Topic: Michael Taylor

Two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, are facing extradition to Japan for allegedly helping former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn escape the country in a musical instrument box. Ghosn fled to Lebanon in 2019 to avoid trial for financial misconduct. The hosts speculate that the intense pursuit of Ghosn suggests he may possess damaging information about high-level corporate or political figures.

The hosts discuss Monsanto's "Terminator seeds" and the company's influence over the FDA through former executive Michael Taylor. They compare the seed monopoly to software lock-in, where farmers are forced to buy new seeds every year rather than saving them. The discussion touches on the high rate of farmer suicides in India linked to debt and the transition from traditional farming to commercial seed dependency.

Michael Taylor has been appointed as a senior advisor to the FDA commissioner, effectively serving as the new U.S. Food Safety Czar. Taylor's history includes overseeing FDA policies in the 1990s that allowed the introduction of Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rBST) into the milk supply. His appointment is criticized due to his past legal and corporate ties to the biotechnology industry.

Former Monsanto executive Michael Taylor has been appointed as a senior advisor to the FDA Commissioner, effectively serving as a "food czar." Taylor will oversee food safety regulations, budget requests, and the implementation of prevention-based strategies. Critics point to his history with Monsanto as evidence of corporate capture within the federal government.

The appointment of Michael Taylor as a food safety advisor in the Obama administration is criticized due to his history as a Monsanto lobbyist and former FDA official who approved bovine growth hormone (rBGH). The hosts describe this as a "revolving door" between big agriculture and government regulators. They argue that Monsanto and Goldman Sachs effectively control key aspects of U.S. policy.