p>Myron (Mike) Stagman, PhD
\r\nConcerned Citizens Information Network
\r\nwww.ccin.info (environmental website)
\r\nwww.MyronStagman.com
\r\nemail: artemesium@gmail.com<\/p>\r\nCreating a Grassroots Democracy while Outlawing Genetic Engineering\r\n
[Note: The grassroots public education\/activation techniques\r\ndescribed below concerning the outlawing of Genetic Engineering and\r\nPatents on Life-Forms, can be effectively applied to any Good Reformist Cause<\/u>\r\n--- dealing with global warming & the development of clean &\r\ncheap renewable energy sources, elimination of voting fraud, supporting\r\ncivil liberties and democratic processes, getting an honest political\r\ncandidate elected, protection of animal rights, abolition of over 90%\r\nof patents and placement of commodies\/processes in the Public Domain\r\nwhere they belong, stopping a war and preventing the next one, etc.,\r\netc.]<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
\r\nSUMMARY:\r\n
\r\n
Only the creation of an informed, (sparetime) activist Citizenry\r\ncan overcome the Corporation-Government-corporate Mass Media axis which\r\nis destroying Food Safety along with democratic freedoms.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
Genetic Engingeering and the Patents on Life-Forms upon which GM depends, must be OUTLAWED.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
Creating an informed, activist citizenry can only be done via an\r\nAlternative Information System featuring Grassroots Public Information\r\nCampaigns --- door-to-door and in colleges\/universities.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
\r\nI. The Corruption of the Political System by Giant Corporations\r\n
\r\n
Giant Corporations dominate the world as well as our individual\r\nWestern countries. They have accomplished this primarily via\r\npervasive bribery and corruption of the political system.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
This corruption of the political system (extending to parties,\r\ncandidates, officials, government personnel -- in executive,\r\nlegislative and judicial branches --- and at national, regional\r\nand local levels) facilitates considerably the Corporate dominance over the mass media<\/b>, resulting commonly in blanket propaganda, suppression of truth, and distortion of facts --- Thought Control<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[In the United States, a customary, systemic and rather open form of\r\ncorporate bribery is called \"political campaign contributions\". <\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[There are of course many variations on the theme, including\r\n(naturally) direct bribes and the \"deferred bribe\" (i.e. Do as we want\r\nwhile you're in office, and collect your boodle when you leave -- e.g.\r\na cushy job in our company, just using your influence here and\r\nthere, at an eye-popping salary.)<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[Even better, control over the political system permits placement of\r\ncorporate personnel directly into the government -- the so-called\r\n\"revolving door\" whereby men and women enter the government from Giant\r\nCorporations, and then go back to one or the other of them for lush\r\nrewards.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[Regarding political corruption in the United Kingdom, aside from\r\nthe crude, glaring corruption a la USA characterising the Blair-New\r\nLabour Government, see the House of Commons Health Select\r\nCommittee's report on \"The Influence of the Pharmaceutical\r\nIndustry\", published April 2005.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[Look at volume 2, the testimony, not volume 1 which is a watered-down summary of the voluminous, candid testimony. <\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[For lessons in a really thorough job of corrupting an entire\r\nsystem, not just political but eveything tangential to political, check\r\nout how the UK Drug Industry does it.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[The UK Drug Industry includes Pfizer, an American giant, a real\r\nprofessional at spending millions on American politicians. I\r\nwonder if British giants, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline, approach the\r\nAmerican standard in this regard.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[These drug corporations<\/b>, by the way, are also Biotechnology<\/b> companies. Do you have any doubts WHY genetic engineering and GMOs poison the world, despite nobody wanting the stuff?<\/b>)<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[According to the testimony, an avalanche of money and other\r\nlucrative payments and favours descend -- without respite --\r\non Government personnel, doctors, scientists, universities and\r\nuniversity professors, medical journals and newspapers, patient\r\nadvocacy groups, even nurses and pharmacists.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[Result: the Drug Giants own outright the Government\r\n(so-called) \"regulatory\" agencies, and just about everything else in\r\nsight, especially doctors.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n[Further result: the marketing of poorly or fraudulently tested drugs\r\nwhich kill and maim on a world war scale --- and bring in\r\nexcruciatingly delicious profits.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
{Note closely: \"The third leading cause of death and illness\r\nin the [western] world is medical intervention [essentially, prescribed\r\ndrugs].\" --- Paul Flynn, MP, \"The Influence of the Pharmaceutical\r\nIndustry\", vol. 2, p. 153.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
