Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 77 posts

Re: Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

#41

Post by newman8r »

dfeart3453465uf wrote: post #35

Could be interesting? Selling Glyphosate and 'roundup-ready' GMO crops is their main line of business in the United States for a long time! Monsanto is already a evil evil organisation -- and now they have the inventors of Heroin at the helm.

Jethro: "Your herbicide is too deadly, how can I drink my beer and aim the sprayer at the same time without getting this shit all over my crops and killin em?"

Sales Rep: "Oh, you mean you'd use more if it didn't do that... well I mean, I suppose... we could genetically engineer new crops so you could spray as much as you wanted without harming them"

Jethro: "We farmers are simple folk and we are environmentalist - so - I appreciate such a simple solution. We also need more gopher poison when you get a chance"

Re: Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

#42

Post by allendoerfer »

esrauch wrote: post #29
skrause wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Germany Monsanto is 'the big evil American company' and Bayer is just a big company.

This actually matches what seems to be the prevailing attitude in the US. There's a lot of hate for Monsanto (extending all the way to conspiracy theories) but I don't hear Bayer especially called out as evil (at least compared with some others like Pfizer or Nestlé)

They are evil geniuses. They disguise by famously placing their football team at second place every time, so nobody fears them [0].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001%E2%80%9302_Bayer_04_Lever...

Re: Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

#43

Post by newman8r »

allendoerfer wrote: post #38
pinaceae wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

are we for the legalization of drugs today or against? Heroin, basically a form of Morphine, has legit medical uses. Just like LSD and other fairly simple, potent molecules. Banning any R&D outright on them was a huge setback for medicine.

> are we for the legalization of drugs today or against? Nobody in their right mind wants to legalize heroin.

speak for yourself, there are plenty of people who think full and unquestionable legalization is the best way to start addressing addiction in modern society rather than treating it like a literal war.

Re: Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

#44

Post by allendoerfer »

newman8r wrote: post #43
allendoerfer wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> are we for the legalization of drugs today or against? Nobody in their right mind wants to legalize heroin.

speak for yourself, there are plenty of people who think full and unquestionable legalization is the best way to start addressing addiction in modern society rather than treating it like a literal war.

I am living in a city whose drug strategy is a model for others [0]. You can both help the junkies and prosecute the dealers all without gang shootings on the streets.

[0] http://www.dw.com/en/frankfurt-still-germanys-drug-capital-b...

Re: Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

#45

Post by reacweb »

Many documentaries have been broadcasted on TV in France about Mosanto. It was depicted a the evil personified (like http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsan...). Most of this must be correct because no repeated broadcast has been prohibited.

Now, I wonder if this was a plot. Maybe Bayer has favored these broadcasts to reduce the cost of takeover. Maybe Bayer is worst than Mosanto. Welcome paranoia.

Re: Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

#46

Post by helthanatos »

mtgx wrote: post #33
chollida1 wrote: post #12

Keep in mind that in today's global environment whenever a merger is proposed it has to go through alot of government scrutiny. Not just in the US, but also with the EU and China. See the Haliburton/Baker Hughes merger that was blown up by the US government. From a merger arbitrage perspective this has been a very interesting deal. This is the 4th proposal Bayer has made for Monsanto and with an all cash offer this m…

> The newly combined company will own the agricultural space, with a seeds and chemicals integrated vertical that would impress Apple. Is that supposed to sound like a good thing ? I can only imagine the power they will wield in future treaty negotiations against the existence of generic seeds on the market.

If there wasn't a patent on everything under the sun, making it hard for other/ new companies to get into different spaces, it would be a good thing for prices, but considering how business today works, this isn't very good...

Re: Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

#47

Post by M_Grey »

newman8r wrote: post #41
dfeart3453465uf wrote: post #35

Could be interesting? Selling Glyphosate and 'roundup-ready' GMO crops is their main line of business in the United States for a long time! Monsanto is already a evil evil organisation -- and now they have the inventors of Heroin at the helm.

Jethro: "Your herbicide is too deadly, how can I drink my beer and aim the sprayer at the same time without getting this shit all over my crops and killin em?" Sales Rep: "Oh, you mean you'd use more if it didn't do that... well I mean, I suppose... we could genetically engineer new crops so you could spray as much as you wanted without harming them" Jethro: "We farmers are simple folk and we are environmentalist - s…

I like the idea that "Jethro" is still running the farm. It's not usually true, but I guess it makes for a more amusing anecdote.

Re: Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

#49

Post by pinaceae »

allendoerfer wrote: post #38
pinaceae wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

are we for the legalization of drugs today or against? Heroin, basically a form of Morphine, has legit medical uses. Just like LSD and other fairly simple, potent molecules. Banning any R&D outright on them was a huge setback for medicine.

> are we for the legalization of drugs today or against? Nobody in their right mind wants to legalize heroin.

Portugal did and is seeing benefits.

Re: Bayer confirms $66bn Monsanto takeover

#50

Post by kesselvon »

chollida1 wrote: post #12

Keep in mind that in today's global environment whenever a merger is proposed it has to go through alot of government scrutiny. Not just in the US, but also with the EU and China. See the Haliburton/Baker Hughes merger that was blown up by the US government. From a merger arbitrage perspective this has been a very interesting deal. This is the 4th proposal Bayer has made for Monsanto and with an all cash offer this m…

Bayer does have a CropSciences division, so that might be up for grabs?
Post reply on HN