If the human species has one unique characteristic, it may well be the propensity to kill things it doesn't like or that simply displease. Other species destroy to sustain themselves; humans just do it because they can.

Now there's big money in it.

One of the biggest money makers is Monsanto, the organization that brought us Agent Orange, dioxin, RoundUp and, most recently, acquired the company, Delta&Pine Land, that developed, together with the Department of Agriculture, the terminator gene.

Like the other monopolistic clients (Walmart and Tyson Foods) of the Stephens Group of Little Rock, Arkansas, Monsanto is not flamboyant and not keen on random publicity. Which is probably why they declined to be interviewed for the French documentary on their achievements.

Video below the fold.

There are twelve parts and, if you aren't inclined to view them all, I'd certainly recommend part three. But, for those interested in current events, the relationship between Indiana farmers and Monsanto, as well as the connection between NAFTA and Mexico's hereditary seed corn might be instructive.

Quite revealing is former Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman's assertion that the trade people (supporters of NAFTA and WTO relations) in the White House gave him a hard time for urging caution in lifting the FDA regulatory regime and designating transgenics as equivalent to naturally originating plants.

Considering that one of the principals of the Stephens Group, Jon E. M. Jacoby, is a major shareholder in the company that invented the "terminator gene," and Hillary Clinton did work for Stephens when she was with the Rose Law firm, perhaps the campaign stops in Indiana might be a good opportunity to ask her what she knows about their association with Monsanto. After all, since the Stephens Group arranged to bail out Bill Clinton, when his campaign was short of funds during his first run for the White House, the Stephens Group people must be pretty good friends. One might even wonder if Mr. Jacoby invited their participation in the ownership of Delta&Pine Land, which has actually been slated for acquisition by Monsanto for some time.

Stephens Group Inc. and Jon E.M. Jacoby will be major beneficiaries of the announced acquisition of Delta and Pine Land Co. by Monsanto Co. Stephens Group, the Little Rock-based holding company for the Stephens family's companies, owns 2.6 million shares of Delta and Pine, about 6.8 percent of the Scott.Miss., seed company.

Indiana seems to be sort of a quirky state

Indiana May Ban Hormone Labeling to Protect Monsanto

By Alexis Madrigal January 28, 2008 | 7:08:41 PMCategories: Food and Drink, Government

Cow2 A bill introduced in the Indiana House of Representatives by Bill Friend, a rep from tiny Macy, Indiana, would make his state the first to prevent consumers from knowing how their milk was produced.

HB. 1300, which could be voted on any day, is couched as legislation to protect consumers from mislabeling. But it would prevent dairy labels that contain a "compositional or production-related claim that is supported solely by sworn statements, affidavits, or testimonials." In other words, anything related to the moral or ethical dimensions of the product would be off-limits.

in its concern about the moral and ethical dimensions of milk. But it would probably be a welcome change to have the presidential candidates expound on that and perhaps even have the discussion morph into the relationship between Monsanto and family farmers in Indiana and India.

If one had the opportunity, one might even ask Hillary Clinton about her work with Thomas E. McLarty, Bill Clinton's first Chief of Staff, to promote the passage of NAFTA and whether she's kept in touch with McLarty in connection with his work at the Council for the Americas and Kissinger and Associates, where people like Donald K. Bandler also hang out.

Ambassador Donald K. Bandler is currently a Senior Director with Kissinger McLarty Associates in the Washington D. C. office and his previous position was that of Senior Vice President Government Affairs with Monsanto Company. In 2002, Donald Bandler completed a distinguished career with the State Department as Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus, where he worked closely with the United Nations, European Union, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus on matters affecting American interests in the strategic Mediterranean region. Prior to his ambassadorship, Bandler served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, as well as Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Paris.

A career Senior Foreign Service Officer, Bandler has also served as Counselor for Political and Legal Affairs at the American Embassy in Bonn and as Director of the State Department Office of Israel and Arab-Israeli Affairs. In 1999, he was Special Assistant to the President and Counselor to the National Security Adviser for the 42-nation NATO Summit, the largest gathering of world leaders ever held in the nation's capital. From 1995-97, Mr. Bandler was Deputy Chief of Mission and then Charge d'Affaires at the American Embassy in Paris. From 1994-95, he was Director of Israel and Arab-Israel Affairs at the Department of State and had an active role in Middle East Peace Process negotiations that yielded bilateral and multilateral agreements.

Given their history, it would probably not be a surprise if monopolists like Tyson and Monsanto expect to have another friend in the White House with another Clinton election. What Indiana farmers might expect is another matter. People like the Runyons aren't likely to be pleased by that thought.

David Runyon and his wife Dawn put a lifetime of work into their 900-acre Indiana farm, and almost lost it all over a seed they say they never planted.

"I don't believe any company has the right to come into someone's home and threaten their livelihood," Dawn said, "to bring them into such physical turmoil as this company did to us."