Originally published September 21 2013
Monsanto gets its corporate behind handed to it on a platter by Daily Show
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) During a recent segment of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the prevailing trend of biotechnology companies such as Monsanto patenting seeds and suing farmers whose crops become contaminated with them was openly ridiculed for its absolute absurdity. Like it typically does with serious issues that go unaddressed by the mainstream media, The Daily Show rightfully mocked Monsanto and its shameless patent protection lobby for such seed crimes, pointing out with humor the insane amount of power this multinational chemical company now has over modern agriculture.
In the opening of the segment, The Daily Show reporter Aasif Mandvi facetiously derides America's farmers for not being grateful that the biotech industry provides them with yearly bounties that stem from patented seeds. Mandvi also satirically accuses the farming community of being the aggressors in not fully cooperating with the interests of biotech giants like Monsanto, mocking the views of biotech patent attorney Scott McBride, who facilitates companies like Monsanto in suing America's farmers.
"Sometimes farmers act in a manner that's not in the best interests of the biotechnology seed companies," states a serious and obviously nervous McBride, to which Mandvi responds with clearly risible affirmation, agreeing that the American farmers have "forced" Monsanto to pursue legal action against them.
The segment goes on to explain how Monsanto aggressively pursues legal action against farmers who it believes are in violation of its patents, a predatory litigation scheme that has plunged many farmers into bankruptcy. Playing the part of the farcical interviewer with ties to the biotech industry, Mandvi brilliantly hands Monsanto its corporate behind on a platter by bringing to light the insanely scandalous practices that have given the industry an astounding 93 percent market share in American agriculture.
"Monsanto's lawyers are accusing farmers of violating their patents, regardless of whether they're doing it or not," explains Troy Roush, a farmer and vice president of the American Corn Growers Association, to Mandvi. "It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend against a patent infringement lawsuit. They've basically forced us all to fall into line with their rules."
You really need to see the entire segment for yourself to get the full gist of the satire:
http://www.thedailyshow.com
Monsanto's agricultural takeover hardly a laughing matter
The use of humor and absurdity to make a point is a highly effective way to disseminate truth in today's world, and it is something the The Daily Show does very well. In this case, millions of Daily Show viewers who may not have known anything about Monsanto or its illicit agricultural agenda have now been exposed to the truth amplified using humor.
Monsanto's takeover of agriculture both here and abroad, however, is no laughing matter. It has already put many farmers out of business, put many others under the direct control of the biotech industry with no easy way out and even led to tens of thousands of farmer suicides globally. The biotech industry, after all, has never been an honest one, as some might claim, simply providing goods and services to farmers in need -- lies and deception are how the industry came to be what it is today.
"Monsanto patenting our plants is a theft of our genetic heritage," adds Roush. "Monsanto's lawyers are professionals. This is all they do is sue farmers. That's how they've gained a 93 percent market share."
To watch the full Daily Show segment on Monsanto, visit:
http://www.thedailyshow.com
Sources for this article include:
http://www.thedailyshow.com
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com
http://www.organicconsumers.org
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