{Actually, Mr. Flynn appears to be understating the case. In\r\nthe United States and Western Europe, prescribed drugs alone -- not to\r\nmention other casualties of medical intervention -- are probably THE<\/b> leading cause of death and disease, easily equalling the combined death and injury toll from Cancer and Heart Disease.<\/b> <\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[Just one drug, Vioxx (an arthritis pain-reliever), has\r\npermanently relieved the pain of up to 50,000 people in the USA alone,\r\nand caused in that country 140,000 heart attacks.]<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
Therefore, as a result of political\r\ncorruption, Corporate policies obviously and seriously damaging to the\r\npublic interest, the environment, and plain ordinary\r\ndecency have held sway.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
For example, we have seen the re-emergence of Fascism, and are\r\nafflicted with nightmare technologies which destroy personal privacy\r\nand liberties, and are in the process of destroying Us and Nature (e.g.\r\ngenetic engineering).<\/p>\r\n
[The bracketed information above regarding the Drug Trade tells its\r\nown story of Who wins, Who loses in a system of Money Politics \r\n--- as opposed to an honest, grassroots democracy.]<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
\r\nII. Breaking the Corrupt System\r\n
\r\n
This Corruption of the political system, although habitual, need not exist.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
It is permitted by a General Public which remains largely\r\nignorant, misinformed, and politically passive with regard to important\r\nissues.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
What can break this entrenched, tremendously powerful Corporation-Government-corporate Mass Media axis?<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
Only one thing --- an informed, activist Citizenry, which\r\nassumes control of the political system that is rightfully and legally\r\ntheirs.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[Greek, \"Democracy\", rule by The Many, which no country has today;\r\n\"Oligarchy\", rule by The Few, the universal system, often claiming\r\nfalsely to be 'democratic', even trumpeting its desire to force\r\n\"democracy\" on less hypocritical oligarchies]<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
An informed Citizenry, activist in sparetime, must be created via\r\nan Alternative Information System featuring grassroots public\r\ninformation campaigns.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
\r\n
Educate and politically activate, on important issues, that \"Silent Majority\", or face increasingly horrific consequences.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n<\/b>\r\n
And make major efforts in colleges \/ universities. \r\nUniversity students are indispensable to a grassroots democracy\r\nmovement.<\/b><\/p>\r\n <\/b>
\r\n
We should have an international movement of educating and political\r\nactivating, on important issues, all of our college \/ university\r\nstudents. <\/p>\r\n
\r\n
It is imperative to begin now the process of creating a Grassroots\r\nDemocracy. The Alternative Information System described below\r\nemploys grassroots democratic techniques which will, as it develops,\r\nmore and more create a Grassroots Democracy and put an end to the\r\nCorporation- Government- corporate Mass Media axis which is destroying\r\nour very planet together with our democratic Freedoms.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
[AND exploiting and subjugating mercilessly third world countries,\r\nwhile spelling the ruin of small family farmers everywhere. --- see\r\nbelow, Genetic Engineering and Patents on Life-Forms]<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
Note Again: The extremely important issue of Genetic\r\nEngineering, and the good reformist cause of outlawing it, is a focus\r\nof our essay, serving as a critical example of What must be done and\r\nHow to do it --- one can do this for any good reformist cause<\/u>.<\/p>\r\n
\r\nIII. Model: Grassroots Public Information Campaigns to Outlaw Genetic Engineering\r\n
\r\n
[Note: Genetic Engineering (GE), Genetic Modification (GM),\r\nand Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are basically synonymous.]<\/p>\r\nFor an essential rundown on the Genetic Engineering process and the\r\nnumerous disease epidemics clearly or reasonably linked to GMOs, and a\r\nhost of other ugly GMO incidents in the West and in the Third World, see the \"Genetic Engineering Fact-Sheet\" on the website of the Concerned Citizens Information Network, www.ccin.info. <\/b>
\r\n
Note that these epidemics involve genetically-engineered medicine as\r\nwell as food, a field almost entirely ignored by environmentalists.<\/p>\r\nFor purposes of this essay, let it suffice to say that Genetic\r\nEngineering is an unnatural, nightmare technology that evades\r\nEvolution's safeguards and has already caused (by any reasonable\r\nstandard of evidence) many hundreds of deaths (evidently\r\nthousands), thousands of cripplings, hundreds of thousands of\r\nhospitalisations (probably millions), and many millions (probably\r\ntens of millions) of so-called allergic reactions (i.e. toxic\r\nreactions).<\/b>
\r\n
Moreover, the Genetic Engineering process is ideal for producing\r\nbiological and other terrifying weapons -- sufficient cause to outlaw\r\nit.<\/b><\/p>\r\nGenetic Engineering depends absolutely on the obscene, sacrilegious Patents on Life-Forms.<\/b> \r\nThese Patents, relatively new to legality, give the Biotechnology\r\ncorporations both patent monopolies and immunisation from inevitable\r\nlawsuits due to contamination of organic and conventional crops.
