The Weekly Watch

Food Fight!

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Big pharma and big ag have teamed up to feed us crap, make us sick, and sell us drugs for the condition. The WEF is involved in the scam as well, wanting you to eat bugs and halt animal production.

The World Economic Forum is committed to helping define the agriculture industry agenda and drive change that boosts well-being and improves the global food system.

Today lets look at a saner approach as we review the news of the week.

Corporate-food-system-3017524629.jpg

Sugar, seed oils, and processed foods are literally killing us.
Krystal and Saagar bring on Calley Means to break down how big corporations in the food industry pushed for policies to maximize sugar intake that has led to negative health outcomes in the USA.
Calley was also on Redacted last week

Means is exposing our broken food system which is keeping people sick and reliant on pharmaceuticals. Means argues that the FDA allows companies to buy access to food guidelines. (22 min)

Robert Lustig has been trying to educate people of the dangers of sugar too.
Take Back Your Health - with Dr. Robert H. Lustig
BIG AG Feeds Into BIG PHARMA: Metabolic Health Benefits From REGENERATIVE Farming | Dr. Rob Lustig

It is much more than sugar. Seed oils are a major source of health issues. These oils are hidden in all kinds of products...almost every salad dressing, mayo, and processed packaged food are full of GMO soybean oil. I've featured this before, but if you missed it it is worth your time.

Dr. Chris Knobbe - 'Diseases of Civilization: Are Seed Oil Excesses the Unifying Mechanism?'
Here another of his presentations:
“Obesity, Diabetes, and Chronic Disease: Is it the Sugar, ‘Carbs,’ Vegetable Oils, or All Three?” (41 min)
So what are the healthy fats? The very ones they tell you to avoid...butter, lard, tallow, olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil (especially for high heat).

Part of the issue is food fraud...

How Americans Are Tricked Into Buying Fake Food (12 min)

But it is really much deeper than our food system, the entire US system is broken and in disarray.
Nobody explains the issue better the Chris Hedges. Here he is with Jimmy in two excellent conversations.
Think Things Are Bad Now? Just Wait, Says Chris Hedges (44 min)
https://www.salon.com/2023/01/10/americas-theater-of-the-absurd-our-has-...

The days of the American empire are numbered, says journalist Chris Hedges, and the evidence is all too clear for anyone who’s studied history. Our rampant militarism abroad combined with neglect of the domestic needs of any but the wealthiest citizens describe a grim future for the United States, he says. And if you think progressives in government might help us avoid that destiny, think again – The Squad and their ilk are merely controlled opposition designed to provide false hope for change. Jimmy and Americans’ comedian Kurt Metzger discuss with Hedges the calamity that elites have wrought in condemning the United States empire to the dustbin of history.

How DEMOCRATS Became The Party Of Endless War w/ Chris Hedges (25 min)

Do you remember when Democrats were the anti-war party, the party that questioned U.S. imperialism, the party that wondered why we needed to spend so much money to kill people all over the globe when there were so many here at home in need of assistance? Well, those days are long gone, journalist Chris Hedges notes, as Democrats have joined their voices in near unison to support increased military spending on the War in Ukraine, to say nothing of the rest of the Pentagon spending. Jimmy and Americans’ comedian Kurt Metzger talk to Hedges about the upside down world we live in where more Republicans in Congress object to U.S. war making.

Chris like so many think meat production damages the climate and environment. It is true industrial CAFO's are horrid, but regeneratively grazed animals do just the opposite. They sequester carbon. So what's with the WEF and others trying to shut down farms? Look who they target, small farms.., while subsidizing the large CAFO's.
Targeting farmers is the new governmental over reach...

Amos Miller has recently settled with the USDA in a case against him that has brought food safety regulations to a crossroad with the rights of consumers and producers to have sovereignty over their food choices. Robert Barnes is Miller's attorney.

Greg Judy does an amazing job. I can imagine reclaiming our grasslands which have been largely turned in crops. (13 min)

Building healthy soil with ruminant animals. It all starts with management. Trampling carbon on the soil surface is money in the bank.

Joel Salatin is another excellent regenerative farmer.

He had to fight the USDA for his meat processing facility too.

I often hear the argument that there's no way to bring this management style up to scale. All it would take is more farmers. Look at these commercial Chicken tractors. (12 min)

Pastured poultry has become quite popular.

Pigs can be both profitable and quite helpful restoring worn out soil.

How to improve/regenerate overgrazed pastures with pigs. (12 min)
We've been experimenting with rotating pigs on our paddocks to mitigate weeds, manage erosion and create quality soil that's ready for planting a cover crop. The results have been remarkable! Join Nick from our Animals Team as he shows us how we've transformed hardpan nutrient-deficient land into seed-ready soil.

