Monsanto’s Endgame: Surveillance, Political Capture, and a Poisoned Planet

The Firing Line

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Monsanto’s Endgame: Surveillance, Political Capture, and a Poisoned Planet

How Corporate Greed, Political Power, and Hidden Science Put Public Health and Democracy at Risk

Barking Justice Media

and

Robert Anderson

May 08, 2025

Transcript

Introduction: Profit Over People, Science, and Survival

In pursuit of profit, Monsanto, now Bayer-orchestrated systemic corruption, environmental devastation, and Orwellian surveillance campaigns to silence critics. From manipulating financial records to infiltrating the Trump administration, the agrochemical giant weaponized its $63 billion empire against public health, scientific integrity, and democracy. This is not merely corporate misconduct; it is a calculated assault on humanity’s right to safety and transparency-one that continues today.

Whistleblowers and the $80 Million Fraud

In 2016, Monsanto paid $80 million to settle SEC charges of accounting fraud, masking Roundup’s declining sales through rebate schemes. The whistleblower, awarded $22.4 million, exposed a culture where “numbers were massaged like Play-Doh.” Internal emails later revealed plans to discredit the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) after it labeled glyphosate a “probable carcinogen” in 2015. Scientists were smeared as “activists in disguise,” while Reuters reporter Kate Kelland collaborated with Monsanto to publish rebuttals.

“They didn’t just want to win the science-they wanted to erase dissent.”
-Carey Gillam, investigative journalist and Monsanto critic.

The Surveillance Machine: From Fusion Centers to Trump’s EPA

Monsanto’s 2019 “Watch List” scandal exposed a global espionage network targeting journalists, lawmakers, and activists. Operatives tracked French legislators’ pesticide votes and monitored U.S. teen activist Rachel Parent. Post-2016, the operation escalated:

Trump’s $8 Billion Bargain: To secure approval for Bayer’s Monsanto acquisition, CEOs pledged $8 billion in U.S. R&D-a “smoke-and-mirrors deal” repackaging existing budgets.

Lobbying Surge: Bayer spent $8.47 million in 2024 lobbying for liability shields, funneling 60% of PAC funds to GOP candidates. Recipients included Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who blocked PCB regulations.

Regulatory Capture: Trump’s EPA appointees fast-tracked glyphosate re-approval in 2020, dismissing cancer risks. Emails show Monsanto executives celebrating “friends in high places.”

Health Risks and the Battle Over Science

1. Glyphosate’s Cancer Controversy

IARC’s 2015 Classification: Declared glyphosate a “probable carcinogen,” triggering Monsanto’s “Let Nothing Go” campaign to discredit researchers.

2025 Findings: Peer-reviewed studies link glyphosate to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and kidney disease, with residues in 90% of U.S. food samples.

2. Silencing Scientists

Aaron Blair (NIH Epidemiologist): Monsanto pressured Blair to withhold data linking glyphosate to cancer, per 2017 court testimony.

Dr. Linda Birnbaum (NIEHS): Faced smear campaigns after criticizing Monsanto’s PCB cover-ups.

3. Pre-Harvest Spraying

Pre-harvest spraying of glyphosate, the active ingredient in herbicides like Roundup, has become a widespread practice in modern agriculture, particularly in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. Farmers apply glyphosate to crops such as wheat, oats, barley, lentils, and chickpeas roughly one to two weeks before harvest. The primary reasons for this are to accelerate crop drying (a process known as desiccation), control late-season weeds, and ensure a uniform, efficient harvest-especially in wet years or regions where weather conditions can delay natural drying. This practice is especially valued by large-scale growers who need to coordinate the harvest of thousands of acres within a tight window.

However, the use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest treatment has raised significant health concerns due to the residues that remain on food crops. Studies have documented that glyphosate residues are detectable in a wide range of wheat-based and oat-based foods, sometimes at levels that exceed or approach regulatory maximum residue limits. The U.S. has increased its allowable glyphosate residue limits over the years, in part to accommodate this agricultural practice, but these limits are much higher than those set in the European Union.

