(no subject)
So I went to see The Corporation, a new documentary discussing the effects corporations have had and continue to have on our society. There were really good points brought up, and I'm just going to summarize some a few of the topics discussed. . .
The patenting of any living organism used to be prohibited until GE submitted an engineered microbe that can clean up oil spills. The proposal was denied, then GE appealed the decision with some trade court ( I forgot the official name ) and they allowed the microbe to be patented on the basis that it did not share resemblence with organisms, such as horses or other animals. They viewed the microbe as a chemical. No shit. The patent office appealed and won, prohibiting GE to claim a patent on the organism. Later, the patent office amended it's guidelines by adding a key phrase "no patent can be claimed for a living human being." The sheer economic benefit, by itself, can give rise to explaining why the patent office yielded and allowed the floodgates to be opened to the patenting of any living organism that is not a human being. Since then, patents have been claimed for new species, current species, and actual genes. What consequences can come from all this? When corporations claim the right on our own genetic makeup and on life in general?
Artificial bovine growth hormone (rBGH)has been used substantially since it was created over a decade ago within the dairy industry. The promotor of this hormone is Monsanto, and heavily advertised the use of the hormone to the industry by emphasizing that lost profits will be incurred by not using rBGH. It had to incur substantial procedures in order to get the drug approved, but it was later revealed that many of it's studies were flawed and contained inacurate data. Independent studies by the Canadian version of the U.S. FDA ( I forgot the name ) revealed that this hormane has the ability of passing into the milk and being obsorbed by the human body, which has the potential to cause serious illnesses, such as cancer in humans. More studies were made, and several reporters who were recently hired by FOX 13 in FLorida were going were going to air a special on the truth behind Monsanto and rBGH. All the public knew up to now was the claim by the Canadian sources, but Monsanto defended themselves by claiming that there is no potential harm to humans. The Fox channel advertised the special that was going to air within a week, and then they received a fax letter by Monsanto's lawyers, urging them not to air the story. The day after another letter came and threatened FOX that "dire consequences will be faced. . ." if they air the story. Keeping in mind that Monsanto not only advertises on FOX, but on all 27 other networks owned by Rubert Merdock(sp?), FOX relented and pulled the story. The reporters disagreed with the decision and said this is not what they expected when they were hired to tell the truth as it is, unlike other networks. They refused with the decision and the regional manager fired them. The reporters threatened to sue for inproper termination. The manager later made an offer to pay them off for their silence as long as they agreed not to reveal to anyone about the contents of the story. They agreed only to get a copy of the letter stating the terms, then rejected the offer. The Manager then said they could air the story a while later as long as it was edited by FOX's lawyers. It was edited 83 TIMES, after several MONTHS, and eventually they were fired on other grounds. One of the employees was advice to file a suit under Florida's wistle blower status, and she did. They sued that FOX was trying to air information that was intentionally misleading and incorrect. They won, but FOX appealed, and the majority of the leading news networks endorsed and supported FOX's appeal, and the appelate judges found that airing intetionally misleading and incorrect information isn't in fact an illegal act, and overturned the prior courts ruling. Reporters lost, Fox won. Also, rBGH is still being used within the dairy industry.
There were some other good points brought up in this 2 and 1/2 hour documentary.
THe main point about it is that we're leaving in an unsustainable world, and the method that is currently being used to fuel growth and maintain society is itself, unsustainble, and one day really soon it's all going to begin falling apart. The major powers in the world are the corporations, whose only goal is to grow and make as much profits as possible, because, by law, they are really only accountable to its investors. They hope from country to country extracting and exploting its resources and its people until it's no longer economically beneficial for them to do so, because it can be done cheaper and better in another country. This kinda reminds me of a parasite. This process can't continue forever. Great social and environmental harms are done by this process.
I wonder when this will beging to change, and how it'll end, if it does.
The patenting of any living organism used to be prohibited until GE submitted an engineered microbe that can clean up oil spills. The proposal was denied, then GE appealed the decision with some trade court ( I forgot the official name ) and they allowed the microbe to be patented on the basis that it did not share resemblence with organisms, such as horses or other animals. They viewed the microbe as a chemical. No shit. The patent office appealed and won, prohibiting GE to claim a patent on the organism. Later, the patent office amended it's guidelines by adding a key phrase "no patent can be claimed for a living human being." The sheer economic benefit, by itself, can give rise to explaining why the patent office yielded and allowed the floodgates to be opened to the patenting of any living organism that is not a human being. Since then, patents have been claimed for new species, current species, and actual genes. What consequences can come from all this? When corporations claim the right on our own genetic makeup and on life in general?
Artificial bovine growth hormone (rBGH)has been used substantially since it was created over a decade ago within the dairy industry. The promotor of this hormone is Monsanto, and heavily advertised the use of the hormone to the industry by emphasizing that lost profits will be incurred by not using rBGH. It had to incur substantial procedures in order to get the drug approved, but it was later revealed that many of it's studies were flawed and contained inacurate data. Independent studies by the Canadian version of the U.S. FDA ( I forgot the name ) revealed that this hormane has the ability of passing into the milk and being obsorbed by the human body, which has the potential to cause serious illnesses, such as cancer in humans. More studies were made, and several reporters who were recently hired by FOX 13 in FLorida were going were going to air a special on the truth behind Monsanto and rBGH. All the public knew up to now was the claim by the Canadian sources, but Monsanto defended themselves by claiming that there is no potential harm to humans. The Fox channel advertised the special that was going to air within a week, and then they received a fax letter by Monsanto's lawyers, urging them not to air the story. The day after another letter came and threatened FOX that "dire consequences will be faced. . ." if they air the story. Keeping in mind that Monsanto not only advertises on FOX, but on all 27 other networks owned by Rubert Merdock(sp?), FOX relented and pulled the story. The reporters disagreed with the decision and said this is not what they expected when they were hired to tell the truth as it is, unlike other networks. They refused with the decision and the regional manager fired them. The reporters threatened to sue for inproper termination. The manager later made an offer to pay them off for their silence as long as they agreed not to reveal to anyone about the contents of the story. They agreed only to get a copy of the letter stating the terms, then rejected the offer. The Manager then said they could air the story a while later as long as it was edited by FOX's lawyers. It was edited 83 TIMES, after several MONTHS, and eventually they were fired on other grounds. One of the employees was advice to file a suit under Florida's wistle blower status, and she did. They sued that FOX was trying to air information that was intentionally misleading and incorrect. They won, but FOX appealed, and the majority of the leading news networks endorsed and supported FOX's appeal, and the appelate judges found that airing intetionally misleading and incorrect information isn't in fact an illegal act, and overturned the prior courts ruling. Reporters lost, Fox won. Also, rBGH is still being used within the dairy industry.
There were some other good points brought up in this 2 and 1/2 hour documentary.
THe main point about it is that we're leaving in an unsustainable world, and the method that is currently being used to fuel growth and maintain society is itself, unsustainble, and one day really soon it's all going to begin falling apart. The major powers in the world are the corporations, whose only goal is to grow and make as much profits as possible, because, by law, they are really only accountable to its investors. They hope from country to country extracting and exploting its resources and its people until it's no longer economically beneficial for them to do so, because it can be done cheaper and better in another country. This kinda reminds me of a parasite. This process can't continue forever. Great social and environmental harms are done by this process.
I wonder when this will beging to change, and how it'll end, if it does.