starving the poor.

pameladrew.newsvine.com...

www.fooddemocracynow.org...

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
If I'm wrong, let me know. WHy don't you like the guy? Specifically. If you could give me some REAL information about this guy (Does he work for Monsanto, for example?) perhaps I could form an opinion. Because I don't know the guy at all. And I mean sources, not a cartoon without sources or credits that's apparently one guy's opinion.

Originally posted by Irish M1ck
reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

---

He flew in their jet at one point. They seem to know that for sure. Well, at least an organic website said so.

How could you not be concerned?

source:

www.opednews.com...

Iowans also remember the rides on Monsanto's corporate jet that Vilsack - the Biotech "Governor of the Year" - enjoyed during his time in office. He repayed Monsanto by working with the Republican floor manager in the House, promising to do everything he could to get a seed bill to pass. This bill took away county power to regulate GMOs within county borders.

[edit on 20-12-2008 by scientist]

more actual links to Monsanto:

www.organicconsumers.org...

1. In February 2004 Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack gave Monsanto
(Muscatine, Iowa branch) two awards, part-sponsored by his own
office, for "environmental excellence" - one a "special recognition
for energy efficiency/renewable energy", and the other a "special
recognition for air quality".
Monsanto Muscatine manufactures glyphosate herbicide and enjoys a
permit from the Iowa Dept of Natural Resources to emit 13.2 tons per
year of volatile organic compounds www.iowadnr.com...
Greenpeace comments: "Monsanto's Muscatine, Iowa plant, which
produces alachlor, butachlor and other highly toxic compounds,
releases at least 265,000 pounds of chemicals per year directly into
the Mississippi."

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

---

Specifically. If you could give me some REAL information about this guy (Does he work for Monsanto, for example?) perhaps I could form an opinion. Because I don't know the guy at all. And I mean sources, not a cartoon without sources or credits that's apparently one guy's opinion.

OK, here are some things for you to consider regarding Vilsack and agriculture:

www.organicconsumers.org...

Six Reasons Why Obama Appointing Monsanto's Buddy, Former Iowa Governor Vilsack, for USDA Head Would be a Terrible Idea

* Organic Consumers Association, November 12, 2008

* Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's support of genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops, especially pharmaceutical corn:
www.gene.ch...
www.organicconsumers.org...

* The biggest biotechnology industry group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, named Vilsack Governor of the Year. He was also the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership.
www.bio.org...

* When Vilsack created the Iowa Values Fund, his first poster child of economic development potential was Trans Ova and their pursuit of cloning dairy cows.

* Vilsack was the origin of the seed pre-emption bill in 2005, which many people here in Iowa fought because it took away local government's possibility of ever having a regulation on seeds- where GE would be grown, having GE-free buffers, banning pharma corn locally, etc. Representative Sandy Greiner, the Republican sponsor of the bill, bragged on the House Floor that Vilsack put her up to it right after his state of the state address.

*Vilsack is an ardent support of corn and soy based biofuels, which use as much or more fossil energy to produce them as they generate, while driving up world food prices and literally starving the poor.

* Vilsack has a glowing reputation as being a schill for agribusiness biotech giants like Monsanto. Sustainable ag advocated across the country were spreading the word of Vilsack's history as he was attempting to appeal to voters in his presidential bid. An activist from the west coast even made this youtube animation about Vilsack
www.youtube.com...

That is not the opinion of one person, but the concern of 850,000 members of the Organic Consumers Association:

The OCA represents over 850,000 members, subscribers and volunteers, including several thousand businesses in the natural foods and organic marketplace. Our US and international policy board is broadly representative of the organic, family farm, environmental, and public interest community.

The Organic Consumers Association was formed in 1998 in the wake of the mass backlash by organic consumers against the U.S. Department of Agriculture's controversial proposed national regulations for organic food. Through the OCA's SOS (Safeguard Organic Standards) Campaign, as well as the work of our allies in other organizations, the organic community over the last eight years has been able to mobilize hundreds of thousands of consumers to pressure the USDA and organic companies to preserve strict organic standards. In its public education, network building, and mobilization activities such as its Breaking the Chains campaign, OCA works with a broad range of public interest organizations to challenge industrial agriculture, corporate globalization, and the Wal-Martization of the economy, and inspire consumers to "Buy Local, Organic, and Fair Made."

source: www.organicconsumers.org...

reply to post by Irish M1ck

---

For those of you who want a real outlook on this situation, without the paranoid spin, here is a piece about it:

From your source:

Vilsack has been a strong supporter of biotechnology. He was named Governor of the Year in 2001 by the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

There is your "REAL OUTLOOK"

Under Obama there will be no "genetically modified", chemically conconcted, pesticide laden, crops.

We'll call them biotech! Now everything is peachy!

Go back to the grocery store America and enjoy your same old monsanto dinner in new packaging.

Paranoid Unspun

reply to post by Irish M1ck

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Here is a middle of the road group's take on Vilsack. R-Calf has been fighting the USDA tooth and nail so I am inclined to go along with them.

R-Calf news release about Sec of Ag pick:

www.r-calfusa.com...

Here is info on his reaction to a change in the reporting status of the national guard
www.onyour6.com...

Here is negative stuff with specifics
www.harvestdream.org.../archives/60-Ethanol,-Biotech-Ag,-Carbon-Credits,-NAIS-and-BENS-Iowa-Gov.-Tom-Vilsack.html


[edit on 25-12-2008 by crimvelvet]

On the dangers of genetically engineering/Monsanto:

findarticles.com...

When scientists actually look, what they see can be terrifying. A few years ago, a German biotech company engineered a common soil bacterium, Klebsiella planticola, to help break down wood chips, corn stalks, wastes from lumber businesses and agriculture, and to produce ethanol in the process. It seemed like a great achievement. The genetically engineered Klebsiella bacterium could help break down rotting organic material and in the process produce a fuel that could be used instead of gasoline, thus lessening the production of greenhouse gases.

It was assumed that the post-process waste could be added to soil as an amendment, like compost. Everybody would win. With the approval of the EPA, the company field tested the bacterium at Oregon State University.
As far as the intended goals were concerned -- eliminating rotting organic waste and producing ethanol -- the genetically engineered bacterium was a success. But when a doctoral student named Michael Holmes decided to add the post-processed waste to actual living soil, something happened that no one expected. The seeds that were planted in soil mixed with the engineered Klebsiella sprouted, but then every single one of them died.

What killed them? The genetically engineered Klebsiella turned out to be highly competitive with native soil micro-organisms. Plants are only able to take nitrogen and other nourishment from the soil with the help of fungi called mycorrhizae. These fungi live in the soil and help make nutrients available to plant roots. But when the genetically engineered Klebsiella was introduced into living soils, it greatly reduced the population of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil. And without healthy mycorrhizal fungi in soils, no plants can survive…

Geneticist David Suzuki understands that what took place was truly ominous. "The genetically engineered Klebsiella," he says, "could have ended all plant life on this continent. The implications of this single case are nothing short of terrifying."

Meanwhile Monsanto and the other biotech companies are eagerly developing all kinds of genetically modified organisms, hoping to bring them to market. How do we know if they're safe? According to Suzuki: "We don't, and won't for years after they are being widely used."

[edit on 26/12/2008 by kosmicjack]

[edit on 26/12/2008 by kosmicjack]

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