This and That...

[Warph]

Big Corporations Have An OVERWHELMING Amount Of Power Over Our Food Supply

By Michael Snyder, on July 14th, 2014

(Click below):

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/10-Corporations-Control-What-We-Eat.png 

(and then Click on image to enlarge it)

From our fields to our forks, huge corporations have an overwhelming amount of power over our food supply every step of the way.  Right now there are more than 313 million people living in the United States, and the job of feeding all of those people is almost entirely in the hands of just a few dozen monolithic companies.  If you do not like how our food is produced or you don't believe that it is healthy enough, it isn't very hard to figure out who is to blame.  These mammoth corporations are not in business to look out for the best interests of the American people.  Rather, the purpose of these corporations is to maximize wealth for their shareholders.  So the American people end up eating billions of pounds of extremely unhealthy food that is loaded with chemicals and additives each year, and we just keep getting sicker and sicker as a society.  But these big corporations are raking in big profits, so they don't really care.

If we did actually have a capitalist system in this country, we would have a high level of competition in the food industry.  But instead, the U.S. food industry has become increasingly concentrated with each passing year. 

Just consider the following numbers about the U.S. agricultural sector...
The U.S. agricultural sector suffers from abnormally high levels of concentration. Most economic sectors have concentration ratios around 40%, meaning that the top four firms in the industry control 40% of the market. If the concentration ratio is above 40%, experts believe competition can be threatened and market abuses are more likely to occur: the higher the number, the bigger the threat.

The concentration ratios in the agricultural sector are shocking:
-Four companies own 83.5% of the beef market.
-The top four firms own 66% of the hog industry.
-The top four firms control 58.5% of the broiler chicken industry.
-In the seed industry, four companies control 50% of the proprietary seed market and 43% of the commercial seed market worldwide.
-When it comes to genetically engineered (GE) crops, just one company, Monsanto, boasts control of over 85% of U.S. corn acreage and 91% of U.S. soybean acreage.

When so much power is concentrated in so few hands, it creates some tremendous dangers.

And many of these giant corporations (such as Monsanto) are extremely ruthless.  Small farmers all over America are being wiped out and forced out of the business by the predatory business practices of these huge companies...
Because farmers rely on both buyers and sellers for their business, concentrated markets squeeze them at both ends. Sellers with high market power can inflate the prices of machinery, seeds, fertilizers and other goods that farmers need for their farms, while powerful buyers, such as processors, suppress the prices farmers are paid. The razor-thin profit margins on which farmers are forced to operate often push them to "get big or get out"—expanding into mega-operations or exiting the business altogether.

Of course the control that big corporations have over our food supply does not end at the farms.

The distribution of our food is also very highly concentrated.  The graphic shared below was created by Oxfam International, and it shows how just 10 gigantic corporations control almost everything that we buy at the grocery store...

And these food distributors are often not very good citizens either.

For example, it was recently reported that Nestle is running a massive bottled water operation on a drought-stricken Indian reservation in California...
Among the windmills and creosote bushes of San Gorgonio Pass, a nondescript beige building stands flanked by water tanks. A sign at the entrance displays the logo of Arrowhead 100% Mountain Spring Water, with water flowing from a snowy mountain. Semi-trucks rumble in and out through the gates, carrying load after load of bottled water.

The plant, located on the Morongo Band of Mission Indians' reservation, has been drawing water from wells alongside a spring in Millard Canyon for more than a decade. But as California's drought deepens, some people in the area question how much water the plant is bottling and whether it's right to sell water for profit in a desert region where springs are rare and underground aquifers have been declining.
Nestle doesn't stop to ask whether it is right or wrong to bottle water in the middle of the worst drought in the recorded history of the state of California.
They have the legal right to do it and they are making large profits doing it, and so they are just going to keep on doing it.

Perhaps you are thinking that you can avoid all of these corporations by eating organic and by shopping at natural food stores.

Well, it isn't necessarily that easy.

According to author Wenonah Hauter, the "health food industry" is also extremely concentrated...
Over the past 20 years, Whole Foods Market has acquired its competition, including Wellspring Grocery, Bread of Life, Bread & Circus, Food for Thought, Fresh Fields, Wild Oats Markets and others. Today the chain dominates the market because it has no national competitor. Over the past five years its gross sales have increased by half (47 percent) to $11.7 billion, and its net profit quadrupled to $465.6 million. One of the ways it has achieved this profitability is by selling conventional foods under the false illusion that they are better than products sold at a regular grocery store. Consumers falsely conclude that these products have been screened and are better, and they are willing to pay a higher price.