All this boils down to diversity of animals and plant species to heal soil and improve climate, as well as producing nutrient rich high quality meats, eggs, and milk. It requires a return to smaller farms directly serving their communities.

The same is true with market gardens for veggies.

Jim Kovaleski and Tanner Johnson have teamed up and are ramping up the production! There are some new Farm additions such as, vermicomposting, chickens and a walk-in cooler! Jim also shares why it was the worst sweet potato harvest ever! (40 min)

Pete of Green Dreams is also starting a market garden.

The Gardens were growing amazingly and we've been harvesting and selling the tasty produce at Market. Nick shows us what's growing on, what's new and what he's harvesting. He also gives a brief tour of our new plots in between the Syntropic System rows. (15 min)

So that's enough farming for today. You get the idea. Locally produced food is to my mind the best path forward. It would also raise the health of the people eating and living this way.

Let's finish with a couple more news items.

Julian Assange and the war on whistleblowers w/Kevin Gosztola | The Chris Hedges Report (30 min)

CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou: GOP won't do real intel oversight (30 min)

And finally a Duran episodes from this week...
Saudi Arabia continues to move away from petrodollar (8 min) They discuss the US economic suicide through sanctions and theft.

So that should give you plenty of food for thought. I look forward to your thoughts and comments. Pick and choose the items that interest you as is always the case with this open thread, and comment on whatever is on your mind. Have a great Sunday!

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Comments

I think your highlights are spot on. Small, well managed farm plots make all kinds of good
sense. What is lost in the cycle by the cost of transportation to urban centers is made up
by having access to healthy foods.

happy and healthy new year!

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8 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@QMS

Some animal production can also happen. I like this Salatin design of rabbits and chickens.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK5TH_VaC6o&t=4m]

Thank for the visit this morning. Looks like y'all are cold. We're at about 45F with a drizzle. Take care and be well!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout

my comment comes from a few meat, dairy and vegetable farms in our area that
supply their wares to markets up in the Providence urban area. It is a bit of a hike,
but at their production levels, the local consumers aren't enough to sustain them.
Some wonderful cheeses, grass fed beef and seasonal vegetables are difficult to
source in the population centers. But there are indoor farmers markets in the
nearby cities year round. We just go to the farms when needed.

Cheers

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Lookout's picture

@QMS

We use several local farms. They too market in larger markets like near by Chattanooga and Rome, GA.

It cost a bit more, but you get healthier, better food, in my opinion.

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9 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Pluto's Republic's picture

@QMS

.... I was able to subscribe to a bi-weekly farm box delivered practically to my door by using the Regenerative Farm Map at this link:

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Lookout's picture

@Pluto's Republic

This site: https://www.eatwild.com/ is good too. People can locate local farmers near them.

Thanks for the link!

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

ggersh's picture

it sure would be nice at this stage in life to have a farm, be
self sufficient with nature all around, but alas our elites
don't want us to be that happy.The WEF especially would love
to see that.

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Lookout's picture

@ggersh

Chrystia Freeland that is.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/11/09/camp-n09.html
Oh boy a Ukranazi in charge of NATO. What could go wrong!

Thanks for the visit!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

One small planter of green onions was awash yesterday, took boat bit and made more drainage holes down from the top. (speaking of gardening) Will pick last of the apples today too and then do winter pruning on it. It's really hard to raise much in a tiny yard with trees and bushes in it, but we get some stuff.

Tip - shredded junk mail = free mulch, it's amazing how quick that shit piles up. Meanwhile, gathering a few pics to illustrate nature's pruning service.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

@enhydra lutris

...but alas, off on a three week adventure tomorrow to sunny Mexico.

I'll get to it when I'm back home. Still have plenty of prep to do.

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7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout @Lookout Coast or interior? Hopefully, both!
Fwiw, I listened to Mercola interview Whitney Webb this morning. One of the topics she discussed was the new concentration camps being called "Smart Cities". If possible, she says, get out now, get to rural areas. The important thing is to get to land and learn to garden or farm. Get the "how to" books now. The clear implication was that information on how to independently feed yourself could be completely disappeared from the internet and public libraries. After all, control the food, control the people, according to Kissinger.
My brother checked in to raising chickens. Right now, a laying hen costs $40. That is insane.
Take care, and bon voyage, friend!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

...in the Yucatan. Working our way around the coast, beaching and birding. Then into the interior to experience colonial cities and Maya ruins.

Join in the WW over the next three weeks to see what were doing. I just finished the last of the three essays. If I have the internet access and bandwidth, I'll try to add some live shots and commentary.

