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The Case For Nationalizing Monsanto

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Submitted by Charles Hugh-Smith of OfTwoMinds blog,

Ridding the world of Monsanto via a state buy-out would be a boon to humanity. 

Capitalism fails in two situations: monopoly and state-capital cronyism. Monopoly extinguishes competition and that effectively extinguishes capitalism.
 
When the elites of the state and private capital collude, i.e. crony capitalism, the few gain power and wealth at the expense of the many.
 
The state (broadly speaking, government) fails when it serves the few at the expense of the many, while claiming to serve the interests of the many. The state only fulfills its purpose when it serves the interests of the many at the expense of the few who control the majority of the political power and private wealth.
 
Monsanto is the epitome of monopoly and crony-state collusion. But Monsanto's grip is not only on the throat of the nation-- through its monopoly on seeds that it enforces globally, its grip is strangling the entire world.
 
Monopolies on food, energy and water (what I term the FEW resources) are not like monopolies on discretionary goods and services. People have to pay whatever the monopoly charges, as substitutes are either unavailable, very expensive or under the control of the same cartel/quasi-monopoly.
 
Before Monsanto extended its grip as the state-enforced seed monopoly, state universities and extension services developed seed strains and provided the seeds for a nominal cost.Over time, this publicly owned and managed system of providing low-cost seeds has eroded under pressure from for-profit private firms such as Monsanto and the benign neglect of a government that has been captured by private interests and self-serving elites.
 
The supposed benefits of costly monopoly-developed GMO seeds is increasingly being questioned: Plant Breeding vs. GMOs: Conventional Methods Lead the Way in Responding to Climate Change.
 
The rapid advance of gene sequencing is opening new doors for much quicker development of conventional plant breeding techniques that require no genetic modification (GMO).
 
If the American people wanted to bestow a gift to the world that would be valued by billions of people yet would cost the American citizenry a ridiculously modest sum, it would be to nationalize Monsanto and provide its seed products for free. To do this requires letting go of all the self-serving neoliberal fantasies that crony-capitalists propagandize to protect their monopolies: for example, only the profit motive drives innovation, so only private companies can supply the world with advanced seeds.
 
All this propaganda boils down to defending monopoly and cronyism as capitalism--The Big Lie of all monopolists and crony-capitalists. This was the reason given for privatizing publicly owned utilities that are then transformed into highly profitable monopolies--the precise opposite of capitalism's primary engine of innovation.
 
Monsanto is worth around $57 billion. Compare this to the Federal debt of $18 trillion, or the full lifecycle cost of the bloated F-35 fighter aircraft program, which weighs in at $1 trillion. We should also compare $60 billion with the $16.8 trillion that the Federal Reserve loaned the world's too big to jail banks.
 
Ridding the world of Monsanto via a state buy-out would be a boon to humanity, and doing so for a mere $57 billion would be a bargain--especially when you consider the $3 trillion the state has squandered on endless wars of choice and the trillions of dollars the Federal Reserve and the government have squandered propping up the self-serving, parasitic cartel of too big to jail banks.
 

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Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:02 | 6130102 0b1knob
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This is without a doubt one of the stupidest articles EVER published on ZH.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:05 | 6130112 DetectiveStern
DetectiveStern's picture

I hate Monsanto but simply letting farmers use seeds from the crops they grow would get rid of them.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:10 | 6130130 Looney
Looney's picture

Here’s another piece of worthless news…

Kim Jong-un's Brother Missing After Attending Clapton Concert in London.

Instead of Uber-ing from the concert, the dude should’ve called a cab or a rickshaw. I think? ;-)

Looney

 http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/kim-jong-un-brother-missing-clapton/2015/05/24/id/646527/

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:22 | 6130164 Captain Debtcrash
Captain Debtcrash's picture

He lost me at the case for nationalizing.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:25 | 6130180 MonetaryApostate
MonetaryApostate's picture

Privitization is good, provided that a large number of people in the public hold rights, rather than the state / government monoplistic money printing fraudsters!!!!

(Before they frack our world up, seriously)

http://galeinnes.blogspot.com/2015/05/seeking-solutions.html

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:34 | 6130211 CH1
CH1's picture

The state only fulfills its purpose...

The purpose of the state is to rule. Period.

