{2012} 077. 為何基因工程食品的支持者自己本身及其家人卻堅持只吃有機食物？Why Do Supporters of Genetically Engineered Foods Insist on Organics for Their Own Families?

為何基因工程食品的支持者自己本身及其家人卻堅持只吃有機食物？

 *  徵求中文翻譯！（對不起，沒酬的。）

 

 

Why Do
Supporters of Genetically Engineered Foods Insist on Organics for Their Own
Families?

October
09^th  2012 |
163,906 views | + Add to Favorites

By
Dr. Mercola

Over
the past few years, an interesting pattern has emerged, where political
supporters of genetically engineered (GE) foods are feasting on organics, while
promoting unlabeled GE foods for everyone else.

Most
recently, Mother Jones¹ discussed how Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney – whose ties to
Monsanto go back to the late 1970's when GE crops were still in the R&D
phase – reportedly makes sure his own meals are nothing but organic...

According
to Peter Alexander of MSN Today:²

"On
Romney Air, or Hair Force One – as Reuters' Steve Holland like to call it –
Mitt Romney has his own galley in 'forward cabin.' And, while I've never been
invited up front, sources close to the campaign tell me the shelves are stocked
with a wide variety of healthy fare. Kashi cereals, hummus, pita, as well as
organic applesauce.

Everything's
organic, I'm told, including the ingredients to Romney's favorite, peanut
butter and honey sandwiches."

Even
more interesting, in a 2002 article³ about Romney's wife, Ann, she credits a combination of organic
foods and holistic medicine for turning her health around after she was
diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998. The profile reads in part:

"...She
was 49 at the time, and the disease was progressing rapidly, she says,
prompting the doctors to put her on steroids, which made her so sick she could
barely get out of bed. 'They were killing me,' she says of the treatment. 'You
have bone loss; they are so bad for you.'

Mrs.
Romney was introduced to several practitioners of holistic medicine, who
persuaded her to adopt alternative therapies. She now eats organic foods and
very little meat. She practices reflexology and undergoes acupuncture
treatments. She credits the lifestyle with turning her health around...

'Everyone
has to find their own way,' she says. 'Three years ago I was really, really
sick and not able to function at all. A lot of the symptoms are [now]
gone...'"

Mrs.
Romney isn't the only success story in which food played a center role in
beating multiple sclerosis (MS). Last year I posted an article about Dr. Terry Wahls, who reversed MS after
seven years of deterioration on the best conventional treatments available,
simply by changing her diet.

Wouldn't
it be a nice change of pace if our agricultural authorities, not to mention our
President, could reach into their hearts and find the humanity to fight for
everyone's right to eat wholesome food that doesn't contain foreign DNA,
built-in pesticides, and an inordinate amount of synthetic chemicals so that
diseases such as MS and cancer could be curtailed before they even get a
foothold?

If
GE Foods are So Great, Why Won't the Elite Eat Them?

While
Obama has been a huge supporter of Big Biotech during his term, Romney is just
as "tight" with Monsanto, having actually
successfully guided the company out of lawsuits with Congress in the shameful
aftermath of Agent Orange (a Monsanto creation, which was supposed to be
harmless to everything except vegetation), and heinous chemical dumping
incidents in Missouri and Alabama.⁴

He's
also in favor putting the "Monsanto rider" provision in the 2012
Farm Bill – a rider that would prevent a federal court from putting in place
court-ordered restrictions on a GE crop, even if the approval were fraudulent
or involved bribery, among other things.

Unfortunately,
Mitt Romney is just one in a line of politicians who support and promote GE foods as being
just as safe and "natural" as conventional foods while privately
serving up nothing but organic for their own families. President Obama, as his predecessors
George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, have all reportedly insisted on an organic diet.

Mother
Jones writes:⁵

"What's
my evidence that the Clintons
and Bushes ate organic? Get this, from someone who knows – Walter Scheib,⁶ who served as White House executive chef during the Clinton and
Bush years:

'From
1994 to 2005 I was the executive chef at the White House. This offered me not
only the personal honor of serving two unique and interesting first families,
but the professional challenge of fulfilling Hillary Clinton's mandate of
bringing contemporary American cuisine and nutritionally responsible food to
the White House.'

This
meant that nearly all the product used was obtained from local growers and
suppliers. There
was a small garden on the roof of the White House where produce was grown. The ethic of
the purchasing and the cooking at the White House under my direction and under
the continuing direction of [current Obama White House executive chef] Cris
Comerford is one of respect for the pedigree of the product and manner it is
grown, gathered, raised or caught.

The
Clinton and Bush families dined regularly on organic foods. Both wagyu and
grass-fed beef were frequently used." [Emphasis mine}

Scheib
was again quoted in a 2009 article by Think Progress,⁷ stating that Laura Bush was "adamant that in ALL CASES if an
organic product was available it was to be used in place of a non-organic
product." Meanwhile, the article lists a number of atrocious food policies
instituted by her husband. Who knows, perhaps she was so adamant about organics
because she knew the quality and safety of conventional food was rapidly going
down the toilet?

