The US government-funded 'private social network' attacking pesticide critics

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/26/government-funded-social-network-attacking-pesticide-critics

by hammock • 2 years ago

46 5 2 years ago

I once visited a local store that's 100% dedicated to selling pesticides and herbicides, pest control, traps, you name it. Open to consumers, no license or ID required.

It really drove home the quiet facts: pharmaceutical companies such as Bayer and Johnson & Johnson are the same ones in charge of manufacturing modern pesticides/herbicides, and distributing them to farmers and home-improvement stores.

They're also the self-same companies who've been producing the drugs designed to execute criminals. It's interesting how they've recently sort of balked on furnishing those drugs in service of capital punishment, isn't it?

tpmoney• 2 years ago

Is that particularly surprising or quiet? It seems to make sense to me that the people who are in the business of making chemicals that alter biological processes in targeted ways at given dosages are also making chemicals that alter biological processes in targeted ways at given dosages. Admittedly, I probably never thought about it specifically, but who else would be making them?

lesuorac• 2 years ago

To double down on this.

Afaik, a lot of chemical companies basically just make stuff and then test it. If it turns out that it's lethal then it can be "binned" for lethal uses. If it turns out to be helpful than it can be "binned" for medicinal uses.

I'm sure they have a goal when testing new compounds but if it turns out to be a better matchstick they're not going to throw it into the trash because it was supposed to turn lead into gold.

blackeyeblitzar• 2 years ago

The profiling mentioned in this article just seems dystopian. But then I realize this type of opposition research is what “PR” actually is. And it is a part of everything in our society - politics, corporations, celebrities, and so forth. As for what these companies use that research for - I am guessing it is mass manipulation. I don’t disagree with their right to speech and influence, just like activists enjoy those rights. But having this exposed out in the open makes it easier to understand where the corruption is and where more scrutiny is needed, so the debate on this topic can be had efficiently. I’m not usually a fan of much of the Guardian’s journalism, particularly where it strays from factual reporting to biased opinion, but appreciate this particular article.

As an aside, one thing that really disturbs me is that these industries can pollute our environment with all these complex chemicals without any real understanding of the long term negative effects. It seems wild that you can just roll the dice with things that are spread across millions of acres and presumably get into our food, water, etc.

like_any_other• 2 years ago

Syngenta denies there’s a proven causal link between paraquat and Parkinson’s.
A profile of a London-based research professor who has spoken out against agrochemical companies and GM crops contains several deeply personal details of his life unrelated to his positions on crops or chemicals. The profile describes a wife who died of “suicide-related complications” after discovering an extra-marital affair by her husband and following a “23-year struggle with depression and schizophrenia …”
The New Lede and the Guardian have previously revealed that Syngenta’s internal research found adverse effects of paraquat on brain tissue decades ago but the company withheld that information from regulators, instead working to discredit independent science linking the chemical to brain disease and developing a “Swat team” to counter critics.

Keep this in mind when these companies release any statement regarding how safe their products are. Their approach to public debate is finding unrelated dirt on their critics and killing their funding, while knowingly spreading lies to literally poison their customers. Treat them and their words accordingly.

The US government-funded 'private social network' attacking pesticide critics

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