Originally published August 30 2015
Scotland to ban GMOs to protect citizens' health; US government refuses to label GMOs despite support from 93% of citizens
by J. D. Heyes
(NaturalNews) Founded as a representative republican democracy, America became the first country in the modern world to be ruled by the principle of the consent of the governed. Today, some 240 years after the beginning of our War of Independence, that notion seems like little more than a quaint anachronism.
Polls consistently record that most Americans do not favor President Obama's executive amnesty for illegal aliens, and yet he issued it anyway.
Polls consistently record that most Americans oppose Obamacare, and yet the Affordable Care Act was foisted upon the public and remains the law of the land.
There are plenty of other similar examples. The political elite are so dismissive of the majority of Americans that most people do not believe "consent of the governed" really applies any more.
Most Americans also favor requiring that all foods containing genetically modified organisms be properly labeled as such, and yet that simple demand is beyond our political leaders' ability to heed and enact.
Americans overwhelmingly support GMO labeling
Scotland, by comparison, has its people's best interests in mind. Political leaders there are set to ban all GMOs, citing public health concerns.
As reported by the UK's Guardian newspaper:
Scottish ministers are planning to formally ban genetically modified crops from being grown in Scotland, widening a policy divide with the Conservative government in London.
Ministers in Edinburgh are to apply to use recent EU powers that allow devolved administrations to opt out of a more relaxed regime, which is expected to increase commercial use of GM crops around the EU.
The paper stated that the decision is likely to reinforce a long-standing moratorium on GMO crops in the country, allowing the Scottish National Party to distance itself even further from the UK government.
In London, ministers have already indicated they plan to permit the commercial cultivation of GMO crops like maize and oilseed rape in England, despite great resistance from consumers and environmental groups. The move is backed by agribusiness interests, scientists and the National Farmers Union.
"These changes would not affect research as it is currently carried out in Scotland, where the contained use of GM plants is permitted for scientific purposes, for example in laboratories or sealed glasshouse facilities," an unnamed spokeswoman for the Scottish government told The Guardian, citing the continuation of GM research.
Scotland's Environment secretary, Richard Lochhead, said he wanted to uphold a principle of caution – namely, that even the potential risks to other crops and wildlife posed by GMOs outweighed any benefits of the technology.
"There is no evidence of significant demand for GM products by Scottish consumers and I am concerned that allowing GM crops to be grown in Scotland would damage our clean and green brand, thereby gambling with the future of our £14bn food and drink sector," he said.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., The New York Times reports that support for GMO labeling is very high among the governed, despite being dismissed by the political power and corporate elite:
Americans overwhelmingly support labeling foods that have been genetically modified or engineered, according to a New York Times poll conducted this year, with 93 percent of respondents saying that foods containing such ingredients should be identified.
Congress working to ban GMO labeling nationwide in the U.S.
Further, the Times reported that three quarters of the respondents they polled said they were concerned about GMOs in their foods, with most expressing a view that they could be harmful to health.
Moreover, 37 percent of those worried about GMOs noted that they were concerned that foods containing modified ingredients could cause cancer or food allergies.
"Among those with concerns, 26 percent said these foods are not safe to eat, or are toxic, while 13 percent were worried about environmental problems that they fear might be caused by genetic engineering," the Times said.
However, Congress is working to ban states from requiring GMO labeling as a sop to Big Food and Big Agriculture, which are buying access via campaign contributions.
So much for "consent of the governed" when it comes to demanding to know what exactly is in the foods we eat.
Sources include:
TheDailySheeple.com
NYTimes.com
NumbersUSA.com
WashingtonsBlog.com
NYTimes.com
TheGuardian.com
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