As to the new slave cities, my understanding is the reason TPTB are taking over Dutch farms is to create such cities.

In 2017 blueprints for the construction of an interlinked smart city was presented, linking The Netherlands together with major cities in Germany, France, United Kingdom, and others, known as the Tristate City Network. The smart city can reportedly hold upwards of anywhere between 30-45 million people.
...
The construction of smart cities are of course a very vital part of the ambitions for the year 2030, when the World Economic Forum says “you’ll own nothing and be happy,” living in an autonomous smart city.
...
I was completely unaware of these plans but now it makes much more sense why The Netherlands has tirelessly tried to sequester the farmer’s land.

https://winepressnews.com/2022/11/30/netherlands-announces-that-they-wil...

Thanks for the Whitney tip. She is one sharp cookie.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout Local guides? Going with a tour group?
I hope you have locals to steer you to the best places to sight see, and restaurants that use purified water.
This sounds goofy, but use bottled water to brush your teeth, and keep your mouth closed when you shower. And consider wearing rubber thongs in the tub.
The Mayan ruins are awesome! As are the dolphins!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

but we use local guides for things like birding.

And yes to bottled water. It is the safest approach.

Upon return I'll share my trip preparation process, and describe how well our plans came to fruit.

See you after 2/15/23

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

My daughter is in town staying with me and she usually knows what's going on but when I mentioned Bill Gates and farms disappearing or being closed by governments she was pretty surprised. Holland's bad news, especially shocked her. She has known about the seed vaults which supposedly are in Alaska and what's been happening with small farms in America.

Thank you for the brief and also shocking Alex and Alexander tape on the transition out of petrodollars to other currencies.
Their timeline for the fall of the dollar was 2/3 years.

Alex mentions that when he first considered this issue he thought the dollar would last for another 30 years as the pace setter, and he seems as amazed as I feel how the pace has quickened so dramatically.

Mexico in this deep and dark winter! Lucky you. Have a splendid time.

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NYCVG

Lookout's picture

@NYCVG

I'll take you along.

I thought the Alex's had it right. Through the reckless sanction program and eroding any trust we had by literally stealing other countries funds, we've committed economic suicide. I think it'll be a while before the total collapse.

Thanks for coming by today. Stay warm and healthy!

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10 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@NYCVG https://t.me/rocknrollgeopolitics/6047

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NYCVG

Lookout's picture

@NYCVG

Did you catch any of Lavrov's speech last week?
Text - https://www.renewamerica.com/columns/hank/141025
video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w3MB44X8us

He says the same thing about Napoleon and Hitler.

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8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout @Lookout @Lookout @Lookout @Lookout @Lookout But the huge part that Russia played in winning WWII has been getting notice.

There are photos from Stalingrad, now Novogrod, on Twitter headings, for example.

The casualties from Russia are immense and horrifying.

it was not the late-to-the-table USA that secured peace in Europe, it was the Russian Army stopping Hitler.

Country Military Deaths Total Civilian and Military Deaths

Soviet Union 8,800,000- 10,700,000 24,000,000
United Kingdom 383,600 450,700
United States 416,800 418,500
Yugoslavia 446,000 1,000,000
etc.

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NYCVG

Lookout's picture

@NYCVG

The text can be scanned. I didn't deep read it all.

It was Russia more than Wellington that defeated Napoleon too...despite the narrative.

Take care!

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9 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

canon fodder for the meat grinder.

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Lookout's picture

@humphrey

As the NATO heads gather at the USAF base in Germany trying to figure a way out of this.

The Duran had an interesting take...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqzfRqw0bE0]
Building a military to fight Russia, on the fly (20 min)

Thanks for the tweets!

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7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout Thanks.

I agree with them that Putin is not going to use nuclear weapons. Why would he? His hypersonic missiles can stop a city in its tracks and not pollute the planet for decades. or centuries.

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NYCVG

weapons.

@NYCVG

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@humphrey turn out 1,000 missiles every year. Or so I have heard.

nobody can even come close to that.

Also interesting is that the US has cleaned out the US' bullet cupboard in Israel. Whatever the US Military had stocked up there in case of ME unrest is now en route to (purportedly) UKR. Or (realistically,) whoever grabs the shipments.

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NYCVG

@humphrey @humphrey my friends----Scrounging for troops, tanks, bullets, warm clothing---Everything and Begging on the world stage.

Meanwhile Russia has everything it needs and plenty to ship and share with all of its supporters.

Our country and the browbeaten sorry a--es in Europe have a lot to answer for.

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8 users have voted.

NYCVG

https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-lawmakers-want-irans-guards-branded-ter...

