Four Freedoms Metastasized

During his State of the Union address, 6 Jan 1941,

President Franklin D. Roosevelt discussed four fun-
damental freedoms that people everywhere in the
world should share:
Freedom of
speech
Freedom of
worship
Freedom
from want
Freedom
from fear
The U.S. must
have been a dif-
ferent place back
in 1941, because
these words of
freedom helped to
inspire the Great-
est Generaton
to soldier-through
the years of misery
which soon en-
gulfed the naton.
Only a few months afer his speech, the U.S. entered
WWII and todays world was born of the chaos, de-
structon and loss of millions of lives that soon fol-
lowed.
Democracy seemed to work then. But, in 2014, our
democracy is not the same as our parents. There is
no doubt that our government is working for the very
wealthy. But, it is not working for me and most likely
its the same for you, too.
Our four freedoms have metastasized into the exact
opposite of our parents.
For instance, how can one profess freedom from fear
when the U.S. military, federal agents of all types and
the local police department SWAT team can bash in
your door, toss in a fash bang and, if you survive
the encounter, throw you into jail all without a
warrant. (1.)
Or, if every email, tweet or Facebook postng you write
ends up in the hands of the FBI or Homeland Security
and you can be thrown into jail at anytme, held indef-
nitely, at their discreton all without a warrant. (2.)
Free from want
has turned into a
Frankenstein mon-
ster. Not only have
Americans been
turned into a naton
of sugar addicts [On
average, Americans
annually consume,
45.5 Lbs of sugar
and four gallons
of high fructose
corn syrup loaded
junk food. (3.)] by
our government
in order to faten
corporate cofers,
we are now guinea
pigs, subject to an
endless stream of
genetcally en-
gineered food products. Its sadly mind-boggling to
know that not one governmental agency has conduct-
ed research as to the long-term efects of genetcally
engineered food products on humans. What does that
portend for us?
Consider Monsantos Roundup Ready crops which
are engineered to be herbicide-tolerant. They now ac-
count for about 75 percent of all the corn and coton
grown in the U.S. and 90 percent of soybeans.
Whats important about that? According to Michael
Pollan, award winning journalist, food and food indus-
try expert (Pollan is also professor of journalism at the
UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and the
director of the Knight Program in Science and Environ-
mental Journalism. He is the author of many books,
four New York Times bestsellers and hundreds of art-
cles, and a contributng writer to The New York Times
Magazine) Roundup Ready genetcally engi-
by Ronald D. Baker
neered corn does not increase crop yields, but it sure
does produce herbicide-resistant weeds, promptng
farmers to use more and stronger herbicide sprays.
And, that causes a slew of collateral damage to
adjacent crops, wildlife and ultmately humans, too.
(4.) (Please see, What is this STUFF? Agent Orange is
Roundup Ready.)
Since Monsanto forbids family farmers from saving
Roundup Ready seed corn for next-season plantng,
farmers are locked into a never ending cycle which
not only ensures fat profts for Monsanto but guar-
antees that we have no choice but to eat Franken-
stein-corn. World-wide, for farmers and consumers,
forbidden to save seeds means its become more
difcult for people to feed themselves.
Some see Freedom of worship as a foundaton of
America. However, American freedom of religion
actually translates into: Its O.K. for you to practce
your religion as long as its similar to mine in my
eyes. If, for instance, you wear a turban, a veil, some
form of garb or dress, display facial hair or the hair on
your head in an unusual way then you may stmu-
late a visit form the current version of the KKK the
FBI, the IRS, the CIA, or some mentally disturbed
person who sees your diference as proof that Satan
lives within you. Even worse, perhaps if you actually
believe in walking Christs path, well, then, that really
makes you the ultmate threat to the establishment.
In The Fight for the Four Freedoms What Made FDR
and the Greatest Generaton Truly Great, historian
Harvey J. Kaye, has correctly concluded that today
Americans need to take personal responsibility to
right the injustces which are now metastasized
throughout our society. But throughout his book
Prof. Kaye also makes another important point: it was
President Franklin D. Roosevelt who made the wheels
of government work for all Americans and not against
them.
FDR not only faced the Republican obstructonists
and regressives of his day, he out foxed and overcame
them. And rather than surrendering before the batle
began, he went to the American people with new
ideas, plus and most importantly the means and
the courage to achieve them. FDR became the leader
we needed when we needed him.
Compared to our leader, President Obama, there is no
comparison (save for the usual Republican obstruc-
tonists to obsess upon). FDR actually did what he said
he would do while our leader, President Obama, has
failed us when we needed him most.
Perhaps in learning that we have lost our four free-
doms we also have discovered another inconvenient
truth. Barack Obama is no Franklin Roosevelt.
What is this STUFF? Agent Orange is Roundup Ready
From the Center for Food Safety January 2014 Fact
Sheet, Agent Orange Crops: The Next Stage in the
Chemical Arms Race: AGENT ORANGE: CHEMICAL
WARFARE IN THE VIETNAM WAR
The frst planned use of 2,4-Dto destroy Japanese
rice felds in WWIIwas preempted by the end of the
war. Like many wartme biocides, 2,4-D was repur-
posed for domestc use the war on weeds only
to realize its original mission two decades later in
Vietnam. In what has been called the largest chem-
ical warfare operaton in history, the U.S. military
dumped 11 million gallons of Agent Orange (a mixture
of 2,4-D and the even more toxic 2,4,5T) over Vietnam
from 1962-1971. The purposes of this chemical war-
fare were to destroy rice felds and rainforests to deny
the Vietnamese food and cover. The Veterans Admin-
istraton regards Agent Orange exposure as the cause
of numerous diseases in Vietnam veterans: diabetes,
neuropathy, Parkinsons disease, heart disease, liver
dysfuncton, chloracne, numerous cancers, as well
as birth defects in the children of exposed soldiers.
According to one estmate, at least 3 million Vietnam-
ese sufer serious health problems from Agent Or-
ange exposure, including birth defects in children and
grandchildren of those exposed. (5.)
Sources
1. Chris Hedges Capitalism, Not Government is the
Problem, Truthdig / Op-Ed, Truthout, Chris Hedges,
5 May 2014.
2. The 9/11 Decade and the Decline of U.S. Democ-
racy, Vincent Warren, Executve Director, Center for
Consttutonal Rights, 7 Apr 2014.
3. Is Sugar Toxic?, The New York Times Magazine,
Gary Taubes, 13 Apr 2011
4. A Journalist and a Scientst Break Ground in the
G.M.O. Debate, The New Yorker, Amanda Litle,
25 Apr 2014.
5. Go to the Center for Food Safety or Center for
Food Safety January 2014 Fact Sheet, Agent Orange
Crops: The Next Stage in the Chemical Arms Race.
Download the PDF version here.