Guess Who Said: "Everything
That's in a Bottle or Package is Like Poison in a Way That Most People Don't
Even Know"

The
Obama White House may be even more progressive about healthful dining than
previous Presidents. In a 2008 article about First Lady Michelle Obama,
published in The New Yorker:⁸

"...One
morning, during a roundtable at Ma Fischer's, a diner in Milwaukee , Elizabeth Crawford, a recently
divorced caterer with two children, brought up the subject of the eating habits
of American families. 'I really, really hope that Barack will jump on that,'
she said.

Then,
having given thoughtful but boilerplate responses most of the morning,
[Michelle] Obama suddenly departed from her script. It was the most animated I
saw her on the campaign trail. 'You know,' she said, 'in my household, over the
last year we have just shifted to organic for this very reason. I mean, I saw
just a moment in my nine-year-old's life – we have a good pediatrician, who is
very focused on childhood obesity, and there was a period where he was, like,
'Mmm, she's tipping the scale.'

So
we started looking through our cabinets... You know, you've got fast food on
Saturday, a couple days a week you don't get home. The leftovers, good, not the
third day! ...So that whole notion of cooking on Sunday is out. ... And the
notion of trying to think about a lunch every day! ...So you grab the
Lunchables, right? And the fruit-juice-box thing, and we think – we think –
that's juice.

And
you start reading the labels and you realize there's high-fructose corn syrup
in everything we're eating. Every jelly, every juice. Everything that's in a
bottle or a package is like poison in a way that most people don't even
know..."

Yes,
high-fructose corn syrup is one of the most atrocious ingredients in the
American food supply today in terms of what it does to your health. Not only is
fructose a major contributor to metabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity, the
vast majority of it is also derived from genetically engineered corn, which has
its own increasingly well-documented ill health effects. Most recently, the
world's first lifetime feeding study using Monsanto GE corn found it caused massive breast tumors,
kidney and liver damage, and other serious health problems.

Michelle
Obama is certainly not the only one who has referred to high-fructose corn
syrup as a poison. According to Dr. Robert Lustig, excess fructose does act
like a toxin in your body, and Dr. Don Huber has spoken out about the two-fold toxic effects of GE crops: 1)
due to the genetic alteration of the plant itself, and 2) the glyphosate sprayed on GE Roundup Ready crops.

President
Obama Aware of Issue But Doing Nothing About it

Sadly,
while the Obama's are undoubtedly well aware of the health dangers of processed
foods in general and genetically engineered foods specifically, their personal
belief system has not filtered into the food policies that affect the rest of
the population.

On
the contrary, the President has spent the last four years appointing one
Monsanto shill after another into key federal positions that wield
near-absolute power over agricultural issues. Mrs. Obama's efforts to promote
organic foods, which included a much publicized White House organic garden,
were also quickly tempered and toned down by a personal visit from The Mid America CropLife
Association, an agribusiness media group, who "urged the first lady to
give conventional agriculture equal time," according to a 2009 Politico
article.⁹

Topping
it all off, the President has also completely ignored his pre-election promise
to IMMEDIATELY label GE foods, should he win, "because Americans should
know what they're buying."

Well,
it's become abundantly clear that Big Biotech and their political lackeys will
not even allow us to make an informed decision on this issue by reading our own
food labels. And you'd have to be supremely naïve to not question the absurd
dichotomy between public policies on GE and organic foods, and the private
decisions made by those in charge and "in the know."

Monsanto
Runs and Regulates US Agriculture

In
the first three years of the Obama Administration, 10 different genetically
engineered crops, and even a genetically modified animal, have been approved by
the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), according to Food & Water Watch.¹⁰ All without a single shred of proof that these foods are actually
safe for long-term consumption (or in the case of today's children – lifetime
consumption). Could this have anything to do with the fact that highly
influential people within the USDA were previous employees of, or have other
personal ties to, Monsanto?

The
Secretary of Agriculture is Tom Vilsack, a strong Monsanto supporter selected
by President-elect Obama in 2008.¹¹ As governor of Iowa , Vilsack frequently
traveled in Monsanto's private jets, and was named Governor of the Year by the
Biotechnology Industry Organization.

The
director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture is Roger Beachy, a
former director of the Monsanto
Danforth Center .

The
General Counsel for the USDA is Ramona Romero, who came straight from DuPont,
another major biotech company with GE crop patents, where she held a number of
key positions, including Corporate Counsel for complex commercial and antitrust
litigation, and Corporate Counsel and Manager of Operations and Partnering.

Even
the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has old ties to Monsanto via the Rose
Law firm.

Getting
the picture? The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal
agencies are similarly stacked with former Monsanto employees. Likewise, when
it comes to selecting which Presidential candidate might be better for organic
foods and our agriculture system, both Romney and Obama's actions speak louder
than words. They do one thing privately, and "sell" another agenda to
the public. Neither of them is a champion for Real Food in the US ,
and both of them cater and yield to the wills of multinational food and biotech
companies.