To do that, they use violence and deception... as in tricking the suckers into believing that have a legitimate purpose.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:58 | 6130290 jefferson32
jefferson32's picture

You don't need to buy them out at whatever price. Just prosecute them as the felons they are (agent orange anyone?) and shut down that criminal entreprise.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:08 | 6130342 kaiserhoff
kaiserhoff's picture

Full frontal Stalinism.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:43 | 6130454 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

If one could hang a corporation I'd hang MonSatan.

After a fair, Stalinist trial, of course.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:52 | 6130490 MarketAnarchist
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Capitalism doesn't fail in Monopoly or in cronyism.  In fact, neither of those two concepts exist without government.

Therefore, statism fails in Monopoly and cronyism, among thousands of other instances.

 

In a free market cartels and monopolies are busted extremely rapidly, as Murray Rothbard constantly lectured on.  Furthermore, if there is a monopoly that isn't busted, it is satisfying consumer demand.  For example, if there is only one supermarket in a town, that supermarket has a monopoly. However, if no one opens up a competing venture and consumers/employees don't seek alternatives, the monopoly is allowed to stand by market forces since it is serving everyones interest.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:57 | 6130678 farmerunder
farmerunder's picture

What if that consumer demand does not realise that the genetically modiifed food they are eating has been modified with the intent of making them chronically ill, diseases such as cancer are rarely traced to a single factor. People could go on eating these for generations and no one realise. Would Rothbard say that is the freemarket at work? the sicentists and regulators are captured, the TPP seems to be about reducing choice on labelling. The same people own big chem own big pharma. If scientists and military personnel stood by while the US bombed the crap out of islands/reefs with nukes whilst people lived on them, I have no faith that scientists or workers in these organisations can avoid bad things happening. Just think Rothbard may not have considered these possibilities. If regulators were not captured it would be ok. I have no trouble with companies, be it monsanto or the federal reserve undertaking seed production, at the end of the day the best product for the best dollar value should prevail, my problem is the risks that society encounters when the regulators and so called independent scientists dont do their job properly.  

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 23:02 | 6131514 MarketAnarchist
MarketAnarchist's picture

Rothbard did consider these things.  Big chem and Big pharma are corporations and corporations are legally bestowed titles.  Therefore without government you cannot have  corporations that get subsidized and bailed out even though they perform poorly.  Furthermore, without government you cannot have patents on things such as Horribly damaging pharmaceuticals and mutant seeds.   Also, without big government you can't have mandatory drug therapies for "ADHD" school children and mandatory vaccination.  

Without government you cannot have obamacare, which is basically extorting you to subsidize big health care and thus big pharma.

 

The US bombing anything is not an argument against capitalism.  All government is socialist.  

"the best dollar value should prevail"    Theres another thing... without government there is no monopoly on currency (dollars) which leads to big finance...

Tue, 05/26/2015 - 00:17 | 6131670 farmerunder
farmerunder's picture

So are you saying that the free market fails to happen while ever govt is there doing the activities u mentioned? Unfortunately i cant see the role of govt diminishing into the future and only an increase in its powers, not for the enrichment of society, rather for the securing of control over the proles.

Tue, 05/26/2015 - 06:14 | 6131935 MarketAnarchist
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I am saying the free market is the default state of mankind, peaceful, unrestricted interactions.  When you add government, the freedom of the market is diminished.  Whether the government has one regulation of 50 million regulations, or taxes at .1% or 90% the free market is displaced by that government.  

Unfortunately, I agree that the future holds increased government power,  because people believe government is actually capable of 'enriching' society when it is not.  Free markets enrich society.  Goverments (I.E. people who believe their coercion/force is legitimate) always subtract from the societies they leech off of.

Historically the cycle is:   Government starts limited, grows in power and taxes/regulates more, economy begins to falter, citizens quality of life decreases and unrest begins, government becomes desperate and tries more extreme measure to retain control, and the final step is revolution/war.

Government is a group of people who, like a parasite, consume from their host until they eventually kill it.

Tue, 05/26/2015 - 06:37 | 6131953 farmerunder
farmerunder's picture

yes totally agree and unfortunately i think u are right about the cycle. It is for that reason that i have no trust of govt (so called independent scientists or regulators) to do the right thing regarding food safety, corporates the same. The only way is for the people to awaken to the the cycle and appreciate the risks of govt and those seeking control, wow did u see that flying pig?

