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Agent orange Quote by Anonymous

“Government By The Industry, For The Industry Vice President George Bush sat in his chair across from four Monsanto executives. They had come to the White House with an unusual request. They wanted more regulation. They were venturing into a new technology, the genetic modification of food, and…” quote by Anonymous
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““Government By The Industry, For The Industry Vice President George Bush sat in his chair across from four Monsanto executives. They had come to the White House with an unusual request. They wanted more regulation. They were venturing into a new technology, the genetic modification of food, and they were actually asking the government to oversee their emerging industry. But this was late 1986. Ronald Reagan was president and the administration was busily deregulating business. Bush needed convincing. “We bugged him for regulation,” said Leonard Guarraia, one of the executives at the meeting. “We told him that we have to be regulated.”[1] Monsanto was about to make a multibillion-dollar gamble. With this new technology, they could engineer and patent a whole new kind of food. Later, by buying up seed companies around the world, Monsanto could replace the natural seeds with their patented engineered seeds and control a hefty portion of the food supply. But there was fear among Monsanto’s ranks—fear of consumers’ and environmentalists’ reactions. Their fear was borne of experience. Years earlier, Monsanto had assured the public that their Agent Orange, the defoliant used during the Vietnam War, was safe for humans. It wasn’t. Thousands of veterans and tens of thousand of Vietnamese who suffered a wide range of maladies, including cancer, neurological disorders, and birth defects, blame Monsanto.””

Anonymous

About This Quote

Source Speech: Private meeting with Monsanto executives, White House, 1986

Industry leaders sought regulation to legitimize a controversial technology, revealing tension between profit motives and public safety concerns.

In simple terms: Companies asked for rules to protect their new product.

Key Takeaway

Beware of self‑serving regulation.

Themes

corporate power regulation ethics public health

Mood

cautious critical

Type

political historical

When to use this quote

  • policy making
  • food industry
  • environmental safety
  • consumer protection

Key Concepts

capture risk management public trust

Questions to Reflect On

  • Who should set standards for emerging technologies?
  • How can public interest be protected from corporate influence?
A Different Perspective

Regulation driven by industry may prioritize profit over safety.

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