Today it emerged that world leaders are to discuss what is being described as “land grabbing” or “neo-colonialism” at the G8 meeting next week. A spokesman for Japan’s ministry of foreign affairs confirmed that it would raise the issue: “We feel there should be a code of conduct for investment in farmland that will be a win-win situation for both producing and consuming countries,” he said.
Olivier De Schutter, special envoy for food at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “[The trend] is accelerating quickly. All countries observe each other and when one sees others buying land it does the same.”
Some of the largest deals include South Korea’s acquisition of 700,000ha in Sudan, and Saudi Arabia’s purchase of 500,000ha in Tanzania. The Democratic Republic of the Congo expects to shortly conclude an 8m-hectare deal with a group of South African businesses to grow maize and soya beans as well as poultry and dairy farming.
Other countries that have acquired land in the last year include the Gulf states, Sweden, China and Libya. Those targeted include not only fertile countries such as Brazil, Russia and Ukraine, but also poor countries like Cameroon, Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Zambia.
De Schutter said that after the food crisis of 2008, many countries found food imports hit their balance of payments, “so now they want to insure themselves”.
Continue Reading Fears For The World’s Poor Countries as The Rich Grab Land to Grow Food
Bert:
My assessment is that, no, the folks at the very top do not still need us. The decision to proceed with GATT reflected that fact.
However, properly managing our transformation to “a world where we are not needed” is much more profitable than not, the absence of proper management is very dangerous (generally, the folks at the top are very afraid of people when they turn. When “the field” turns and locks against rulers or aristocracy, things can be very dangerous) and there are a whole lot of people whose power and money come from managing and they are vested in running the thing out for their careers.
So, we may not be needed, but getting from a world in which we were, to a world in which the fact that we are expendable is fully actualized is quite a long process.
If you have not see the cartoon movie, Monsters, Inc, I strongly recommend it for contemplating some of the issues involved.
Catherine
Catherine,
I’m reminded of Sun Microsystems Bill Joy and his question, “Do they still need us?”
Do they still need the economic fuel that the American people provide in order to execute their plans. For the economic fuel has always been merely a means to an end, an end which involves power and control. With GATT executed successfully and most of the American enterprise now out of the publics reach, how can the public be impactful using purely economic weapons?
Local is not just about building wonderful communities. It is about real economic warfare – cutting the Tapeworm’s meal off at the root.
Cash Flow #1: Narcotics…lots of money being sucked out of your county that finances the Tapeworm
Cash Flow #2: Government money engineered with the help of officials elected with rigged computer voting
Cash Flow #3: Government reserves and pensions funds — bank deposits and investments to channel to Wall Street
Cash Flow #4: Private bank deposits and investments — more deposits and investments to channel to Wall Street
Cash Flow #5: Takeover of market share of small business/retail market using our monies form Cash Flow #1-#4
Cash Flow #6 Mortgage and other financial fraud
Cash Flow #7 Derivatives on Cash Flows #1-7
Cash Flow #8 Ad revenues resulting from pricing set by our media attention
Cash Flow #9 Donations — to church, school, not for profits….and resulting bank deposits and endowments
And on and on….
If we can not switch the cash flows AWAY from the people we do not want running things and into the people we do want running things….well ALL SOLUTIONS START WITH THIS SHIFT….
WHO CONTROLS THE MONEY IN YOUR WALLET X 300 MM PEOPLE
WHO CONTROLS THE MONEY IN EACH FAMILY X ? FAMILIES
WHO CONTROLS THE MONEY IN EACH COUNTY X 3100 COUNTIES?
THIS IS A CRITICAL BUILDING BLOCK OF THE POWER WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT REAL CHANGE.
Bert.
How do we resist? Give something concrete. Do you agree with this statement? – ‘The logic of local and self-sufficient economies and food systems makes sense on levels which COULD benefit communities.’ Now identify the areas where it can be taken over – and give a concrete example of how to resist against this. Do any of the Solari ideas make any sense – on a resistance level?
Benj.
Good point. These are the things that we have to be vigilant against. Many people are not willing to keep it on that level – but that is what it takes to stay free.
Yup, and here’s the trap already being setup, being introduced by Reps. Henry Waxman (D–CA) and John Dingell (D–MI). Wonder why the NYT doesn’t mention this pending legislation when it is also extolling the virtues of local farming?
“New Bill (HR2749) Gives FDA Unheard-of Power over Small Farmers, Food and Supplement Producers”
http://aahf.nonprofitsoapbox.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=825&Itemid=
We’re being put into a box!
We’re allowing ourselves to be pushed into a very tight box with almost no discussion around the future that we are allowing to be created for us. Do we really want this image of our future reality for our grandchildren?…
http://www.radoxist.com/download/my_works/stills/worth_enough_2500.jpg
At some point we must resist, and the longer we wait the weaker and more controlled we become. And the more we let the GAIA-bots promote this “humanity is the enemy” meme created by the Club of Rome, the harder it will be to resist a humanity-crushing path. I think God would tell us not to allow these horrid untruths into humanity’s consciousness, and to fight against it and all of its manifestations with all of humanity’s heart and soul.
Maybe keep it disorganized. If you organize anything your doing their work for them, they’ll take it over. They don’t tax you for working on your own house or working in your garden yet..do it yourself. But honestly there comes a point in a game of chess where you just can’t win unless the other player makes a really bad mistake. Find a place at the edge of the board and wait for a big mistake? They’d lose all their advantage of pitting one side against another if they had a one world order. Especially if they had one person as the world leader. Bible prophesy says that will be Satan himself and Christ will put him in the pit.