Tue, 05/26/2015 - 03:27 | 6131855 Ghordius
Ghordius's picture

"In a free market cartels and monopolies are busted extremely rapidly, as Murray Rothbard constantly lectured on"

Too Big To Fail, Too Big To Prosecute, Big Enough To Have Plenty Of Lobbyists... and money for politics

Murray Rothbard asked for a Free Market, assuring us that IF we had a free market, All Would Be Fine

You ask for No Government, assuring us that IF we had No Government, All Would Be Fine

Meanwhile, there is a powerful ideology persistent in the US that says that the US should legislate AS IF THOSE TWO DEMANDS WOULD BE REALITY

Brought to you by... cartels. Which appreciate your "Market Purity" approach, I'm sure

Tue, 05/26/2015 - 06:23 | 6131942 MarketAnarchist
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Poor reasoning.   Also, I never said all would be utopian/fine.  In a free market, you get the BEST POSSIBLE outcome, not perfection.

Companies are fine. Companies who become corporations (with the government stamp of a approval) and then begin lobbying government to do its bidding are not.

The government is a tool that allows violent, evil, corrupt men to prosper.  Without government, these types would tend to fail.

 

I suggest you look at how the Railroad cartel failed in the 19th century  (until of course the government stepped in to enforce the cartels wishes).  

Same thing happened with the airlines in the 50's.   A few carriers divvied up the routes and set a rate, and smaller competitors began to take market share with lower prices... until the FAA came in and started regulating (as per the cartels wishes).

Government is people who believe they can legitimately use force/coercion.   I don't grant anyone that privilege.   If we don't have government, not everything will be fine, just like if I remove a cancerous tumor, that doesn't solve all my lifes problems, just the most pressing one!

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:17 | 6130742 Karl von Bahnhof
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Where is uncle Joe when we need him?

Btw. Did you ever thought why all the trotskyite neocon frankfurter satanic bunch so deeply hate comrade Stalin?

Who did he was purging really?

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:33 | 6130196 Oh regional Indian
Oh regional Indian's picture

Mon Santo is My Saint.

And that saint has come marching in.

Everyone's saint. When Cargill and Monsanto first started trying to sell their seeds in India, farmers burnt their offices down. Mid nineties. India's first KFC, in Bangalore was also stoned and pelted and trashed, twice. Same, mid-nineties.

Today?

All three, Cargill, Monsanto and KFC are thriving.

Three generations propagandized to....finish. Now Indian farmers commit suicide at upwards of 15,000 every year.

Terminator seeds, how fitting...

https://aadivaahan.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/mera-bharat-mahaan-ahhhaaaah...

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:14 | 6130355 Dubaibanker
Dubaibanker's picture

GMO seeds are evil. This guy is suggesting to nationalise evil. WTH!

American and Indian farmers hate Monsanto and their evil global dominating practices. 

State owned TV from Russia is coming out with documentary/articles along with Guardian and the New Yorker about the evils of GMO and their impact on farming and farmers worldwide. 

Yet the domination of GMO goes on due to corruption and allows destruction of fields, regardless of costs and halting seed practices used for centuries, just for the sake of money and more money!

Makes one feel sick to the stomach after seeing funerals of farmers and hearing 300k farmer suicides in 20 years just in India alone due to debt overhang and weather changes and lack of irrigation causing weak growth, all thanks to GMO crops!

GMO that kills: GM-cotton problems drive Indian farmers to suicide
Mon, 05/25/2015 - 23:25 | 6131576 Dixie Flatline
Dixie Flatline's picture

sigh, all that garbage has already been debunked.  You ignoramuses will buy anything won't you?

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:24 | 6130177 Help Is Not Coming
Help Is Not Coming's picture

Kim Jong-un's Brother Missing After Attending Clapton Concert in London.

Nah, he's not missing. He's just spending some time at his home in London.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:54 | 6130497 duo
duo's picture

Without Monsanto where would Hillary get those speaking fees?

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 23:19 | 6131565 aminorex
aminorex's picture

For a moment I thought you said "spanking fees".

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:09 | 6130125 Chuck Knoblauch
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Let's make ISIS an offer.

How much is your dead family worth to you?

It was nothing personal; only business.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:32 | 6130199 aVileRat
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Weekend Tyler is curiating the editorial slant today.

Monsanto is no more evil than Cargill or Glencore (Viterra) so nationalization would have the expected outcome of: mismanaged seed banks, stagnant Red Queen R&D with pests and shortages for retail consumers in staple grains. A Case study would be the various nationalization schemes over the past 40 years in Latin America.

 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:25 | 6130766 Karl von Bahnhof
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And so brainwashed you are not understanding that state under real democratic control is the only cure for today mess and guardian of ordinary people.