The distribution of organic foods is also extremely concentrated. A little-known company, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) now controls the distribution of organic and natural products. Publically traded, the company has a contract with Whole Foods and it is the major source of these products for the remaining independent natural food stores. This relationship has resulted in increasingly high prices for these foods. Small manufacturers are dependent on contracts with UNFI to get their products to market and conversely, small retailers often have to pay a premium price for products because of their dependence on this major distributor. Over the past five years, UNFI's net sales increased by more than half (55.6 percent) $5.2. billion. Its net profit margin increased by 88 percent to $91 million.

Everywhere you look, the corporations are in control.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/10-Corporations-Control-What-We-Eat.png

And this is especially true when you look at big food retailers such as Wal-Mart.

Right now, grocery sales account for about half of all business at Wal-Mart, and approximately one out of every three dollars spent on groceries in the United States is spent at Wal-Mart.

That is absolutely astounding, and it obviously gives Wal-Mart an immense amount of power.

In fact, if you can believe it, Wal-Mart actually purchases a billion pounds of beef every single year.

So the next time someone asks you where the beef is, you can tell them that it is at Wal-Mart.

On the restaurant side, the ten largest fast food corporations account for 47 percent of all fast food sales, and the love affair that Americans have with fast food does not appear to be in danger of ending any time soon.

Personally, if you do not like how these corporate giants are behaving, you can always complain.

But you are just one person among 313 million, and most of these big corporations are not going to consider the ramblings of one person to be of any significance whatsoever.

Collectively, however, we have great power.  And the way that we are going to get these big corporations to change is by voting with our wallets.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans seem quite satisfied with the status quo.  So the population as a whole is likely going to continue to get sicker, fatter and less healthy with each passing year, and the big food corporations are going to keep becoming even more powerful.

[Warph]

Palestinian National and Islamic Forces representative:
"We call on our Palestinian people, particularly the residents of northwest Gaza, not to obey what is written in the pamphlets distributed by the Israeli occupation army. We call on them to remain in their homes and disregard the demands to leave, however serious the threat may be."
[Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), July 14, 2014]

(What a bunch of sick, SICK BASTARDS!!!)

[...]

Israel deploys ground troops in Northern Gaza

FOX.NEWS
Israel vs Hamas 'We will get them'-Israel deploys ground troops in northern  Gaza

Israel warned residents of the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes before briefly deploying ground troops there for the first time early Sunday as part of a widening offensive that has killed more than 160 Palestinians.

Neither Israel nor Palestinian militants show signs of agreeing to a cease-fire, despite calls by the United Nations Security Council and others to end the increasingly bloody six-day offensive. With Israel massing tanks and soldiers at Gaza's borders, some fear that could signal a wider ground offensive that would cause heavy casualties.

"We don't know when the operation will end," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting Sunday. "It might take a long time."

Early Sunday, Israeli troops launched a brief raid into northern Gaza to destroy what the military described as a rocket-launching site, an operation the military said left four soldiers slightly wounded.

The Israeli air force later dropped leaflets warning residents to evacuate their homes ahead of what Israel's military spokesman described as a "short and temporary" campaign against northern Gaza to begin sometime after 12 p.m. (0900 GMT). The area is home to at least 100,000 people.

It was not clear whether the possible attack would be confined to stepped-up airstrikes or whether it might include a sizeable ground offensive -- something that Israel has so far been reluctant to undertake.

As the ultimatum drew near, hundreds fled Beit Lahiya, one of the communities the Israeli announcement affected. Some raced by in pickup trucks, waving white flags.

"They are sending warning messages," resident Mohammad Abu Halemah said. "Once we received the message, we felt scared to stay in our homes. We want to leave."

Adnan Abu Hassna, a spokesman for the U.N. agency in charge of aiding Palestinian refugees, said eight schools were opened as temporary shelters, and about 4,000 people had moved in. He said more schools would be opened if needed.

Ignoring international appeals for a cease-fire, Israel widened its range of Gaza bombing targets Saturday to include civilian institutions with suspected Hamas ties. One strike hit a center for the disabled, killing two patients and wounding four people. In a second attack, an Israeli warplane flattened the home of Gaza police chief Taysir al-Batsh and damaged a nearby mosque as evening prayers ended, killing at least 18 people. Fifty were wounded, including al-Batsh himself.

On Sunday, hundreds chanting "God is Great" joined the funeral procession for 17 members of al-Batsh's extended family who were killed. Among the dead were his sister-in-law and her husband, along with the couple's seven children, ranging in age from 13 to 28. A neighbor also was killed.

Mourners carried the bodies, wrapped in the green flags of the Islamic militant Hamas, through the streets on stretchers.

The attack reduced the al-Batsh family home to sand and rubble. Abdallah al-Batsh, a nephew of the police chief, said Israel had not given warning before the strike.

Hamas activists said the group's military wing had asked the families of its members to leave their homes, after Israel targeted several such homes in a series of airstrikes.

