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Monsanto's Harvest of Fear
Cognitive Dissident writes "Intellectual property thuggery is not restricted to the IT and entertainment industries. The May 2008 edition of Vanity Fair carries a major feature article on the mafiaa-like tactics of Monsanto in its pursuit of total domination of various facets of agribusiness. First in GM seeds with its 'Roundup Ready' crops designed to sell more of its Roundup herbicide, and more recently in milk production with rBGH designed to squeeze more milk out of individual cows, Monsanto has been resorting to increasingly over-the-top tactics to prevent what it sees as infringement or misrepresentation of its biotechnology. As with other forms of IP tyranny, the point is not really to help the public but to consolidate corporate power. Quotes: 'Some compare Monsanto's hard-line approach to Microsoft's zealous efforts to protect its software from pirates. At least with Microsoft the buyer of a program can use it over and over again. But farmers who buy Monsanto's seeds can't even do that.' and '"I don't know of a company that chooses to sue its own customer base," says Joseph Mendelson, of the Center for Food Safety. "It's a very bizarre business strategy." But it's one that Monsanto manages to get away with, because increasingly it's the dominant vendor in town.' Sound familiar?"
"they are human beings, just like you and me.
Yes, they are human beings, and as human beings they are entitled to the same rights as everyone else. Because everyone else is also entitled to these rights, everyone is morally obligated to serve only themselves, and not infringe upon the rights of others. Such infringements include forced property redistribution through taxation and selective restrictions. If you want to help others, feel free to donate and ask your friends/family/neighbors to donate as well - spread the word! - but don't influence the government to commit rights violations.
"if your view of the third world is that hopeless, then you are a misanthrope."
The only misanthropes - ie, those who hate/distrust mankind - are those who believe man to be inherently evil and corrupted, incapable of thinking for themselves, requiring a government to do the thinking for them. It is only those who hate mankind would freely suggest violating inalienable rights. The same people who distrust the uncoerced, free trade of productivity among rational individuals, you will find shouting for the government to force people to hand over their productivity to regions made unproductive through corruption.