\r\n
Instead, victimised farmers are successfully sued by the corporation for -- hold your nose -- \"patent infringement\".<\/b><\/p>\r\nIt may be the greatest racket in history:<\/b> \r\n
GMO Contamination + Patents on Life-Forms =\r\ncorporate ownership rights in GMO-contaminated crops (and the evolving\r\nruin of small family farmers everywhere on the planet).<\/b><\/p>\r\nEnough. See the \"Genetic Engineering Fact-Sheet\", www.ccin.info<\/u>.
\r\n
Now we speak of outlawing Frankenstein food & crops, genetically\r\nengineered medicine, the entire GMO process. How do we proceed?<\/p>\r\n
1. Always keep in mind that we are seeking to educate and\r\npolitically activate the General Public, with a special emphasis on\r\ncollege\/university students, to outlaw Genetic Engineering (and\r\nPatents on Life-Forms).<\/p>\r\n
We are participating in an Alternative Information System (of which\r\nthe Internet is a small part) and are thereby helping to create a\r\nGrassroots Democracy.<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
2. The Converted <\/b>--- We are forever obsessed with speaking to the Converted, to those who already support us. <\/p>\r\n
We must, on the contrary, directly\r\naddress the General Public, that great mass of citizens which\r\ntends to be ignorant, misinformed, politically passive and rather\r\nconservative as a result.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Our supporters ought to be -- right now -- educating and\r\npolitically activating the General Public, especially\r\ncollege\/university students.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Our supporters' job figures to be surprisingly easy. Why? \r\nBecause 90% of our populations are already uneasy about or plain\r\nhostile to Frankenstein food & crops. What people lack are\r\nfacts and specific instructions on What To Do in sparetime to eliminate\r\nthe monster.<\/p>\r\n
3. Essential information<\/b> --- we only need to convey some essential information.<\/p>\r\n
Knowledge of how many GMO disease epidemics are required\r\nbefore a mother recoils at putting GM maize or soya, etc., on her\r\nchild's plate? And will do something to get GM out of circulation.<\/p>\r\n
4. Pretty much everything the average person needs to know can\r\nfit on two sides of an A-4 paper. I suggest placing subject\r\nmatter info on Side -A, and What To Do info on Side-B.<\/p>\r\n
5. Subject matter and What To Do information --- recommend\r\nreading the \"Genetic Engineering Fact-Sheet\" on www.ccin.info for\r\nmaterial.<\/p>\r\n
[The next section will provide suggestions regarding what subject\r\nmatter might go on Side-A of an A-4. Suggestions for Side-B\r\na bit later.<\/p>\r\n
Shorter leaflets require of course less information. Speeches can develop points or expand material.)<\/p>\r\n
6. GE (GM) and Patents on Life-Forms subject info --- Suggest\r\nconsidering especially the following sections from www.ccin.info's\r\nGenetic Engineering Fact-Sheet:<\/p>\r\n
1. GM's evasion of Evolution's safeguards<\/p>\r\n
3. GM Tryptophan epidemic<\/p>\r\n
4. GM Insulin epidemic<\/p>\r\n
5 (b). GM Hepatitis B vaccine epidemic<\/p>\r\n
8. GM Aspartame (artificial sweetener) epidemic<\/p>\r\n
10. Food-induced Anaphylactic (life-threatening) Shock epidemic<\/p>\r\n
13. \"Cows Ate GM Maize and Died\"<\/p>\r\n
14. \"Mass Deaths of Sheep Grazing on GM Cotton Fields\"<\/p>\r\n
20. Biopharm dangers<\/p>\r\n
22. Mystery Diseases<\/p>\r\n
25. Mass Deaths of Monarch Butterflies feeding on GM maize pollen<\/p>\r\n
26. Mass Deaths of Bees feeding on GM cotton pollen<\/p>\r\n
31. Farmer Suicides in India due to failures of GM cotton crops<\/p>\r\n
32. Contracts (en-serfing) signed by farmers with Biotechnlogy corporations<\/p>\r\n
35. GM Contamination<\/p>\r\n
36. GM Contamination + Patents on Life-Forms = Corporate\r\nproprietary rights and spells the ruin of small family farmers\r\neverywhere [see Section 2 for discussion of Patents on Life-Forms]<\/p>\r\n
37. The expansion of varieties of GM crops\/food (so one can see where we're going if we don't do something about it)<\/p>\r\n
39. Genetically engineered animals<\/p>\r\n
40. Religion (depending on the ethnicity of your intended audience)<\/p>\r\n
