From the Truth Is Stranger Than file: GMO Death-Tech meets Hit Squad

"A death-tech firm weds a hit squad.”
Blogger Rady Ananda

It appears that bio-tech giant Monsanto & Co. has graduated from in-house open source intelligence gathering and moved on to involve itself in the murky world of Blackwater ops.

From The Sovereign Independent, 1 November 2010:

Monsanto hired mercenary Blackwater to infiltrate anti-GMO groups

A spokesperson for Monsanto, reached by Scahill, first denied the relationship with Blackwater, but then admitted that Monsanto had paid Total Intelligence for intelligence reoprts

“… about the activities of groups or individuals that could pose a risk to company personnel or operations around the world which were developed by monitoring local media reports and other publicly available information. The subject matter ranged from information regarding terrorist incidents in Asia or kidnappings in Central America to scanning the content of activist blogs and websites.”………

The documents obtained by Scahill show that Monsanto paid Blackwater’s subsidiary, Total Intelligence a total of $232,000 for intelligence services provided in 2008 and 2009. Aside from the brief statement provided to Scahill, Monsanto is keeping quiet on the matter, as is Blackwater and the other organizations cited in Scahill’s article. Scahill said the Canadian Military paid Blackwater over $1.6 million for training, which was provided through Blackwater’s subsidiary, the Terrorism Research Center. Blackwater violated some US export control laws, reported Yahoo News this past August, violations which included the provision of training to the Canadian Military. While the list of violations the US Department of State found Blackwater guilty of is extensive, the company was only fined $42 million. The company name ‘Blackwater’ was changed to Xe (pronounced ‘zee’) in 2009, which Source Watch called a ‘rebranding effort.’ The company is now up for sale. AFP reported Blackwater operatives were accused of killing 17 Iraqis, wounding a further 22 in what was said to be an unprovoked attack in 2007. The company was later cleared of all wrongdoing. Blackwater was ordered out of Iraq earlier this year because of that violent incident said CBS News.

GMO FOOD PRODUCTS AND PRODUCTION AIDS APPROVED FOR SALE/USE IN AUSTRALIA

* This post is part of North Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.

Want to know about the history of Yuragir National Park in northern New South Wales?

An excellent point of reference is There were always people here: a history of Yuraygir National Park .

Written by Johanna Kijas and published by the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change, this publication is one to treasure. I've been on the lookout for something such as this for many years.

The publication explores the ways in which:
* Aboriginal people have retained their connections to Country
* settler Australians have created new lives and formed new attachments to the landscape
* complex historical and social forces and conflicts have shaped the creation and establishment of Yuraygir National Park.

It also records some of the wonderfully rich memories that people have of this landscape. It records the way they experience it, the way they remember it, how they continue to revisit it, and how the landscape itself provokes powerful emotions.

I must acknowledge that it was a review by blogger perkinsy that pointed me in the direction of this excellent publication. Thanks, perkinsy!

Here are some extracts from perkinsy's review:

One of the features of this publication is the incorporation of both Aboriginal and settler histories into the narrative.  The custodial relationship of the local Aboriginal people to the land prior to European settlement, during the difficult period of colonisation through to today is recognised throughout.  Australian history did not start with European settlement, the Aboriginal people had lived here for thousands of years.  Acknowledgement of this is also reflected in the title – ‘there were always people here’.

 ... there is enough information for a reader who is interested in a particular issue mentioned in the publication to follow up more detailed sources through the footnotes and the extensive bibliography.

This is more than a synthesis of the work of others.  Kijas has sought to address the gaps in our knowledge of the history of the area.  The contribution that this publication makes to our knowledge is through the many interviews that Kijas has done with those people whose families made a significant contribution to the area, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal.

Read perkinsy's review of There were always people here.

Credits: Department of Environment and Climate Change and Yvonne Perkins

Another attempt to define protections for Australian mental health service consumers

National standards for mental health services 2010
National standards for mental health services 2010 (PDF 699 KB large file)

"This document outlines a set of mental health service standards which can be applied to all mental health services, including government, non-government and private sectors across Australia."

Standard 6.

Consumers

Consumers have the right to comprehensive and integrated mental health care that meets their individual needs and achieves the best possible outcome in terms of their recovery.
(Note: The consumer standard is not assessable, as it contains criteria that are all assessable within the other standards.)

Criteria

6.1 Consumers have the right to be treated with respect and dignity at all times.

6.2 Consumers have the right to receive service free from abuse, exploitation, discrimination, coercion, harassment and neglect.

6.3 Consumers have the right to receive a written statement, together with a verbal explanation, of their rights and responsibilities in a way that is understandable to them as soon as possible after entering the MHS.

6.4 Consumers are continually educated about their rights and responsibilities.

6.5 Consumers have the right to receive the least restrictive treatment appropriate, considering the consumer’s preference, the demands on carers, and the availability of support and safety of those involved.

6.6 A mental health professional responsible for coordinating clinical care is identified and made known to consumers.

6.7 Consumers are partners in the management of all aspects of their treatment, care and recovery planning.

6.8 Informed consent is actively sought from consumers prior to any service or intervention provided or any changes in care delivery are planned, where it is established that the consumer has capacity to give informed consent.

6.9 Consumers are provided with current and accurate information on the care being delivered.

6.10 Consumers have the right to choose from the available range of treatment and support programs appropriate to their needs.

6.11 The right of consumers to involve or not to involve carers and others is recognised and respected by the MHS.

6.12 Consumers have an individual exit plan with information on how to re-enter the service if needed.

6.13 Consumers are actively involved in follow-up arrangements to maintain continuity of care.

6.14 The right of consumers to have access to their own health records is recognised in accordance with relevant Commonwealth and state / territory legislation / guidelines.

6.15 Information about consumers can be accessed by authorised persons only.

6.16 The right of the consumer to have visitors and maintain close relationships with family and friends is recognised and respected by the MHS.

6.17 Consumers are engaged in development, planning, delivery and evaluation of the MHS.

6.18 Training and support is provided for consumers involved in a formal advocacy and / or support role within the MHS.

They have stopped throwing shoes in Britain......

"A woman stabbed an MP twice in the stomach during a constituency surgery in revenge for his vote for the war in Iraq, a court heard today."
{The Independent UK on 1st November 2010}
More here.