On Sunday, Palestinians with foreign passports began leaving Gaza through the Erez border crossing. Israel, which is cooperating in the evacuation, said 800 Palestinians living in Gaza have passports from countries including Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

Rawan Mohanna, a 21-year-old chemistry major at the University of Texas, said she had arrived in Gaza with her family a month ago because her older sister was getting married to a Gazan.

"We got the wedding out of the way before all of this happened," Mohanna said. Mohanna, who lives in Dallas, said her family is now returning to the U.S. with mixed feelings because her newlywed sister and other relatives were staying behind.

"We are so fortunate ... that we have the right to travel," she said. "People in Gaza, they can't even leave, and that's such a basic right. It's stripped away from them. It's bittersweet that we get to leave but they are still there and they can't get out."

Israel has launched more than 1,300 air strikes since the offensive began, military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said Sunday. Palestinian militants have launched more than 800 rockets at Israel, including 130 in the last 24 hours, the Israeli military said Sunday. Several Israelis have been wounded, but there have been no fatalities.

[Warph]

SHOCK VIDEO>>> Illegals Arrive in Bus and Shop at Walmart With EBT Cards and they aren't children by any means...

A school bus of illegal immigrants reportedly pulled up at a Walmart in North Carolina and shopped with EBT cards. The woman in the video says the immigrants could not speak English and were reportedly staying in China Grove.

Mad World News has more on the incident:

Sylvia Locklear was on her lunch break Sunday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. when she noticed something strange happening in the parking lot of Walmart in Concord, NC – there was busloads of what appeared to be adult illegal immigrants being dropped off to shop for everything from food to pillows and blankets. Angered by her discovery, Sylvia decided she was going to investigate a little further, and what she found should outrage every American citizen.

In the video above, Sylvia can be heard talking to another person who presumably was curious about what was going on, so she explained to them that prior to taking the video she had tried to talk to the people on the bus. Not only could they barely speak English, but one of them had said they had just arrived in America.

We all know that this has been happening, however, the sheriff of her town had said that they weren't allowing any illegals to be shipped in, so it would appear as if the Obama regime is once again placing undue burdens on the states and not even letting them know what's going on. What's worse is that in the comments under the video she posted to Facebook, Sylvia said that when she was in line behind them that they were using government-issued EBT cards to pay for their purchases.

[Warph]

Usually, political press conferences are pretty dry. But, this one in Japan is different. Watch as this politician turns on the waterworks and puts on a hilarious show for the cameras after he was accused of misusing public funds.

Short version:

Long Version:

(ミヤネ屋 野々村兵庫県議: 
あれだけ泣きわめいて(いるように見えて)涙など出ていないだろ。
典型的火病発症なのだよ.この人,つまりは、ぼくがやったことは、 :oすべてあなた方のためにやったことで、なんで、 :'(こんな誹謗中傷的なことでぼくが責められなければならないのですか？
って、言ってるの？それで号泣してるんて゜すか？
だったら、ウソつくなよ！ ... Warph)

[redcliffsw]

That's a good one.  Sadly, that's looking like where the world is going. 

[redcliffsw]

That's a good one.  Sadly, that's looking like where the world is going. 

[Warph]

[Warph]

Hurricane Isabel struck Washington, D.C. hard that night.

It was Sept. 18, 2003. I lived in Alexandria, Va., at the time. I rode out the storm reading a book and enjoying a glass of wine.

At the Arlington National Cemetery, just a few miles from where I sat, the sentinels who stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns were having an entirely different experience.

The Tomb of the Unknowns was established in 1921. Three of its chambers contain the remains of unknown soldiers from World War I, World War II and Korea (a fourth chamber had contained the remains of an unknown soldier from the Vietnam war until DNA technology determined his identity).

Only the finest soldiers are selected to guard the Tomb. The sentinels are specially trained soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). They watch over the Tomb 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As each solitary guard paces before the Tomb, his movements are precise, his dress impeccable.
Each guard's dedication is made clear by the Sentinel's Creed:

"My dedication to this sacred duty is total and wholehearted.
In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I falter.

And with dignity and perseverance my standard will remain perfection.

Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements,

I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability.

It is he who commands the respect I protect.

His bravery that made us so proud.

Surrounded by well-meaning crowds by day alone in the thoughtful peace of night,

this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance."

Which brings us back to Hurricane Isabel.

For the first time in the Tomb's history, in preparation of a potentially dangerous storm, the commanding officers established a contingency plan.

The sentinels were free to withdraw to safer positions under the Memorial Amphitheater arches or inside the trophy room should conditions become life-threatening — positions from which they could still maintain their mission watching over the Tomb.

But none would leave.

