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Re: Monsanto and Overcoming Corruption



Lloyd,
You are absolutely right about  foundations. No one was arguing that.
However you are confused to trash environmental organizations out of hand
without knowing the particulars of what you are talking about  As far as
foundations go, yes, for the most part they defend the interest of the
monied class that funded them and directs them. To have a public sector
that  fights in our interests without foundation money would take
donations, even small ones, from people like  you.  Organizations like UCS
are in large part funded by individuals through membership or direct mail.
EWG receives mostly grant money.  And y our point is good there.  How do
you fund progressive organizations without being beholding to non
progressive foundations.(actually, Rockerfeller Fund is relatively
progressive and funds anti-nuke projects).
    But back to the fight on organic standards - 250,000 plus people wrote
congresspeople on that issue. That's a fantastic accomplishment.  But how
did it come about? I'm sorry to say that there probably aren't 250,000
members to CSA's in this country even if we could get all of them to write
letters.  It also took working assets phone company (which has a number of
problems itself) advertising it.  It took EWG, and UCS and Science in the
Public Interest (a membership funded group) and a number of the other
groups to publicize and Pacifica the issue to their members and the public
in general, because, for the most part the corporate media didn't
publicize.
So, the bottom line is, Lloyd, even on lists, you shouldn't make blanket
statements about people or organizations that you are relatively ignorant
about.
    Additionally, the USDA is doing a number of things, not just the
organic standards, that aren't in the  interest of the American people. But
then, again, the USDA is controlled by the political powers of our country
an in the end is doing the will of the interest that control our political
system. If we concede defeat in fighting on that level we lose, because
while you think you can control the world from your own little corner and
county with good and kinder thoughts, it ain't so.

lloyd kinder wrote:

> >> >LH wrote:
> >> >Jane's reports ( she works for
> >> >UCS) on bioengineering or maybe the reports on pesticides from the
> >> >Environmental Working Group. And Friends of the Earth has defended
> the
> >> >small farmer's interests against the mega-corporations rather well.
> >> Maybe
> >> >we should become more involved in working for a sustainable future
> >> rather
> >> >than simply dismissing out of hand good environmental organizations.
> >> Lloyd wrote:
> >> Hi Leigh. Did these groups do anything to get the word out about the
> >> USDA scheme or the CODEX anti-alternative health care garbage? If
> they
> >> actually help prevent such schemes, I can believe that they may be
> free
> >> from influence, but if they do not, then I tend to think they are
> >> influenced. Where do they get grants from? Aloha. Lloyd
>
> >LH wrote:
> >Lloyd,
> >Why don't you check for yourself?  Personally, I would rather reserve
> this
> >list for discussions of questions concerning the day to day and long
> term
> >operation of CSA's.
> >Leigh
> >
> Hi again. The USDA and CODEX schemes threaten the whole foundation of
> the organic and health movements. If that happens, csa members may as
> well buy their food from the stores, because farmers won't be able to
> say their products are organic are free of unwanted additives, etc. Are
> members of a group not supposed to share with each other about outside
> threats to the group? And I don't have time to check where those
> environmental groups, etc. get their funding or how effectively they
> support the organic and health movements. I got too much farmwork to do.
> It's more cost-effective for me to ask people on lists like this, some
> of whom may well have the answers at their fingertips. If big biz is
> behind a seemingly friendly organization like those you mentioned, they
> would necessarily have to make the organization appear to be friendly on
> the surface while in reality doing the bidding of big biz. That's why
> results of such groups are important and knowing their funding sources.
> Rockefellers, Ford and the like usually have their hands in any major
> organization in one way or another. For organic to succeed, I think we
> have to be careful to steer clear of such big biz influence. I'll shut
> up, but I'd like this list to be open to timely warnings from anyone
> about outside threats to our cause. Eh? Lloyd
>
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