Regrann from @freedom_faction - Thoughts? The #BigPharma giant #Bayer has just won approval from the US Justice Department for the $62.5 billion dollar takeover of the agrichemical behemoth #Monsanto. The deal, which was solidified on Tuesday, has many people on edge knowing that Bayer, a company with a sordid history of corruption is merging with Monsanto, the company who has made an empire with its pesticide, herbicide, and genetically-engineered seed empire. As DW reports, as part of Bayer’s agreement with US antitrust enforcers, the #German firm will be required to divest some $9 billion in assets. Regulators said they directed Bayer to sell off its entire cotton, canola, soybean and vegetable seeds businesses, as well as its digital farming business. It will also sell its Liberty herbicide, which competes directly with Monsanto’s product #RoundUp. Prior to this sell off of assets, government regulators voiced their fears that the merger of these two companies would hamper competition and be a detriment to both farmers and consumers. Although Bayer’s asset sales were the largest divestiture ever required by the #UnitedStates, some concerns over this monopoly are still alive, and rightfully so. Though Bayer established its reputation for the invention of aspirin, a more nefarious incident involving an HIV-contaminated drug to be administered to children suffering from hemophilia proved the corporation’s practices aren’t as noble as it would have the public believe. In 1984, Bayer’s #FactorVIII, used in the treatment of hemophilia, became contaminated with #HIV — which the company became alerted to after a number of children became infected. In full awareness its medicine was tainted — and unable to sell Factor VIII in its compromised state inside the U.S. — Bayer asked for and received permission from federal regulators to sell the affected batch to #Argentina, #Indonesia, #Japan, #Malaysia, and #Singapore after February 1984. 🖐🏾More in comments👇🏾 - #regrann
