[Brent Swain]

We have already become dependent on imported food to a far greater degree than we should have .<br /> Monsanto's sucessful attack on a farmer who's field was poluted with their GM grain is an example of how easily corporations can wipe out any farmer they want. They could simply throw their patented seed over the fence to destroy ,economically ,any farmer they want to.<br /> Gun control is just another way to take away anyone's ability to feed themselves without having to deal with cash or the corporations.<br /> Fascism , which Mussolini defined as the alliance between government and corporations , is growing rapidly.<br /> During the Irish potato famine, Ireland remained a net exporter of food. We are moving rapidly to the same state of affairs.<br /> The BC civil liberties association once told me that we have the right to use as much force as neccessary to ensure that our charter rights are not violated.Does this mean that we have the right to help ourselves to whatever food we need to exercise our right to life , liberty and security of the person, as any laws which deny us our food needs violate the charter?<br /> Brent

[badsector]

[QUOTE]Does this mean that we have the right to help ourselves to whatever food we need to exercise our right to life , liberty and security of the person, as any laws which deny us our food needs violate the charter?[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> I would say yes and more. Corporations have no loyalty to any country and they are attacking us. Governments that sell their countries out to these fascists commit treason. Our globalizing politicians should be arrested, tried and thrown in jail for a few decades. We have the moral right to defend our freedom by any means, including armed uprising.<br /> <br /> I burst into laughter when I saw in the news that Martin promised some big aid package to Canadian farmers, should he be elected. Only days after selling them out! The man has an elephant's skin on his face. The farmers should have run him over with their tractors.

[Brent Swain]

Its good news that Ed Schreyer is back in politics talking about helping the small family owned farms stay in existence. Its a breath of fresh air after seeing Jack Layton with his support for forcing of urban priorities on Canadians, just like the other main parties. Hopefully he will listen to Ed. <br /> Brent

[FootPrints]

Here is another article:<br /> <br /> Canad stands alone at WTO <br /> By Nelson Zandbergen - AgriNews Staff Writer <br /> <br /> IROQUOIS — The Women’s President of the National Farmers Union says she came away from last month’s World Trade Organization talks in Hong Kong with a better appreciation for what the farmers of Canada — and around the globe — are up against in the battle against trade liberalization. <br /> <br /> And Canada’s supply management system in poultry, eggs and dairy remains under the gun after the WTO’s Dec. 13-18 ministerial conference, says Colleen Ross, one of only two Canadian NFU leaders accredited to be inside the fortified convention centre as non-governmental organization (NGO) observers. <br /> <br /> Ross is not convinced the current reprieve, with talk of exempting those commodities under a "special products" category, will survive when the WTO meets again in Geneva in April. <br /> <br /> "I think the pressure’s not off. The pressure’s incredible. Canada stands alone, really. We’re considered almost trouble-makers now because we’re not going to play the game and we’re not going to give up on supply management," she said Jan. 2 at her rural home in South Dundas Township. <br /> <br /> She and NFU president Stewart Wells got a first hand look at the pressure cooker in which Canadian government negotiators operated, as both Canadian and international lobby groups pushed hard for increased trade in agricultural products. <br /> <br /> Domestic free-traders kept up the pressure through the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), she said, with 18 accredited observers making their views known in twice-daily briefings with representatives from the Canadian negotiating team. <br /> <br /> "They were hyper, hyper aggressive ... They constantly were badgering for market access, and were quite willing to give up supply management and the Canadian Wheat board." <br /> <br /> From Ross’s perspective, the Canadian government looked wobbly out of the gate, as she happened to catch a less than convincing solo performance by Trade Minister Jim Peterson. The minister was speaking to a dozen international media on the first day of the conference. <br /> <br /> When the issue of giving up supply management was raised, according to Ross, "Jim Peterson said, ‘Never say never.’" <br /> <br /> Unimpressed, she fired off an e-mail to MP Wayne Easter, former NFU president and current parliamentary secretary to Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell. "I told him that parliament’s motion ... had already been forgotten," she said, referring to a unanimous November vote in support of supply management in the Canadian House of Commons <br /> <br /> "After that, they never held another press conference," she said, smiling. <br /> <br /> But she credited Easter and Mitchell for doing a "smash-up job" in the face of "incredible pressure from the CAIRNS Group and the G8 for de-regulation and market access, and from the industry people that were there." <br /> <br /> At the WTO table, Canada is up against a vision for trade and "commodity specific" farming in each country, she said, as envisioned by countries like Australia. <br /> <br /> "The Australians want us to completely go out of dairy altogether. That’s one of the ideas of their National Farmers Federation. They say ... that in Canada, you could keep growing wheat and soybeans, and we will supply Canada with dairy products." <br /> <a href="http://www.agrinewsinteractive.com/fullstory.htm?ArticleID=7258&ShowSection=Front%20Page">Full Story</a><br /> <br /> <br />

[Brent Swain]

You can count on Harper to scrap Canada's ability to feed ourselves, and control our food supply ,at the request of his bosses and Gurus, corporate multinationals , and George Bush.<br /> There was recently a series on CBC radio one program "Ideas " comparing the deliberate clearances of rural people off the land and into the cities with the Scottish Highland clearances ,in order to prevent them from becomming a nuisance to multinational corporations ability to srip mine our resources with no political hindrance from people living on the land.This was the same motivation for the Scottish Highland Clearances.<br /> Corky Evans a former NDP cabinet minister said that every party accross Canada , of evey political stripe ,supports such a machevellian social engineering experiment, one that preceded the fall of the Roman empire and many others before it.<br /> Both Evans and NDP attorney general Colin Gabelman stated outright , both in words and actions that it is better to have resource industries totally controled by a few large multinational corporations, than to let small family owned businesses take part.<br /> A food supply on the far side of the planet is not a secure and reliable source. Most food consumed in the US travels at least 1400 miles before it is consumed.<br /> Yet people still ask why the Exon Valdes disaster? Why is energy so expensive? Why are countries going to war over the energy needed to ship their food to them from the far side of the planet? Duhhh.<br /> By not buying locally and thus creating a demand for locally grown food ,and opportunities for local growers, people are creating the very problems with polution, wars and political instability that they are wringing their hands over.<br /> Can't grow coconuts in the Yukon? don't eat it. Either switch to moose, or stop your bitching.<br /> Brent

[spooner]

Of course, our current agricultural system (giant subsidies in America, Canada, and the EU) combined with exploitational dumping policies (through AID, etc), is certainly a model we should continue.

[badsector]

[QUOTE]Of course, our current agricultural system (giant subsidies in America, Canada, and the EU) combined with exploitational dumping policies (through AID, etc), is certainly a model we should continue.[/QUOTE]<br /> When this system is phased out (as per the Doha agreement), there will be absolutely no way for Western farmers to compete with farming corporations, producing in Third World countries and selling their products in Western countries wihout restriction.<br /> <br /> Wake up people. Western corporations produce in countries such as China and India. With global free trade, they can export their products to Western countries without restrictions. This has already ruined manufactoring and services. Farming is next. The results will be the same.<br /> <br /> If farmers keep supporting globalization by voting conservative, there is nothing anyone can do for them. They signed their own death warrant.