The non-functioning non democratic state control is cause of all today mess.

Because state power is now owned by corporations and not people. More control under peoples watch is what we need.

But so sorry that in Murica politics is just hollywood freakshow. Pity my friends, pity... We all will pay for our passivity.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:14 | 6130145 raywolf
raywolf's picture

spread gm seeds for free and put the Govt. in charge... sounds like a recipe for disaster...

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:35 | 6130186 A Nanny Moose
A Nanny Moose's picture

Lost me @...

Capitalism fails in two situations: monopoly and state-capital cronyism. Monopoly extinguishes competition and that effectively extinguishes capitalism.

Capitalism NEVER allows a monopoly. Even after buying up its competition, Standard Oil had to compete with foreign oil companies as well as other forms of energy, while he was saving the whales. Only gummint an extinguish competition.

Is CHS asking for moar gummint solutions to yet another cluster fuck created by government solutions? There is never a case for government unless a system of governance can be made strickly voluntary.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:40 | 6130230 Joe A
Joe A's picture

"Capitalism NEVER allows a monopoly".

Adam Smith already warned against monopolies and called for regulation to prevent monopolies.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:50 | 6130259 daveO
daveO's picture

The FED is the ultimate monopoly, oligopoly enforcer. Then, there's the question of granting patents for living organisms. What's next? Why, various forms of potable water, of course./only slightly sarcastic/

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:02 | 6130309 Joe A
Joe A's picture

Companies such as Coca Cola and Nestlé are buying up water companies and wells everywhere. The CEO of Nestlé once said that 'there are people who think that water is a basic human right and not a commodity' or something in that nature. Let's see what he thinks of that when he is deprived of drinking water for a few days....

Some commissioner in the EC wanted to create a new directive to pave the way for the 'liberalization' of public water companies. You know, under the mantra of 'better service for cheaper prices'. Liberalization in the EU entails that you get exactly the opposite. A massive petition campaign managed to foil that plan. But the companies will not stop at that. Huge money to be made out of something that is essential for life.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:29 | 6130409 NoPension
NoPension's picture

Brawndo..... It's got what plants crave.

Nestle' loves you. (tm)

Coca-Cola is like family! ( reg.US pat.off)

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:52 | 6130265 doctor10
doctor10's picture

Nevah gonna happen!!

The ability to control a food supply is one of the levers of totalitariansim. This particular lever is being assembled right now.

The desire of the pathocracy is to regionally determine who may or may not eat. They're not about to quibble over the finer points of monopoly.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:11 | 6130350 negative rates
negative rates's picture

Slow news day.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:28 | 6130613 junction
junction's picture

Now is not the time to buy Monsanto.  Bugs are becoming resistant to its glyphosate herbicides, which means that its seeds, especially GMO corn, will soon be near worthless.  Combine that with the fact that Monsanto already knows the hazards in creating a corn monoculture when their GMO corn is showing rapidly declining resistance to fusarium head blight.  And to the fact that Monsanto knows its Roundup herbicide is contaminating aquifers, and Roundup is hard to filter from water.  Monsanto, like asbestos manufacturer Johns-Manville 40 years ago, is ripe for a massive lawsuit.  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/10/herbicide-...

The only thing that can save Monsanto is passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Obama's gift to America courtesy of the NWO.

 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:15 | 6130736 UrbanBard
UrbanBard's picture

Nationalization would encourage mass starvation. Government cannot be trusted to run companies. If you want to end supposed Monsanto's control allow more competition. The Anti-GMO movement harms smaller companies and restricts competition.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 20:07 | 6131059 atomicwasted
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I completely agree, which is pretty amazing given the flood of absolute tripe on ZH lately.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:05 | 6130113 Chuck Knoblauch
Chuck Knoblauch's picture

Terrorism's dividends.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:07 | 6130119 ebworthen
ebworthen's picture

Money for grants at land grant colleges (Extension Service) comes from big Ag.

If you don't tow the line of Monsanto, ADM, John Deere, and the rest - you ain't gettin' tenure or money.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:07 | 6130122 screw face
screw face's picture

Boycott Monsanto with extreme prejudice.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:14 | 6130144 Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill's picture

Just make them eat their own products three times a day.

