Seventy-Three U.S. Senators Went Down on Monsanto
Yesterday the U.S. Senate defeated a farm bill amendment which would have allowed states to require the labeling of genetically modified foods. Again, this amendment didn’t require GMO foods (genetically modified organisms) to be labeled; it simply left the matter up to individual state legislatures.
What happened to that “local autonomy” and “states’ rights” that conservatives are always blubbering about?
And why the fuck are we still arguing about food labels??? In 2012??? Since at least the 1970s we’ve been checking the ingredients labels to see what we’re buying. Hello?!?!?!
This is just as retarded as dragging those 1960s birth control arguments out of mothballs and into the 21st century, just so rightwing demagogues can keep their inbred Biblehumping “base” all fired up.
Forty-nine countries require all GMO foods to be labeled. The U.S. is going backwards. Again.
The defeated amendment had been introduced by Bernie Sanders and co-sponsored by Barbara Boxer and Mark Begich.
Over 3,000 food ingredients are currently required to be listed on the label. What are Monsanto and other GMO companies afraid of? They claim their GMO products are the greatest invention ever, but they don’t want you to know when you’re buying it?!?
Organizations that are concerned about the possible hazards of GMO foods include: Union of Concerned Scientists, Center for Food Safety, American Public Health Association, Public Citizen, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the National Cooperative Grocers Association.
The U.S. Senate stabbed 300 million Americans in the back when they voted — 73 to 26 — to prohibit GMO labeling. Seventy-three U.S. senators should all have big signs pointing to their mouths that say “Monsanto’s dick goes here.”
Labels: Bernie Sanders GMO amendment, GMO labeling, Monsanto
posted by Tom Harper @ 10:08 PM
14 Comments:
This is just one more example of the power of lobbying and corporations getting the best government their money can buy. Maybe if enough foreign countries require GMO food labeling, U.S. companies will have to do it to be able to export their products. You know, European countries where the public still stands a chance against corporate greed.
What I find depressing about this vote is that 28 of the NO votes were Democrats -- more than one-half of their delegation. Only 1 YES vote came from a Republican.
If only the Democrats could get almost every one of their members to toe the party line like the GOP, then the vote would have been 54 YEAS versus 45 NAYS.
INGREDIENTS: STUFF.
I guess they figure if you don't know what you are eating, it can't hurt you.
Tom,
This is inexcusable, yet typical. Our government has been bought - lock, stock, and barrel - by huge corporations, and that is why corporate-friendly bills pass with ease, but people-friendly bills do not. We have become the most corrupted nation in history.
Sadly we can't find another Billionaire organization to counter this like some of our other Billionaire vs Billionaire battles earlier this year
Erik
I read somewhere that what the GMO companies were objecting to was not so much the labeling itself, but the required language of the bill which was something like... GMO may be hazardous to your health. As much as I dislike BIG AG you can't really blame them for that objection, particularly when there is no scientific proof that GMO foods are unsafe.
When they finally win, they are destined to lose. This country is getting closer to schism every day, and these intellectual titans don't seem to see it coming. Or, maybe they do, and they've already placed markers on the parts of it that they intend to own when it does come flying apart.
"DEATH PANELS"
Corporate death panels!
SW: "Maybe if enough foreign countries require GMO food labeling, U.S. companies will have to do it to be able to export their products."
Exactly. I think this will ultimately be the solution to most of America's problems. With the world becoming more connected and interdependent, and the U.S. becoming less relevant, I think more and more of our problems will be solved from a global/international standpoint.
Trey: This vote was a perfect example of both parties being bought and paid for. I still think the Democrats are the lesser of 2 evils, but both parties are up to their eyeballs in corruption. Not that I'm trying to rekindle a certain argument or anything :)
Randal: But what's in that stuff?
Jerry: If only that were true.
Jack: Yup, inexcusable and typical.
Erik: Where's George Soros when we need him?
Mr. C: I haven't seen the wording of this particular bill, but the GMO companies have repeatedly fought any attempt at having their products labeled. They threatened to sue the State of Vermont when the Vermont legislature was considering a law to require labeling of GMO foods. Monsanto has even tried to push for laws prohibiting dairies from saying that their milk doesn't contain a Monsanto growth hormone. The message I get is: the GMO industry is hiding something.
JR: I think it's the latter. They're all ready to activate Plan B when everything comes apart at the seams.
Jerry: Nah, it's only a death panel when it's made up of faceless gubmint bureaucrats meddling in the private sector.
"DEATH PANELS"
Did the man of the house criticize your pot roast again? How cruel.
Did the man of the house criticize your pot roast again? How cruel.
I have a man not a jerk
Here's a list of how they all voted on the amendment:
http://votesmart.org/bill/votes/40795
Post a Comment
<< Home