Muncie, IN – Yesterday, we shared a story on Muncie Voice that was originally posted on Bill Moyers & Company discussing how the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is further dividing the differences between the red and blue states. The political divide and gridlock we see in Washington reflects what we are witnessing across America, and it’s not healthy.
Today, there is an article in Salon about GMO labeling stating, “U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Republican from Kansas, introduced legislation Wednesday that would ban states from mandating the labeling of genetically engineered foods.”
The article was linking the Koch brothers, who are the libertarian billionaires, to Monsanto, the maker of herbicide and GMO seeds. The Koch’s are also behind the statewide legislative bill mill, ALEC, which brings our elected representatives together with corporate executives, all over the country, to create state laws which are beneficial to corporations. The Koch’s also siphon millions of dollars to political candidates through an elaborate system of trusts and non-profits going toward Tea Party campaigns to elect representatives heading to Washington, like Mike Pompeo from Kansas.
So, even though several states have already passed laws wanting labeling, and another 20 states are discussing adding this question to their 2014 ballot, one of Koch’s puppets wants to take a law to the federal level making it illegal for states to force labeling on food. The lobby groups for the food industry would consider this a huge victory.
Labeling of food is being promoted as “anti-science bans” by some legislators. They claim that “reliable sources” have already ruled that GMO’s are safe. We’ve not seen any evidence from non-industry owned scientists making such claims. Due to patents and intellectual property rights on seeds, granted to Monsanto by SCOTUS (of which one judge was formerly an employee of Monsanto), they don’t allow research by independent government labs.
It would be simple to end this debate once and for all by sanctioning a governmental entity to transparently study all evidence of GMO’s and publish their findings. If genetically modified food is perfectly safe and does not harm the environment, then certainly Monsanto and other seed producers would offer up their seeds for study.
Having one level usurp lower levels of authority has already played out in Indiana when the misnamed “Right to Farm” Act was passed around in Indianapolis wanting to make it illegal for Indiana counties to make more stringent laws on CAFO’s than imposed at the state level. This circumvents our democratic process.
Similar laws can be found in the highly secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) made by President Obama behind closed doors without any public representation and no press coverage. POTUS now wants to “fast track” the bill – meaning no public discussion in Congress. Only select provisions of the TPP have been shown to select committee members. During the global meetings, only global corporate executives were allowed to provide input.
According to an analysis of the TPP documents leaked to Wikileaks, “The longest section…is devoted to detailing new policing measures, with far-reaching implications for individual rights, civil liberties, publishers, internet service providers and internet privacy, as well as for the creative, intellectual, biological and environmental commons.”
If allowed to pass, even federal governments would be usurped by international trade agreements. Individuals across the globe would have no recourse to unequal treatment or remedies against corporate abuse and oppression.
As written by Wikileaks editor, “Particular measures proposed include supranational litigation tribunals to which sovereign national courts are expected to defer, but which have no human rights safeguards.”
In the words of WikiLeaks’ Editor-in-Chief Julian Assange, “If instituted, the TPP’s IP regime would trample over individual rights and free expression, as well as ride roughshod over the intellectual and creative commons. If you read, write, publish, think, listen, dance, sing or invent; if you farm or consume food; if you’re ill now or might one day be ill, the TPP has you in its crosshairs.”
As you can see how the process works, we are witnessing the divide of powers across America and beyond, largely due to Billionaire libertarians and global corporations who’ve amassed too much power and wealth. They can literally use both to usurp democracies. Since they stretch beyond countries, even federal governments are having their powers usurped.
Instead of reigning in this abuse of power, governments composed of elected officials are condoning and working behind closed doors to make it even easier on them.
SCOTUS’s recent ruling in McCutcheon vs FEC only make it easier for Billionaires like Koch and Shelton Adelson.
The Red states will become more conservative and compete with one another for large corporate headquarters while placing quality of life as tertiary concerns. Poverty, income inequality, crumbling infrastructure, voter suppression, charter schools, high uninsured populations and poor wellness will be shared traits, but citizens might pay less in taxes.
The Blue states will promote a higher quality of life for its citizens, but will face higher tax environments. However, the Blue states will see pressure at the federal level where the Oligarchs will spend cash usurping to usurp state’s rights.
It doesn’t take a visionary to see where this is heading thanks to money in politics and voter apathy. The states will see more division as one party rule will be the norm within their self-drawn boundaries. Citizens will be forced to choose which states appeal to their belief structure.
Welcome to the Divided States of America.