They will close up shop in a week.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:18 | 6130747 UrbanBard
UrbanBard's picture

They already eat their own products without harm. Almost all of America's major grains are GMO and have been for twenty years.  The Anti-GMO activist have never been able to prove harm. They are Leftist propagandists.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:16 | 6130152 Chuck Knoblauch
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They don't even serve it in the Company caffeteria.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 22:33 | 6131471 Dixie Flatline
Dixie Flatline's picture

Stupid lie.  FFS, there is much to honestly debate, but mashing inanity like this falsity isn't productive.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:17 | 6130157 walküre
walküre's picture

bomb their seed and roundup facilities.

save humanity

#fightforsurvival

 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:52 | 6130487 DutchBoy2015
DutchBoy2015's picture

Chris Kyle all their executives and put the new ones on notice.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:23 | 6130173 MagicMoney
MagicMoney's picture

Monsanto simply works within the patent law. Most people hate Monsanto's practices of using patent law but ironically they don't want to abolish patent law. Very peculiar indeed. They think patent laws are essential to innovation and invention. This is not the case at all. Inventions get invented because humans are curious and ambitious people. Contrary to belief, patent laws block innovations, because ideas cannot be shared. Knowledge is like capital accumulation. We learn more and the next generation picks up from that, and adds onto it, adding to the library of knowledge and innovating with it.

 

Patent laws are as free market as Americans With Disabilities Act.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:38 | 6130223 Joe A
Joe A's picture

Nature is the biggest patent holder on everything with genes in this world. Biotech just high jacks 'natural' genes, add their genetic 'treats' (or bt toxins or resistance to Roindup) to them and claim to have invented something new. It is just infringement on patents that nature holds.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:29 | 6130598 jefferson32
jefferson32's picture

Indeed, patents impose an artificial scarcity on ideas by allowing iniquitous monopolies. If you don't want others to copy or be inspired by your idea you're free not to divulge it.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:25 | 6130765 UrbanBard
UrbanBard's picture

The problem here is that information is not free. Research is very expensive. It takes many years to recoup their expenses. Everything the Anti-GMO activist do increases the cost. When Monsanto gave away free seed, as with Golden Rice, the Anti-GMO activists destroyed the seed and burned the fields. That is when the Anti-GMO activist have never proved that these plants harm anyone

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:23 | 6130174 justmy2cents
justmy2cents's picture

Hmmm, I always thought Monsanto was ALREADY an appendage of the state - WHAT! You might say - do you actually think they wouldn't want complete control over what goes in your mouth(and the effects it has on your body)???Just like facewank is an appendage of the intel system.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:24 | 6130181 MagicMoney
MagicMoney's picture

Well Monsanto and US government trade workers, so you I guess you could say that. Hem.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:48 | 6130253 Joe A
Joe A's picture

There is a revolving door between the FDA and Monsanto. The FDA got deregulated under Bush the Senior what entails that they don't have the capacity to conduct test on GMO submitted for approval. Approval is based on data provided by biotech companies themselves....And if testing GMO is only done for 90 days max, if tested at all. 90 days is not enough.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:07 | 6130325 justmy2cents
justmy2cents's picture

IMO 90 days, 30 days, 180 days, 2 years, 10 years - it really doesn't matter as they ALREADY KNOW it is unsafe because it was DESIGNED that way in the first place - nourishment for the peasants that keeps them sick, stupid and struggling to conceive.

 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:54 | 6130500 caribbeanbarry
caribbeanbarry's picture

The "State" you speak of is part of Monsant, GE, GS, etc...

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:25 | 6130184 AIIB
AIIB's picture

Well if you nationalize it... Make sure jews run it... Oh Wait!

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:32 | 6130201 Ckierst1
Ckierst1's picture

What a pathetic idea.  It's straight out of Hegel.  Government's flawed court decisions necessitate a nationalized (government subsidized enterprise) served up with a possible government sanctioned monopoly.  Bullshit, let them experience laissez faire free markets and see how they fare in competition with other sources of real, wholesome food on a level playing field.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 15:43 | 6130237 Joe A
Joe A's picture

Send them to the gulags. The world does not need GMO or big AG to feed the world. Small farmers feed the world with less than 25% of all farmland: http://www.grain.org/article/entries/4929

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:07 | 6130332 Ms No
Ms No's picture

Since Chipotle has decided to go GMO free they have been smeared relentlessly by The Washington Post, Time, Chicago Tribune, LA times etc.  I hope chipotle continues to profit anyway, people should have a choice whether or not to eat frankenstein food.  If people think this is a great science with high motivations then they can eat it all they want, the rest of us should be allowed to identify it and avoid it.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:16 | 6130367 justmy2cents
justmy2cents's picture

I wonder if they've also had financial pressure? Bank account closure notices, loans being called in etc etc. Evil is everywhere.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:20 | 6130590 yellowsub
yellowsub's picture

Do some research they're not all that they claim to be on their mission statement but they are probably one of the best chains at least in terms of where the food source comes from.

