Monsanto March May 25

Activists List
1

Michael,

  On several occasions I've mentioned to critics of genetically modified food the example of flood-resistant GMO rice being used to reduce starvation in Bangladesh that you used in your debate. I think that's an important aspect of the debate to keep in mind. You and Winston both make good points. Clearly Monsanto is not as much of a threat as the U.S. government and other governments. A consumer movement against top-down control of the food supply seems like a good thing to me though.

  Regarding seat belt tickets, I was disturbed to see at least half a dozen electronic road signs warning "Click It Or Ticket" on California roadways while driving back from Las Vegas, including on the Bay Bridge. I wonder if this is part of a campaign to step up ticketing of people for not wearing seatbelts based on photographing them in their cars and then sending them tickets in the mail based on reading their license plates and cross-referencing them with the DMV's database? As Winston notes, some people may in fact be wearing seatbelts, but the belts may not always be readily visible. I often wear the shoulder strap under my arm rather than over for greater comfort and mobility.

Love & Liberty,
                                ((( starchild )))

2

When we can find common ground, we should seize the day, especially when fundamental principles are illustrated.

Monsanto got a Hall Pass inserted into a big bill that exempted it from liability for any damage it's gmos do.

While I haven't done the research, I suspect that Monsanto pitched the exemption using the "general
welfare" and the "greater good" card to trump the private property rights of farmers and others who might want to sue for damages from Gmos.

As radical libertarians, we understand that violation of private property or person is immoral . In addition, a legal code built on on strict property rights, is as a secondary benefit, in toto , the best code for the advance ment of the commmon good, (pprobably)
IYou all know that I have the deepest respect for Dr Edelstein, but he is a human being and thus fallible. Methinks he is fallible here.

The liability protection for Monsanto is immoral, regardless of how many Bengladeshes it saves., and besides that , the last thing this world needs is a libertarian defending the ideal of the common good.

.

Another instructive side of the Monsanto story is the idea that consumers who don't want to consume some product need to have the evil product reliably labelled.

Back in the day, there was an uproar over Dolphins drowning in tuna fishing nets. An outfit was formed to ensure that Dolphins were not drowned in the process of bringing tuna to market. . the outtfit labelled the

Flipper safe Tuna with a distinctive label that was copyrighted.
the consumer could rely on the label and did.Everybody was happy, except of course, Charlie, the Tuna.

A similar system could be used to voluntarily label and ensure non Gmo food products.

Phil