While America’s media gaze was averted from the happenings of the Senate as our homosexual brothers and sisters argued their case for social equality at the Supreme Court, President Barack Obama inked his signature upon the spending bill H.R. 933.
Hidden within the depths of this bulky piece of legislation is what is being commonly referred to by a growing number of agricultural activists as “The Monsanto Protection Act.” It details a restriction of governmental intervention to halt the supply and production of genetically modified seeds and crops, even if studies conclude that they pose an environmental danger.
My question is this: Why has the president, who claims to be a grade above the corruption that plagues the Capitol’s corridors, engaged himself in such a clear example of backroom deals and “shock doctrine” politics?
Grossing over $2 billion last year, Monsanto is one of the largest agricultural biotechnology corporations on the planet. Its contributions to our world include a wide array of pesticides, genetically modified soya and corn seeds and LEDs. Oh, and Agent Orange, the chemical used by the U.S. army to kill hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese during the ’60s. A mixed bag to be sure.
It may be the case that Monsanto has moved on from its enthusiasm for murder, joining the nouveau movement many, ironically, describe as “responsible capitalism.” But it is still far from being the altruistic provider its website portrays it to be, with an Argentinian scholarship here, a smiling African child there.
Last year alone, Monsanto took more than 100 American family farmers to court for infringement of patent laws, and in 2012 they spent $46 million on advertising efforts to dissuade Californian residents from voting “yes” on a piece of legislation that would force producers to openly label their GM products. In short, one of the largest food production corporations in the world has made it obvious that they would rather the public did not know what is going into their food.
The evidence that GM foods are a real danger to human or environmental health still remains to be seen. Although it is unlikely we are talking about apocalyptic repercussions, it would still be useful to immediately stop making GM products if scientists confirm any food activists’ fears: They’re killing all the bees, causing cancer and turning the next generation into greedy Prada-wearing bankers.
The provisions Obama signed into law last Thursday directly infringe upon states’ right to protect its people and ecosystem if the worst-case scenario becomes a reality. The cats in the Monsanto Pennsylvania department are quick to point out that the bill protects all agricultural efforts, not just Monsanto’s.
Yet, by the looks of things, Monsanto was the only third party to collude in the bill’s creation and, according to the Russian Times, contributed $64,250 to the 2012 election campaign of the bill’s author, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Perhaps it is not all that surprising to hear of a multinational corporation lobbying Washington to see its needs are met. Perhaps it is not all too strange to hear Blunt, once voted the “most crooked member of Congress,” took a little financial convincing.
What is surprising, to me at least, is Obama’s involvement in the same sort of political murkiness that tarnished the reputations of many of his predecessors. Tut-tut, Mr. President; tut-tut.