Their explosive growth and demand is definitely too much for supply chains to meet according to their specifications...there's like 3 within a 10 mile radius in all busy locations.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 19:39 | 6130990 IndianaJohn
IndianaJohn's picture

There is almost no GMO free soy beans grown in US, and little GMO free corn. Corn and soy beans are basic feed ingredients for all meat, milk and egg production. Soy bean oil is the basic vegetable oil in your diet. There is no way to avoid GMO fed meat. By the way; corn is a grass. #2 yellow corn is the seed of grass.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:07 | 6130336 Jack Daniels Esq
Jack Daniels Esq's picture

Invent poison halal seeds for India, Paki, Bangi, Saudi

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:11 | 6130348 kchrisc
kchrisc's picture

"The Case For Nationalizing Monsanto"

Funniest headline of the week, and it's only Monday.

Monsanto is "nationalized" in the since that they own and control part of government that they pay to enable them to operate the way they do.

So the headline is basically saying, "Nationalize that which already has the governmnet in their pocket." LOL.

Liberty is a demand. Tyranny is submission..

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:11 | 6130353 all-priced-in
all-priced-in's picture

What % of the cost -

of a box of cereal - or loaf of bread - or bag or rice or pound of hamburger - sitting on the shelf of my local grocery store - is for the seeds used to grow the grain?

 

I bet it is less than 1/4 of 1% - but does anyone know?

 

 

 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:14 | 6130361 q99x2
q99x2's picture

Arrest Bill and Melinda Gates for crimes against humanity.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:36 | 6130425 silentboom
silentboom's picture

Did I accidentaly end up at the dailykos?  Why would we solve a problem caused by government with more government?

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:36 | 6130433 exartizo
exartizo's picture

Nationalizing Monsanto is flat out the fucking *STUPIDEST* thing I've ever read on ZH.

"Let's take another step into State Owned Private Entities."

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:52 | 6130488 caribbeanbarry
caribbeanbarry's picture

Chevrolet Volts' spraying Round-Up....

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:41 | 6130450 Duude
Duude's picture

Yeah, because government does such a fine job at running everything they touch. LOL!  Who writes such drivel?  Gimme a break!

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:30 | 6130617 r00t61
r00t61's picture

This post is authored by Charles Hugh Smith, who like Jim Kunstler, does an exceptional job pointing out how government screws up/becomes totally intertwined and corrupt with the businesses it attempts to "regulate," be it Big Pharma, Big Media, Big Finance, or Big MIL, but then calls for that same government to step in and "fix things" for "the good of the people" or some such other drivel.

They are proof positive of the Big Statist mentality laid out by Frederich Hayek in The Road To Serfdom.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:00 | 6130516 Dixie Flatline
Dixie Flatline's picture

Not going to bother reading the comments here on this one.  Monsanto brings out the kook in all the anti-science/science illiterates.

Idiots all.  Even the picture accompanying the article is ridiculous unless it was picked in irony.  The abundance of ignorance that surrounds biotech is astonishing.  It's a real testament to how poorly science is taught.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:08 | 6130556 yellowsub
yellowsub's picture

Have a glass of Round Up, it's perfectly safe!

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 22:29 | 6131460 Dixie Flatline
Dixie Flatline's picture

Non-sequitors are totally logical!

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 16:59 | 6130522 TheABaum
TheABaum's picture

So let me get this straight, you don't like a government that engages in "wars of choice" but you want them to nationalize a company to get their portfolio of proprietary technologies.

I know it is a slow news day, but going full frontal fascist is still not a good idea.

 

“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power”
? Benito Mussolini

 

 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:03 | 6130539 BernankeHasHemo...
BernankeHasHemorrhoids's picture

I have a better idea. How about we arrest Monsanto's executives and put them on trial for crimes against humanity and then execute them on national television? The company itself should be seized as a part of a criminal enterprise. End of problem.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:12 | 6130559 Alananda
Alananda's picture

Sorry, double post

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:10 | 6130560 Alananda
Alananda's picture

Surely, Charles, you jest -- a modest proposal, what?  Did you forget the /sarc tag?  Have you lost your ever lovin' mind?  What next?  "Nationalize" the FED, too?  Convert mythical debt into "real debt" based on "fiat currency" and "money magick"?  Sir, you gravely disappoint me.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:14 | 6130574 Rockwell
Rockwell's picture

Yeah so state controlled Monsanto would be much less evil. Wut?