Monsanto
VP Now US
Food Safety Czar – What's Wrong With This Picture?

In
2009, President Obama appointed former Monsanto VP for Public Policy, Michael
Taylor, as a senior adviser for the FDA, turning a deaf ear to the loud
protests from consumer groups. Taylor
is currently serving as the deputy commissioner for foods at the FDA – a
position that includes ensuring food labels contain clear and accurate
information. He also oversees strategy for food safety, and planning new food
safety legislation.

To
say he's a fox guarding a hen house would be an understatement. This sentiment
is shared by most people who are even remotely aware of food safety issues. At
the time of Taylor 's
appointment, GE expert Jeffrey Smith commented:¹²

"The
person who may be responsible for more food-related illness and death than
anyone in history has just been made the US food safety czar. This is no
joke."

Now,
the opposition is gaining steam yet again with an online petition¹³ calling for Taylor 's
removal.

"President
Obama, I oppose your appointment of Michael Taylor. Taylor
is the same person who was Food Safety Czar at the FDA when genetically
modified organisms were allowed into the U.S. food supply without undergoing
a single test to determine their safety or risks. This is a travesty," the petitionreads.

Passing
Prop 37 is Key to Expanding Sustainable Agriculture in North America

Organic
foods specifically prohibit genetically engineered ingredients along with
synthetic agricultural chemicals, and eating organic is essentially the only
way to ensure you're not accidentally consuming GE foods, since the US still
does not require such ingredients to be labeled.

So
what's with the double standard?

Is
genetically engineered food the "cake" fit only for the paupers of
the 21st century? Heck, even the staff cafeteria at Monsanto's UK headquarters
reportedlybanned GE foods from the menu back in 1999.

So
really, why are the elite making organic foods a priority for their own
families? And why won't they support labeling, so the rest of us can make an
informed decision about the foods we eat? And why are they imposing regulations
that limit the availability of organically- and/or locally-grown foods for so
many communities?

It's
quite evident that we have no real champions for food safety and labeling of
genetically engineered foods within the federal government. But right now we do
have a great opportunity to change this situation by circumventing Monsanto's
posse entirely.

Twenty-four
U.S.
states have, as part of their state governance, something called the Initiative
Process, where residents can bring to ballot any law they want enacted, as long
as it has sufficient support. California
has organized such a ballot initiative, known as Proposition 37, to get
labeling for genetically engineered foods sold in their state.

Although
many organic consumers and natural health activists already understand the
importance of Proposition 37, it cannot be
overemphasized that winning the battle over Prop 37 is perhaps the most
important food fight Americans – not just Californians – have faced so far. But
in order to win this fight for the right to know what's in our food, we need
your help, as the biotech industry will surely outspend us by 100 to 1, if not
more, for their propaganda. Please remember, the failure or success of this
ballot initiative is wholly dependent on your support and funding! There are no
major industry pockets funding this endeavor. In order to have a chance against
the deep pockets of Big Biotech and transnational food corporations, it needs
donations from average citizens.

So
please, if you have the ability, I strongly encourage you to make a donation to
this cause. You can also contact EVERY person you know that lives in California and encourage them to view some of these
videos and get educated on the issues so they can avoid succumbing to the
propaganda, as Monsanto and company are paying tens of millions of dollars to
deceive the voters in California .
We need EVERY vote we can to win next month. The election is only FOUR weeks
away.

It's
important to realize that getting this law passed in California would have the
same overall effect as a national law, as large companies are not likely going
to label their products as genetically engineered when sold in California (the
8th largest economy in the world), but not when sold in other states. Doing so
would be a costly PR disaster. So please, I urge you to get involved and help
in any way you can, regardless of what state you live in.

Whether
you live in California
or not, please donate money to this historic effort, through the Organic Consumers Fund.

If
you live in California
and want to get involved, please contact CARightToKnow.org. They will go through all
volunteer requests to put you into a position that is suitable for you, based
on your stated interests and location.

No
matter where you live, please help spread the word in your personal networks,
on Facebook, and Twitter. For help with the messaging, please seeCARightToKnow.org.

Talk
to organic producers and stores and ask them to actively support the California
Ballot. It may be the only chance we have to label genetically engineered
foods.

For
timely updates, please join the Organic Consumers Association on Facebook, or follow them on  Twitter.

 Sources and References

1 Mother Jones September 26,
2012

2 Today Show September 24, 2012

3 Pamelahsacks.com

4 ABC News September 27, 2012

5 See ref 1

6 New York Times December 30,
2008

7 Think Progress January 15,
2009

8 The New Yorker March 10, 2008

9 Politico June 17, 2009

10 Food & Water Watch

11 New York Times December 16,
2008

12 Responsibletechnology.org

13 Signon.org Tell Obama to
Cease FDA ties to Monsanto Petition

 

 

 

©
Copyright 1997-2012 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.