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NAIS: This is your government working against YOU March 4, 2009

Posted by rogerhollander in Agriculture.
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by Marti Oakley

www.opednews.com, March 4, 2009

Oakley’s work.  I doubt anyone could read this piece without feeling that something has been terribly wrong with the USDA and the FDA in terms of their actions towards farmers – and all that comes before the significant magnification in power the “fake food safety” bills will give them. Those bills must be stopped. -Linn Cohen-Cole

 
NAIS: This is your government at work: This is your government working against YOU.
Bills currently in committee in both houses of congress would make mandatory the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).  This system is nothing less than an adherence to international policies and agreements which will usurp US laws and standards, replacing them with reduced standards.  This is being done to not only acquiesce to the CAFTA [trade illegal] provisions, but also to reduce the standards by which bio-piracy corporations operate. 
 
CAFTA reduces the standards of growing, harvesting and processing of all food types to allow multi-national bio-pirates to increase their profits at everyone else’s expense.  This is done by lowering standards across the board in all countries involved; lowering food quality and safety rather than increasing the standards which would have benefited consumers. 
 
Even though numerous bills have been submitted, none have been passed; none are even out of committee.  Knowing this, I find it strange that the sponsors of these bills have already submitted a request for funding authorization for this assault on independent farming and ranching operations.  I believe this indicates a pre-approved deal and the submitting of bills is only a formality to make it appear these actions are legitimate when in fact those promoting this scam have already enabled and encouraged the USDA and FDA to begin forced compliance using military style enforcements methods.
 
Assembling what appears to be SWAT teams both agencies are storming private farms and ranches, organic producers and anyone else refusing to comply with the supposed [voluntary] NAIS and Premises ID.
 
The funding requested includes increasing the amounts allotted to USDA and the FDA.  USDA has already reduced the number of inspectors, and the number of inspections.  So we know the money isn’t going to this area of operation.  And we can also observe there is no threat as described in NAIS as would be evidenced by the reduction in inspections and the reassignment of staff to SWAT type operations.
 
Both the USDA and the FDA now appear to emulating in-country militaristic organizations.
 
Both agencies are now fully engaged in activities that are not only, not within their administrative procedural mission, but are instead more as mercenary agents of big AG. 
Both agencies are now also co-opting local law enforcement to perform their raids on privately owned farms and ranches.  With a complaint arising only form the USDA or the FDA, with no evidence of wrong-doing, no charges being filed, no substantiation of cause, local law enforcement agencies gladly participate in these raids.  This is your government at work:  This is your government working against YOU.
 
Where are our representatives and senators while this is going on?  Where is our Justice Department?  Where is this new AG secretary, Tom Vilsack?  (Well, he’s probably having lunch with Monsanto or some other bio-pirate.)
 
The bills now in congress would increase the power of both the USDA and FDA, even though it is commonly known and accepted neither agency is efficient or engaged in its original mission.  Both agencies, but particularly FDA have become so corrupted with corporate money and influence, neither can or does, exist to protect the public. 
 
Having lost sight of their original reason for existence, and incapable of performing even at a minimal level, both agencies should be shut down.  We would be far better served if these kinds of agencies existed only on the state level where accountability, responsibility and pubic interest is far better served.