It is a solemn duty to march before the Tomb, after all. The sentinel's meticulous ritual is an outward display of gratitude and remembrance for the sacrifices so many have made for their country — particularly the unknown soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

By guarding the Tomb with eternal vigilance, the sentinel validates the words of the soldier's prayer:

"It is the soldier who has given us our freedoms. It's the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It's the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to object. It's the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial...."

And so, as Hurricane Isabel struck — 24 trees were uprooted across the cemetery and three headstones were crushed — each sentinel took turns standing his ground.

There really was no other option. How could a sentinel retreat to safer ground in the midst of a dinky hurricane when so many others have given so much more?

The next time you visit Washington, D.C., pay a visit to the Tomb of the Unknowns at the Arlington National Cemetery.

It is one place where American sacrifice, duty and honor are on full display 24 hours a day every day of the week.

[Warph]

Our Country Is Going To The DOGS!

I speak of a recent article on the Fast Company website that touts the benefits of employees bringing their dogs to work. According to various studies, the article reports, dogs in the workplace improve productivity and reduce stress.

It's true that stress has been around a long time. It's a costly work hazard that results in employee turnover, absenteeism and waning morale. And, says the American Institute of Stress, our still-troubled economy and constant reports of foreclosures and layoffs are making employees even more anxious and stressed.

So some companies — eager to improve productivity and profitability — have been doing all kinds of things to address the challenge. They're offering yoga classes to employees. They're providing stress-management courses, back rubs and stress hotlines that overanxious employees can call 24 hours each day. They're setting up tents where employees can nap on their breaks.

And they're letting employees bring their dogs to work.

Look, the origin of stress goes back to the early days of mankind, when many creatures didn't view us as their superiors, but as their lunch. When a man saw a lion coming his way, he was overcome by stress. The stress brought on an adrenaline rush, and the adrenaline sent one message, loud and clear, throughout the man's body: RUN!

But long after mankind's stress mechanism was needed for survival, we continue to suffer from it. For much of human history, many have suffered poverty and brutality, not knowing where their next meal would come from and not knowing what rival would invade their village. That's stress.

Now, I know our lives are hectic today. We have to keep up with rapid advances in technology. We live in distant cities, far away from our families and friends. In many families, both parents work, which keeps households busy and scattered. And there is the looming worry about the economy, government overspending and the potential for a real barnburner of a collapse.

But our solution to these stress-inducing matters is to bring our dogs to work?

That may be a nice, temporary Band-Aid for some, but the real solution is to get to the root cause of most of our stress: an out-of-control federal government that is increasing regulations, spending and taxes at record rates, which is burdening private companies and putting more jobs at risk.

According to The Hill newspaper, the Obama administration increased the Code of Federal Regulations by 7.4 percent in its first three years — compared to 4.4 percent during George W. Bush's first term.

"More 'major rules,' those with an annual economic impact exceeding $100 million, were enacted in 2010 than in any year dating back to at least 1997, according to the (Congressional Research Service)," The Hill reports.

A study by George Mason University's Mercatus Center found that the number of rules and regulations ballooned from 71,224 pages in 1975 to 174,545 pages in 2012.
Here's what should really be stressing us out: that so few people are aware of the correlation between big, costly government and the negative effects of growing red tape on private employers and economic vitality.

Yoga, stress hotlines and dogs in the workplace are a nice touch, but until we correct the root cause of our economic woes, we will not return to the euphoric levels of growth and prosperity we have enjoyed for much of this country's history.

Without robust growth, we will never have the means to meet our looming entitlement obligations — heck, we don't have enough tax revenue coming in now to meet our current obligations.

Rather than address these core challenges, our current political "leadership" is making them worse.

Like I said, our country is going to the dogs — and there's no greater source of stress than that.

[Warph]

New York Newspaper Chain Says It Will No Longer
Use Word "Redskins" In Its Papers

(GROAN... WHAT A BUNCH OF HORSE CRAP!  I wonder how many subscribers they'll lose on this crappy decision.  Alot, I hope!)

WILLIAMSVILLE, NY - The Bee Group Newspapers, publisher of several suburban papers with roughly 45,000 paid subscribers in Western New York, says it will no longer use the word "Redskins" to identify sports teams at any level of competition.

"I've never said to anyone, 'I'm going to interview some redskins for a story," said the newspaper group's managing editor David F. Sherman.

According to Sherman, the decision was made after six weeks of staff discussion on the topic.

"It was a corporate decision from the publisher on down, to say we just don't feel comfortable using this term," Sherman told WGRZ-TV.

The decision will affect how the paper refers to Lancaster High School teams in particular, which have used the nickname Redskins for 67 years.

"We'll just refer to them as the Lancaster football team or the Lancaster field hockey team. I know that (nickname) is something that is very much a part of that community and I understand that, but things change... you're talking about someone's skin color as their ethnicity. That's their nickname."