Why Unfettered Capitalism Is Bad for Your Diet

[Why Syzygy]

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/140188/why_unfettered_capitalism_is_bad_for_your_diet/?page=entire

Why Unfettered Capitalism Is Bad for Your Diet

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In creating factorylike facilities to process and package our food, we are exponentially increasing the risks of food contamination. This is the single best argument for decentralizing the food system.

But yes, there is still yet another reason to bust up these trusts: Agribusiness has had excessive influence on our government. Represented by a billion-dollar lobby in Washington, agribusinesses have maintained a revolving door, bringing lobbyists, lawyers and board members into powerful public positions.

One of the other problems that arises when megacompanies begin to influence government in this way is that they then become "too big to fail," when we should be asking ourselves (to quote Mike Lux) if they were "too big to exist" in the first place.

However it happened, the facts are clear: Cargill, ADM, Monsanto, Tyson and Smithfield are probably breaking the law, and that law needs to be enforced.

It may be that the government for too long has been complicit in creating predatory pricing via billions of dollars in subsidies handed out to the factory farmers of mostly genetically modified corn and soy, but I would like our new administration to take a good look at possible price fixing; aggressive marketing, especially to children; intimidation practices, including Monsanto's intimidation of farmers who have been found to have GMO contamination in their fields, also their intimidation of seed cleaners, and of previous governments; barriers to entry, for example, the assumption of massive amounts of debt on the part of the farmer to build CAFO facilities and thus getting trapped in a contractual agreement with Smithfield, Tyson, etc; and tying, for instance, Round-Up Ready seeds require the use of Round-Up pesticides, meaning that both markets are cornered by Monsanto.

It's time to admit that hyper-efficiency is not working. It may seem counterintuitive, but being a little less efficient creates room for checks and balances. We need redundancy and some fostered competition. It is the only way to assure the health of our nation and the safety of our food supply.

[keep_it_real]

1. Money Masters

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936&ei=PBMbSoKUIY7ArgKa5f3ZDw&q=money+masters+part+1&hl=en

[Why Syzygy]

5. I'll watch. Thanks. nt

[keep_it_real]

2. Web of Debt

http://www.webofdebt.com/

[HillbillyBob]

3. I used to do heavy industrial and commercial

electrical repairs and construction.
I have been to meat packing , industrial factory farm ops, even pet food rendering plants (i will never feed my dogs Purina).
Of the meat packing the more humane were Halal and Kosher ops.
The other factory farm/food places.. I ll just put it this way I don't eat from there if I can help it.
I am not a vegetarian I buy from a local farmer who raises grass fed, hormone and drug free who sends his cattle to a local Halal processor, which is clean and the deed is done quickly and as painless as possible. We do eat less meat, and our neighbors have free range hens for eggs.
I have tried to go vegan. My body is not designed to be a veg, I cannot get enough nutrition that way. And before someone starts about soy, I don't need Estrogen in my food, and I cannot digest soy. Its misery for me.
We grow veggies as we are starting up an organic farm. The usual fruits and veggies that everyone is used to, but we are also researching different things that grow in temperate/warm climate around the Va/NC state line area.
So far we have kiwi planted and thriving. Our pomegranate starts of 6, 4 have met mishaps..a Rottewiler (sp) who used them like a fire hydrant and since they were only 6 10 inches tall did not make it. We have fig starts to go in the ground, and some olives. We will be planting more moso bamboo..seems that deer like it, I ll have to fix up protection for the next batch. Those are the same that are used for lumber/timber/floors and the shoots are the same as what you get in a can at the market.
Now that I have rambled on and the reason for that is that we need to get away from factory farming and each of us learn to grow things. Even when I lived in an apartment that had a balcony or a big window we had a few food plants.
There is no feeling like eating something that you have grown.
That feeling of independence and if we all did grow things we can trade and rebuild our community ties, and make a dent in Industrial Ag, and spend our $ with family farmers, barter with neighbors for things you are not good at growing for things they need or want. I think it would help heal the rifts in our society to help feed each other. I think that would be in line with Jesus admonition to Love and care for one another
Im laid up for a femoral bypass surgery (damage from before I cleaned up my food act) tomorrow. Im nervous as h .
Any one in North Central NC that wants to volunteer to help husbear get our garden in. He is trying to do everything and there is just not enough of him to go around.
He has not even been able to get the tilling finished to get the plants in that we started in the windows in March.

[Why Syzygy]

4. Please! post

your need in the NC forum too. Surely there is someone around who can help you.
Thanks for sharing your viewpoint. The animal slaughters ARE awful. I eat very little meat myself. I also do not think soy is the solution.

[Why Syzygy]

6. kick