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:17 | 6130581 Jack Burton
Jack Burton's picture

All I do know about  

Monsanto

makes me believe they have too much power and too little competition. Too little sensible regulation. And too much political power in Washington. They are in fact probably more powerful than any other group short of Zionist AIPAC. Some would argue that the free market has created Monsanto, therefore Monsanto is an entity that deserves total freedom to operate as it pleases. If you think gentic control over plant life should sit with Monsanto, and it's board of directors, then you should like the present situation. I don't share that view, and I believe Monsanto's control of government has been used to gain extraordinary power, and an ability to crush both regulation and competition. As a modern New World Order Mega Corporation with Root in Congress and the White House, they are a view of corporate dictatorship the neoliberals are aiming at.

One reason the USA is hell bent on war with Russia, is that Russia is busy kicking Monsanto out of their nation and markets. To Washington, loyal to their corporate masters, "This means war!" Actually, Russia is acting in the interests of it's people and businesses.

 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:25 | 6130603 combatsnoopy
combatsnoopy's picture

Monsanto owns Pfeizer.  Well Pfeizer is already subsidized by the US government through Obamadramacare anyways. 

So this is a double payout to Pfeizer? 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 22:29 | 6131455 Dixie Flatline
Dixie Flatline's picture

None of that is true, but thanks for freely confessiong your astounding proponderance of ignorance. 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:27 | 6130612 combatsnoopy
combatsnoopy's picture
"Capitalism fails in two situations: monopoly and state-capital cronyism. ... The state (broadly speaking, government) fails when it serves the few at the expense of the many, while claiming to serve the interests of the many. ... Monsanto is the epitome of monopoly and crony-state collusion. ... Monopolies on food, e'nergy and water (what I term the FEW resources) are not like monopolies on discretionary goods and services...."

You've got to just LOVE Krugmans' New Trade Theory, esp some part where um, a company can't be competative globally unless it's propped up REALLY BIG by the gubbermint or something like that.   Because nepotism, racism, corruption and rampant incompetance is what capitalism is, isn't it?  
Mon, 05/25/2015 - 17:57 | 6130683 Dixie Flatline
Dixie Flatline's picture

The supposed benefits of costly monopoly-developed GMO seeds is increasingly being questioned: Plant Breeding vs. GMOs: Conventional Methods Lead the Way in Responding to Climate Change.
 

I'll mark Charles Hugh-Smith of oftwominds blog off my list as serious and rational voices to pay attention to.  Seriously was this a parody post?

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 21:13 | 6131233 mortem-tyrannus
mortem-tyrannus's picture

I'm with you Dixie. Only pollyanna, pie in the sky, born rich and never had to work a real job fuckwits would talk like this.

People used to go hungry in this world and in some shit holes they still do.

Monsanto is a corporation and as such may or may not always act in a beneficial manner. They are not mother fucking Theresa, but to speak out of your ass about all GMO just displays gutter level ignorance.

I am astounded.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 22:28 | 6131452 Dixie Flatline
Dixie Flatline's picture

My God, a rational response.  Be still my beating heart!

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:37 | 6130796 One Eyed Jack
One Eyed Jack's picture

FUCK YEAH!.... Oh wait. Damn I thought it said the case for euthanizing Monsanto.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:43 | 6130816 Racer
Racer's picture

In the UK it is a criminal offence to not tell the seed breeders that you didn't grow any farm saved seed.

You have to pay royalties if you do grow that seed, but you also have to tell them if didn't do anything at all

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:57 | 6130854 honestann
honestann's picture

The operations of Monsanto must be SHUT DOWN, not spread more widely.  Monsanto is not only helping to destroy the world economy, they are destroying healthy food, helping make people unhealthy and sick, and who knows what else.

SHUT THEM DOWN.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 22:26 | 6131448 Dixie Flatline
Dixie Flatline's picture

All those PhD's, masters, post docs, mbas, BS's all went to school to learn how to kill people slowly through biotechnology disguised as farming practises?

UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE the stupidity that passes for conventional wisdom...

