This excellent article reports on an incident at the U. of Minnesota involving the holding up of a film produced by the University's Agricultural Department. This incident offers another illustration of how the ruling capitalist class infiltrates every important institution in US society to insure its class interests.
Not long after the news broke that Troubled Waters [the film] was being held up, it came to light that Vice President of University Relations Karen Himle was behind the film’s purgatory. This information was notable because her husband John Himle is president of Himle Horner, a public relations firm that represents the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, a group that promotes both ethanol production and industrial agriculture practices. More troubling, as El Dragón at Fair Food Fight points out, is the fact that Cargill–which is a key player in ethanol production–has its VP on the University of Minnesota’s board. And that the U of M also has a building on its St. Paul campus named for Cargill. In addition, the university has had funding put at risk by its research before, and so could be trigger-happy.Closely related to this issue and which provides excellent background information on US farming practices, is a book by Michael Pollan entitled, The Omnivore's Dilemma. After reading this book you will never look at food the same way as you have in the past.