Medical research has highlighted several potential risks associated with chronic dietary exposure to glyphosate residues.

Children and pregnant women may be particularly vulnerable. Studies have found glyphosate in the urine of a high percentage of pregnant women, with higher levels linked to shorter pregnancies and increased risk of developmental disorders. There are also concerns about potential impacts on liver and kidney health, as well as possible endocrine and developmental effects from long-term, low-dose exposure.

“They didn’t just attack the science-they attacked the scientists.”
-Dr. David Carpenter, environmental health expert.

Environmental Apocalypse, 2025

1. PCBs: The Eternal Toxin

Seattle, WA (2025): A $100 million verdict found Monsanto liable for PCB poisoning at Sky Valley School, where students developed neurological disorders. Over 60,000 cases remain active.

Brofiscin Quarry, Wales: PCB levels 140x above safety limits persist in groundwater. “Our children played in sludge they called ‘black jelly’-now they’re dying of cancers Monsanto called a myth,” said a local councilor.

2. Glyphosate’s Expanding Toll

Bayer’s Ultimatum: Threatening to pull Roundup from shelves unless granted immunity from lawsuits, Bayer echoes Purdue Pharma’s opioid playbook.

The Trump-Monsanto Money Pipeline

Campaign finance records expose a quid pro quo:

“They didn’t just lobby politicians-they bought a political operating system.”
-Charles Idelson, healthcare reform advocate.

Consumer Call to Action: Breaking the Cycle

1. Boycott Bayer/Monsanto Brands:

Herbicides: Roundup®, Liberty®
Seeds: DEKALB®, Asgrow®
Pharmaceuticals: Xarelto®, Mirena®

2. Mobilize Locally:

Demand PCB Testing: Petition city councils to test soil/water near former Monsanto plants.
Support PACTPA: The Protecting America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act (PACTPA, H.R.5085/S.269) bans neurotoxic pesticides.

Key Lawmakers to Contact:

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO): Blocked EPA climate programs; received $89,450 from pesticide lobbyists.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA): Co-sponsored Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act; took $447,735 from NRA.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ): PACTPA co-sponsor; advocate for pesticide reform.
How to Support:
Use Congress.gov to message representatives.
Join campaigns by Beyond Pesticides or Center for Food Safety.

3. Legal Recourse:

Join Class-Action Lawsuits:

Roundup MDL No. 2741: Over 4,200 pending cases. Eligibility requires proof of glyphosate exposure and NHL diagnosis post-2022.
PCB Contamination Claims: Visit pcbclassaction.com to join the $550M Monsanto settlement.

Steps to File:

Consult firms like Robert King Law or Simmons Hanly Conroy.
Gather evidence: receipts, medical records, employment logs.

4. Pressure Retailers:

Home Depot & Lowe’s: Demand removal of Roundup (despite Bayer’s 2025 ultimatum).

Tactics:

Sign petitions (157,000+ delivered in 2024).
Use social media hashtags: #RejectRoundup, #ToxicFreeHome.
Highlight competitors: Costco and B&Q phased out glyphosate.

Conclusion: Rewriting the Script

Monsanto’s saga is a parable of unchecked capitalism, one where whistleblowers are hunted, science is commodified, and communities are sacrificial lambs. Yet the 2025 Sky Valley verdict signals a shift: jurors are no longer swayed by corporate gaslighting. As Bayer clings to its Trump-era alliances, the public holds a weapon more potent than any herbicide: collective outrage and the moral highground.

“They thought they could bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”
-Adapted from Mexican proverb, spray-painted outside Monsanto’s former HQ.

References:

SEC Filings (2016).

Internal Monsanto Emails (2015).

Bayer-Monsanto Merger Documentation (2018).

FEC Disclosures (2024).

EPA Correspondence (2020).

IARC Monograph (2015).

Heartland Study (2025).

Journal of Food Biochemistry (2020).

Environmental Working Group (2024).

Seattle Court Records (2025).