tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3778570096826367144.post16636050454174533..comments2024-03-29T11:12:25.046+05:30Comments on Ground Reality: Indian Parliament misled by Ministry for Environment on Bt brinjal issueDevinder Sharmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05867902048509662981noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3778570096826367144.post-68717649378971348642009-12-16T12:45:46.771+05:302009-12-16T12:45:46.771+05:30Thanks to the freedom of info act more is known ab...Thanks to the freedom of info act more is known about such links in US - but it's happening the world over. I foolishly did not record the link to this but I think it came from: http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/top.php?display=M I tried to find it today on site but could not.<br /> <br />Here our parliamentary advisory groups are always packed in this way - ostensibly because of the members' relevant experience. I have read that the few independents are bound to keep proceedings secret or risk a large fine & even imprisonment<br /> <br />Instead of the usual debates about GM the focus here is on the power of vested interest and lack of independent political scrutiny which enabled the technology to get firm hold in USA. When the drive for GM in the US was at its height it had powerful support:<br /> <br />Clarence Thomas, one of the Supreme Court Judges who voted for the legality of George Bush’s election, was Monsanto's lawyer.<br /> <br />The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Anne Veneman, was on the Board of Directors of Monsanto's Calgene Corporation. <br /> <br />The Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, was on the Board of Directors of Monsanto's Searle pharmaceuticals. <br /> <br />The U.S. Secretary of Health, Tommy Thompson, received $50,000 in donations from Monsanto during his winning campaign for Wisconsin's governor.<br /> <br />The two congressmen receiving the most donations from Monsanto during the last election were Larry Combest (Chairman of the House Agricultural Committee) and Attorney General John Ashcroft. (Source: Dairy Education Board)<br /> <br />The man in charge of overseeing the GMO evaluations at the FDA, Michael Taylor, was not a scientist but a lawyer who had previously represented US biotechnology giant Monsanto. After leaving the FDA he went back to his private practice, eventually becoming Monsanto's vice president. <br /> <br />The US Center for Responsive Politics points out that this is a classic case of the revolving door syndrome, the conflict of interest caused by the constant movement of professionals back and forth between the private and public sectors.<br /> <br />Barbara Panvel <br />UKAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com