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -<\/p>\r\n
7. Avoiding NGOs and Political Parties<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Work individually or in small groups.<\/b> (If a lot of people join you<\/u>, fine.)<\/p>\r\n
NEVER ever join a large, established organisation. And\r\nNEVER ever give money to them. NONE of them are what you think they are.<\/b> <\/p>\r\n
Their self-serving HIERARCHIES will always disappoint and disillusion well-motivated followers. Steer clear of them !!<\/p>\r\n
Repeat: AVOID NGOs, political parties, and all established\r\norganisations, especially large ones. Avoid them like the plague.\r\nThey are not what they seem.<\/p>\r\n
Their hierarchies and decision-making are corporation-influenced if not outright purchased.<\/p>\r\n
[see George Monbiot's very important article in The\r\nGuardian, 4 September 2001, \"Sleeping with the Enemy: \r\nConsumer and Environmental Groups are Getting into Bed with Big\r\nCorporations]<\/b><\/p>\r\n
[Note: In developing countries there are some exceptions, but very\r\nvery very few in the West. If by a miracle one of them ever conducts a\r\ngenuine and sensible public education campaign, then you can help\r\nout. But never join or give money to them. Never !!]<\/p>\r\n
The environmental field especially is\r\nriddled with wealthy, prestigious, deceptive organisations adept at\r\ndiluting and derailing environmental causes, GM in particular.<\/b> <\/p>\r\n
In my years of experience, guess which huge organisation is clearly to me a dangerous foe<\/u> of environmentalism. Keep your distance from all large, established organisations, and don't get anywhere near that one.<\/p>\r\n
When they talk about being 'practical' and seeking 'Coexistence' with GM, let a red flag go up.<\/p>\r\n
Nothing short of OUTLAWING GENETIC ENGINEERING and PATENTS ON LIFE-FORMS will save us and our planet.<\/p>\r\n
Do your educational work as individuals or in small groups of people you know.<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
8. What To Do (Side-B of an A-4)<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Keep in mind that<\/p>\r\n
Giant Corporations and their politicos\r\ndepend absolutely on Public ignorance and passivity regarding major\r\nissues. This is the basis of Oligarchic dominance over The People.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Keep in mind we are creating an ALTERNATIVE INFORMATION SYSTEM\r\nwhich reaches, and more & more includes the GENERAL\r\nPUBLIC, thereby creating an honest, GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
So, alone or in small groups (people you know):<\/p>\r\n
(1) Educate and Activate others <\/b>-- family members, friends and acquaintances (talking to them, letter-writing and emailing).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Always ask them to pass on the information to others -- creating a Chain Process and ripple effect.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
Emphasise\/request sparetime, leisure participation (perhaps a few\r\nhours a week), but regularly, as part of an ethical life-style. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
Emphasising sparetime involvement is quite important, since people\r\ndo not want to feel burdened. If they do, they won't do anything.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
Ambitious groups can conduct a Public Information Campaign in their community or school. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
[Note: Double-sided A4s make good information sheets to sufficiently present the basic argument. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Suggestion: essential subject information on one side, and What To\r\nDo on the other. Have an interesting, significant picture or two\r\non each side (e.g. Frankenstein's monster). <\/b><\/p>\r\n
Hand them out, especially getting them to people's doors. \r\nIf someone is home, say two or three sentences to them about the\r\nleaflet and its importance to them, their children and\r\ngrandchildren.<\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n
