How bad is the revolving door between Monsanto and government? This handy chart (from geke.us) pretty much sums it up.
Monsanto has been particularly talented at vacuuming up well connected ex-Congressmen, Senators and other government officials to go back and lobby the government, using their connections for the company’s benefit. And it also has been great at placing its own people into the agencies that are supposed to be regulating it.
One of the worst examples isn’t even on the chart - Michael R Taylor:
- Taylor started off as a partner at the law firm that represented Monsanto on GBH issues (artificial growth hormones that make cows give more milk).
- Then, as the FDA’s deputy commissioner for policy, he wrote the FDA’s rBGH labelling guidelines – the ones that insisted there was no difference between rGBH and regular milk.
- He also deleted references to problems with GMO foods, over the objection of staff scientists.
- Then he spent a few years working directly for Monsanto.
- And now? Barak Obama brought him back to the FDA to oversee Monsanto again, as his food safety issues czar!
More background: See our earlier story, Monsanto employees in the halls of government.
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(Diagram Copyright 2011 GEKE.US)
About Jeremy Bloom
how can presidents who tell their public that they are so very concerned about the environment have ANYTHING whatsoever to do with this company that has no concern for free enterprise, the health of human beings and the production and supply of organic, NON GM/terminal seeds to the world??? Who can you believe anymore? This same president talks about industrial greed but appoints some of the most greedy and dangerous to positions in his control??? What the hey? Who is this president of ours, really? He bales out and appoints men from the very kinds of companies he SAYS he opposes. What a liar. He is the most dangerous president this nation has ever seen.
Politics is like the law of the jungle, the ones most cunning and ruthless will survive (get elected). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MZCHjGkTPg&feature=related (video: freedom from conscience – psychopaths). Until people actually get involved we will continue our decline into a populace that follows fashion trends, values itself according to what it consumes, and votes according to whoever gives them warm and fuzzy feelings. Strange though, most predators have a warm and fuzzy appearance.
Thanks for this very useful information, I knew of the revolving door but not that is spun this fast and at such a high level. It explains much about the power or should that be hold that Monsanto has over this and previous US Governments, and other governments where its GM is grown….But would like to ask a question: What can the ordinary person in the street who is concerned about the safety of the food on their table?
I have signed many petitions against the revolving door, spoken at meetings, have done this for years including a call for all Monsanto products to be boycotted….
My first awareness of Monsanto is with its manufacture of Agent Orange and its use on Vietnam and the terrible results that hd on the people, land and forests. Each year I visit the country I meet with many of these tragic victims. Today that are near to four million suffering from the effcts of AO.
I am also aware that many US Veterans of that war are also suffering so are some of their children with the same illneses that the Vietnamese are suffering from.
I ask readers to go to http://www.aoag.org to see what Agent Orange has done to Vietnam.