Tue, 05/26/2015 - 05:45 | 6131916 farmerunder
farmerunder's picture

Do u think Albert Einstein envisaged what would become of the A Bomb when he wrote his letter to Pres Roosevelt regarding Germany enriching Uranium 235? or what about the scientists who were involved in the Manhattan project? Food is as big a part of war and global security as weapons

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 19:30 | 6130972 sam site
sam site's picture

You state - "If the American people wanted to bestow a gift to the world…. nationalize Monsanto (pay the $64 B) and provide its seed products for free."

 

The only problem with that is that Monsanto has been guilty of Racketeering under the RICO Act.  Monsanto defrauded the American public by submitting an inadequate rat toxicity study of only 3 months. 

Monsanto belongs in jail for unfounded safety claims based on their fraudulant and deceptive research .  Monsanto since 1996 has been deliberately poisoning the public with extremely toxic Roundup weed killer. 

Monsanto’s gene splicing of foreign bacteria called BT Toxin into conventional crop seed - mostly corn and soy, has also been poisoning the public by promoting the eating of BT Toxin that’s in the GMO food. 

It’s known to turn your intestines into a toxic bacteria factory by producing BT Toxin that makes insects go belly up and split open.  It’s a wonder we all don’t split open like bugs in public.

 

The French  Seralini GMO Corn toxicity study of 2012 established GMO as a toxic hazzard to humans.  The French duplicated the original Monsanto 1994 three month safety study but only changed the time frame from 3 months to 24 months. 

Funny thing that the tumors started showing up in the 4th month - right when Monsanto quit thier study and fraudulantly declared GMOs as safe. 

And the FDA saying that only Monsanto was responsible for proving safety.  You wonder why there is an FDA if they are going to shirk their duty to protect the public. 

Eighty percent of the French rats developed these massive tumors and died prematurely.

We don't want GMO, even if it was free, it's dangerous and Monsanto belongs in jail for fraud and criminal endangerment of the public safety.

 

 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 20:02 | 6131051 Dixie Flatline
Dixie Flatline's picture

Holy fuck you are retarded.  Isn't it easier to just deal with reality?

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 19:44 | 6131002 Surging Chaos
Surging Chaos's picture

Tyler, you need to take a serious look at yourself in the mirror. How the fuck does an article that says a company needs to be nationalized make it onto the front page?

Don't get me wrong. Monsanto is the embodiement of crony captialism and it is a horrendous company. But how does fixing a problem created by the state with more state control going to make things any better?

This is a libertarian website. This is not Daily Kos or Rolling Stone. If I wanted to read an article where someone proposed the idea of nationalizing a company I would have gone to one of those sites instead.

This also goes for all the neocon propaganda you've posted the last several months or so (the North Korea article a while back is a good example). You are selling out to the statists on all aisles and I hate to see this site abandon what made it successful in the first place.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 20:23 | 6131091 Sages wife
Sages wife's picture

monsanto = bad

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 20:24 | 6131093 Sages wife
Sages wife's picture

monsanto = death

fixed it for me

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 21:56 | 6131374 malek
malek's picture

More Government to the rescue!!!   <facepalm>

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 22:01 | 6131385 Totentänzerlied
Totentänzerlied's picture

This is too little too late and the wrong way to go about it.

It's not even worth talking about any solution which relies on industrial agriculture with mind-boggling quanitities of fossil fuels and synthetic fertilizers and -icides, all that is over.

The only solution worthy of the term solution is a complete and rapid transition to modern completely local intensive organic permacultural farming. Only this can simultaneously and effectively address: soaring input costs, runaway pollution/contamination, ecological destruction, reckless use of GMO crops, systematic abuse of farmers, rising food costs, corporate/government control of food production, declining yields and deteriorating soils, monocropping and cash-cropping, insatiable water use, etc. etc. etc. etc., even bee colony collapse, crowding of cities and underemployment. It is truly energy efficient, truly sustainable, and yields a healthy and nutritionally complete diet on a reasonably sized plot of land.

In short, it's not all about growth, waste, debt, and oil, it's everything the modern global economy abhors and cannot coexist with, it will never be allowed to happen, at least not until fuel costs for industrial farms becomes more expensive than human labor costs for organic ones. The movement has already begun in the developing world.

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 22:03 | 6131390 enloe creek
enloe creek's picture

Humanity failed please try to keep up

the long fall of the last curtain is happening.... 

Mon, 05/25/2015 - 23:07 | 6131531 Cdn1
Cdn1's picture

Another strange rant by the beautiful mind of Charles Hugh-Smith. We must forgive and wait for one of his good essays to surface again.

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