Iraqi Farmers and Monsanto

IRAQI ORDER 81


IRAQI ORDER 81...and they said that we were there to bring freedom
and liberty...it is time to tell the troops the truth How did this
happen? While few of us were paying attention, the Coalition
Provisional Authority, representing the government of the United
States, imposed a set of 100 orders on Iraq. A careful examination
of these orders could lead to the conclusion that the war is being
waged to enrich corporations at the expense of the ordinary
citizens. Many of these orders take freedom and liberty away from
the people of Iraq. The orders also have a profound effect on us.

Iraqi Order 81 is of special interest because it goes a long way in
affecting every living being on the planet. This order prohibits
Iraqi farmers from using the methods of agriculture that they have
used for centuries. The common worldwide practice of saving heirloom
seeds from one year to the next is now illegal in Iraq. Order 81
wages war on Iraqi farmers. They have lost the freedom and liberty
to choose their own methods of agriculture.

The food chain has been under worldwide assault by U.S. corporations
for some time now. The Master Race of corporations has seized
control of the very essence of life itself. We are now in the age of
Genetically Modified Doomsday Seeds.

This is not exactly a new phenomenon. It has been a gradual
takeover. Remember Percy Schmeiser, the Canadian farmer, who was
sued by Monsanto? Not enough people stood up for Percey, so then
they came for other farmers. In fact, Monsanto has sued so many
farmers that a national hotline (1-888-FARMHLP) has now been set up
to assist them.

Those who have been pushing for Tort Reform never mention the
frivolous, mean-spirited lawsuits brought by Monsanto against U.S.
farmers. This is a David and Goliath battle and, as usual, our
government is on the side of Goliath. Order 81 now spreads the
assault on farmers to Iraq. The domino effect is underway. The
victim farmers in the U.S., Iraq, Canada, and all of the other
countries who have been under attack by Monsanto need our help. The
Tort Reform that is really needed would be reform aimed at
compensating victims of corporate intimidation.

The corporations, backed up by the Pentagon, have been jackbooting
and goose stepping their way across the planet. Whether you like it
or not, you probably will have some franken food on your dinner
plate tonight... franken foods, grown from franken seeds, brought to
you compliments of the Franken Empire. Our own USDA was complicit in
the development of Terminator seeds. Picture Dr. Strangelove on the
John Deere.

The existence of Order 81, and the other 99 orders, which limit
Iraqi liberty and freedom, creates some interesting questions. How
can Washington even pretend that the election in Iraq is legitimate
if U.S. imposed rules are enforced after the election, or are we to
believe that the 100 Orders are canceled by the election? I don't
think so.

Is it possible that Iraqi farmers think back fondly to the good old
days before the Occupation and before Order 81? Even Saddam Hussein
allowed them to save seeds for the next year's crop. Is Monsanto a
worse master than Saddam? Imagine what would happen if there was a
successful worldwide movement of resistance, an international Save
the Seed Campaign. Farmers and consumers in the U.S. need to stand
in solidarity with the farmers and consumers in Iraq. If you have a
stamp or coin collection, forget it. Instead, it might be better to
start collecting seeds. Maybe soon, one good old-fashioned seed that
was made by Mother Nature will be more precious than your most
prized gold coin. Just one more thing... if you save seeds, keep it
a secret. The Seed Police have been on patrol. They are looking for
you.

On Town Meeting Day, 2004, in Vermont, the citizens in seventy-nine
towns passed resolutions against Genetically Engineered Crops. Then
Vermont made history when it became the first state to require the
labeling of Genetically Modified seeds. "The Farmer Protection Act
is a pre-emptive strike to stop predatory lawsuits against Vermont's
family farmers by biotech companies like Monsanto," said Ben Davis
with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. Maybe this small,
but hard-fought, victory gives reason to hope for a better world.

ROSEMARIE JACKOWSKI... dissent@sover.net Rosemarie
Jackowski is a member of Southern Vermont VFP Chapter 88. She was
arrested, tried, and convicted for having participated in a peaceful
protest against the war. The Conviction is currently under Appeal
in the Vermont State Supreme Court.


http://www.thepowerhour.com/news/iraqi_order81.htm
Tweet