BRUSSELS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The European Parliament called on Wednesday for the EU to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, blaming the powerful force for the repression of protesters and the supply of drones to Russia.

Ties between the European Union (EU) member states and Tehran have deteriorated in recent months as efforts to revive nuclear talks have stalled. Tehran has detained several European nationals and the bloc has become increasingly critical of a continuing violent crackdown on protesters, including executions.

In a text backed by an overwhelming majority of lawmakers, the European Parliament condemned "the brutal crackdown by Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on the demonstrations after the death of Mahsa Amini, following her violent arrest, abuse and ill-treatment by Iran's 'morality police"

It could lead to devastating consequences!

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/01/22/696798/Anti-IRGC-vote-Iran-mull...

Iran says it can withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and discharge the inspectors of the UN nuclear agency as countermeasures against the European Parliament’s call for designation of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted an amendment calling on the EU and its member states to include the IRGC in their terror list. It also passed another resolution on Thursday, calling for more sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities and putting the IRGC on the EU terrorist list over alleged human rights violations during the recent riots.

Speaking on the sidelines of a closed session of the parliament on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that everything would be possible if a number of European political leaders, who he called “inexperienced in diplomacy”, do not change course and rectify their mistakes.

Amir-Abdollahian said that in his recent talks with some European Union’s senior officials, including EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell, they reassured him that they do not seek to implement the “visceral decision” made by the European Parliament against the IRGC.

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Lookout's picture

@humphrey
...and come back to bite them in the ass. Can't they see how it is the EU/West which is weakened.

It is amazing.

Ralph does a good job wading into the legality...(5.5 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezX_zXvBpsE]
Why there's NO SUCH THING as FREEDOM Anymore..

Much much more from Ralph here:
https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisHedgesFanClub/videos

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8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

I watched the Dore/Hedges clip. Hedges' contention that Congress is just a theater of the absurd and not a legislative body has been borne out by the results (over the past 30 years). I did enjoy Metzger's quip about some faux "progressive" in congress complaining how hard it was to be a progressive because then you might have to write legislation (as opposed to taking legislation apart as the congress-critter alleged the freedom caucus does). That was pretty hilarious....as they say, the jokes write themselves.

I'll be looking at some of the other links throughout the week. We had a beautiful day today, sunny and bright. I spent most of it outside...it was great. I look forward to hearing about your trip. Safe journeys and have fun.

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Lookout's picture

@randtntx

your day was nice. A gray chilly drizzle here, but I 'm glad to see the water table refill.

We've been busying around trying to get ourselves together for our journey. Always lots of details, but we've got it under control...I hope.

Chris just tells it straight...sad that it is just theater. John Kiriakou says much the same thing about the future new "Church Committee"...Jordan has already loaded it with CIA folks who hate FBI. Another theater. Both need investigating.

Thanks for dropping by...

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

dystopian's picture

Hi all, Hey LO!

Thanks for the great weekly roundup of the U.S. policy train wrecks.

Have a great trip to Yucatan! Ocellated Turkey and King Vulture are a couple I would make effort for if I ever get to go there.... Of course lots of Yucatan endemics. Mexico is covered in awesome birds... Motmots to Toucans, Bat Falcons, and Flamingos in some spots where lagoons of right sort, up on north end of the YucPen mostly methinks. I hear the 'clearing' or 'edge effect' around ruins make for great birding. Listen for the funniest laughing you ever heard, and then look for the Laughing Falcon. Can't wait to hear about what you see! Have a GREAT trip!

be well all!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Lookout's picture

@dystopian

https://www.twowanderingsoles.com/blog/sian-kaan-mexico
where we saw Ocellated Turkey and other great birds. Plus the only Puma/Cougar I've ever seen in the wild. It crossed the road in front of us while we were birding.

Edit to add: Also saw a bat falcon at the big cenote in Valladolid

Like most trips like these, you just have to be receptive to what comes.

Thanks for coming by!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

dystopian's picture

@Lookout Very cool to see one in the wild! I have always said, I have not ever seen a Cougar in the wild, but I bet a bunch have seen me. Twice I did see Jagarundi here in the U.S. back when I used to hang out on the Rio Grande in the late 80's.

Yeah when you are somewhere where everything is different, it hardly matters... Orange-breasted Falcon is as good as a Bat or a Laughing. Last winter the U.S. got its first ever record of Bat Falcon, down on the Rio Grande at Santa Ana NWR. It was there a month or so. I wouldn't know whether to look at the birds, butterflies, dragonflies, or underwater for the fish. Smile

Have a wonderful trip!

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6 users have voted.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Lookout's picture

@dystopian

...will do.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”