Nexus - 1502 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

sharply higher food prices along with severe shortages and warning that this condition is extreme, unprecedented and threatens billions of people with hunger and starvation. Prices were up 40 per cent in 2007, after a nine per cent rise in 2006, which forced developing states to pay 25 per cent more for imported food and be unable to afford enough of it. The FAO cites various explanations for the problem, including growing demand, higher fuel and transportation costs, commodity speculation, the use of corn for ethanol production (taking one- third of the harvest, which is more than what's exported for food) and extreme weather, while ignoring the above implications: the power of agribusiness to manipulate supply for greater profits and "cull the herd" in targeted Third World countries. Affected nations are poor, and the FAO lists 20 in Africa, nine in Asia, six in Latin America and two in Eastern Europe that in total represent 850 million endangered people now suffering from chronic hunger and related poverty. They depend on imports, and their diets rely heavily on the types of produce that agribusiness controls—wheat, corn, rice and soybeans. If current prices stay high and shortages persist, millions will die—maybe by design. sharply higher food prices along with severe shortages and From the 1930s, Nelson Rockefeller had significant Latin warning that this condition is extreme, unprecedented and American interests, especially in areas of oil and banking. In the threatens billions of people with hunger and starvation. Prices early 1940s, he sought new opportunities and along with brother were up 40 per cent in 2007, after a nine per cent rise in 2006, Laurance bought vast amounts of cheap, high-quality farmland so the which forced developing states to pay 25 per cent more for family could get into agriculture—but it wasn't for family farming: imported food and be unable to afford enough of it. the Rockefellers wanted global monopolies, and their scheme was to The FAO cites various explanations for the problem, including do in agriculture what the family patriarch had done in oil, along with growing demand, higher fuel and transportation costs, commodity using food and agricultural technologies as Cold War weapons. speculation, the use of corn for ethanol production (taking one- By 1954, the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act third of the harvest, which is more than what's exported for food) of 1954, known as PL 480 or "Food for Peace", established surplus and extreme weather, while ignoring the above implications: the food as a US foreign policy tool. Nelson used his considerable power of agribusiness to manipulate supply for greater profits and influence on the State Department because every postwar "cull the herd" in targeted Third World countries. Affected nations department secretary, from 1952 through 1979, had ties to the family are poor, and the FAO lists 20 in Africa, nine in Asia, six in Latin through its foundation: namely, John Foster Dulles, Dean Rusk, America and two in Eastern Europe that in total represent 850 Henry Kissinger and Cyrus Vance. These men supported million endangered people now suffering from chronic hunger and _ Rockefeller views on private business and knew that the family saw related poverty. They depend on imports, and their diets rely agriculture the way it saw oil—as commodities to be "traded, heavily on the types of produce that agribusiness controls—wheat, controlled, [and] made scarce or plentiful" to suit the foreign policy corn, rice and soybeans. If current prices stay high and shortages goals of dominant corporations controlling their trade. persist, millions will die—maybe by design. The family got into agriculture in 1947 when Nelson founded the International Basic Economy Corporation (IBEC). Through it, he The Subterfuge of "Food for Peace" introduced "mass-scale agribusiness in countries where US dollars American elites in the late 1930s began planning an American could buy huge influence in the 1950s and 1960s". Nelson then century in the postwar world—a Pax Americana ("American allied with grain-trading giant Cargill in Brazil, where they began Peace") to succeed the fading British developing hybrid corn seed varieties Empire. The New York-based with big plans for them. They would Council on Foreign Relations War make the country "the world's third and Peace Studies group led the . . largest producer of [these] crop[s] after effort, financed by Rockefeller This marriage masqueraded the US and China". It was part of the Foundation money. As Engdahl puts as "free market efficiency, Rockefellers’ "Green Revolution” that it, they'd be paid back later . . 4 by the late 1950s "was rapidly "thousands-fold". First, though, modernization [and] feeding becoming a strategic US economic America had italy world a malnourished world". strategy alongside oil and military economically. In fact, it was nothing Latin America was the beginning of The US business establishment a food production revolution with big envisioned a "Grand Area" to of the sort. aims: to control the "basic necessities encompass most of the world outside of the majority of the world's the communist bloc. To exploit it, population". With agribusiness in the they hid their imperial designs 1990s, it was "the perfect partner for beneath a "liberal and benevolent garb" by defining themselves as the introduction...of genetically engineered food crops or GMO "selfless advocates of freedom for colonial peoples [and] the plants". This marriage masqueraded as "free market efficiency, enemy of imperialism". They would also "champion world peace modernization [and] feeding a malnourished world". In fact, it through multinational control". Sound familiar? was nothing of the sort. It cleverly hid "the boldest coup over the Like today, it was just subterfuge for their real aims that were _ destiny of entire nations ever attempted". pursued under the banner of the United Nations, the new Bretton Woods framework, the IMF, the World Bank and the GATT. Agribusiness Goes Global They were established for one purpose: to integrate the The "Green Revolution began in Mexico and spread across developing world into the US-dominated Global North so its Latin America during the 1950s and 1960s". It was then wealth could be transferred to powerful business interests, mostly introduced in Asia, especially in India. It was at a time when in the US. The Rockefeller family led the effort, the four brothers Americans claimed that their aim was to help the world through were involved, and Nelson and David were the prime movers. free-market efficiency. It was all one way, from them to us, so While JD III was plotting depopulation and racial purity schemes, that corporate investors could profit. It gave US chemical giants Nelson was working "the other side of the fence...as a forward- and major grain traders new markets for their products. looking international businessman" in the 1950s and 1960s. Agribusiness was going global, and Rockefeller interests were in Preaching greater efficiency and production in targeted countries,he the vanguard helping industry globalisation take shape. in fact schemed to open world markets for unrestricted US grain Nelson worked with his brother, JD III, who in 1953 set up his imports. This became the "Green Revolution". Nelson own Agricultural Development Council. They shared a common concentrated on Latin America. During WWII, he coordinated US _ goal: "cartelization of world agriculture and food supplies under intelligence and covert operations there, and those efforts laid the their corporate hegemony". At its heart, it aimed to introduce groundwork for postwar family interests. They were tied to the modern agricultural techniques to increase crop yields under the region's military because friendly strongmen are the type of leaders _ false claim of wanting to reduce hunger. The same seduction was preferred in order to guarantee a favourable business climate. later used to promote the "gene revolution", with Rockefeller This marriage masqueraded as "free market efficiency, modernization [and] feeding a malnourished world". In fact, it was nothing of the sort. Agribusiness Goes Global The "Green Revolution began in Mexico and spread across Latin America during the 1950s and 1960s". It was then introduced in Asia, especially in India. It was at a time when Americans claimed that their aim was to help the world through free-market efficiency. It was all one way, from them to us, so that corporate investors could profit. It gave US chemical giants and major grain traders new markets for their products. Agribusiness was going global, and Rockefeller interests were in the vanguard helping industry globalisation take shape. Nelson worked with his brother, JD III, who in 1953 set up his own Agricultural Development Council. They shared a common goal: "cartelization of world agriculture and food supplies under their corporate hegemony". At its heart, it aimed to introduce modern agricultural techniques to increase crop yields under the false claim of wanting to reduce hunger. The same seduction was later used to promote the "gene revolution", with Rockefeller NEXUS #15 FEBRUARY — MARCH 2008 www.nexusmagazine.com