Arrange for a public meeting\/discussion to be held in that community, announcing it on the information sheet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Perhaps prepare a DVD for presentation at that meeting or at a lecture.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(1-a) College\/university students<\/b>\r\n--- They are easier to get to than the General Public, since they are\r\nlocated in one place. Make special efforts to inform and\r\npolitically activate them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Suggestion: The student unions will likely do you little good. <\/p>\r\n
Let two people. preferably a man and a woman, spend some time on\r\ncampus talking to students. Find out who is interested in handing\r\nout leaflets, who might be interested in setting up or sponsoring for\r\nyou a talk\/dvd presentation\/meeting.<\/p>\r\n
Supply them with leaflets and\/or ask them to duplicate and pass\r\naround to other students -- AND to take some home during vacation to\r\npass around their community.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(1-b) Senior Citizens <\/b>-- They are many and they can prove excellent
\r\nactivists. Approach them. Mention the kind of Frankenstein world their grandchildren are entering.<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(2) Telephone the media <\/b>--\r\nnewspapers and radio (e.g. to a newspaper reporter who might prove\r\nsympathetic, or to an editor, leaving a message) and write\r\nletters-to-the-editors. If enough people do it, some letters will\r\nbe printed (it's a very popular section of the paper, reaching a lot of\r\npeople), and editors will in time modify their editorials and begin to\r\nalter their instructions to journalists.<\/p>\r\n
Something must be done about TELEVISION --- Its evil influence\r\nis so important to Giant Corporations and their dominated Governments.<\/p>\r\n
To start, be aware of its propaganda function and persistent suppression of truth. <\/p>\r\n
\r\nPublicise the Thought Control dishonesty of television.<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
(3) Lobby your local, regional and national governments<\/b>. \r\n By far the best thing is for 2, 3, or 4 of you to make an\r\nappointment with your legislative representative(s) and, armed with\r\nsome information (never assume they know anything), register your\r\nopinions with him\/her.<\/p>\r\n
Unless your rep is really corrupt (most are not; they just seem that\r\nway because The System compromises them), it does not take many such\r\nmeetings from different people to impel the legislator to take heed.\r\n <\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
(4) Direct Action.<\/b> <\/p>\r\n
This is meant to publicise, to discomfort, and to establish.<\/p>\r\n
PUBLICISE, with the appropriate slant, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. <\/p>\r\n
Figure out ways of stopping the deadly genetic engineering monster and its incestuous Patents on Life-Forms.<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\nConclusion\r\n
Human beings and Nature, as we have known them, cannot survive in a GMO Frankenstein world.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Genetic Engineering and Patents on Life-Forms must be OUTLAWED.<\/b><\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
P.S. World War III <\/b>has actually begun, pitting Giant Corporations Against People and Morality<\/b>. \r\nThese Corporations are determined to conquer the world, establishing\r\nwhat they call the \"New World Order\" (likely derived from Adolf\r\nHitler's term, the \"New Order\".)<\/p>\r\n
And they are succeeding. Human life and the Natural World will not be the same if they win.<\/p>\r\n
Help create an Ethic<\/b> of educating and politically activating the Citizenry to rescue Nature and Ourselves.<\/p>\r\n\n","contact":"","link":"www.ccin.info","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"Genetic Engineering is a nightmare technology that has already caused a number of deadly, crippling and injurious disease epidemics, documented but unpublicized. Outlawing Genetic Engineering by grassroots education\/activation techniques will help create a Grassroots Democracy.","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2006\/07\/167801.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}