Posted on 11/09/2013 1:48:05 AM PST by iowamark
Article reprinted with the permission of Dr. Marc Van Montagu
If you’re a liberal you have to find a way to generate panic so you can use that panic to get money and/or political power. Global warming was already staked out. Peak oil is about over. Overpopulation is not sufficiently panic inducing. The war on women doesn’t have any moneymaking potential. So, it’s on to made up stuff. Genetically modified plants are a perfect vehicle.
I encountered an anti-GMO troll at a recent meeting who started off his line of argumentative questioning with, "Lifespans are declining and we are seeing all kinds of new diseases and the U.S. is doing worse health-wise than the other developed countries, and many scientists think it is because of GMOs." That's the level of the rhetoric.
This fellow, however, had picked the wrong meeting for this kind of thing, because everyone in the room knew that every one of his premises was flatly false. If we had had stocks and a fool's cap, he'd probably still be chained up for display. But this kind of thing gets traction in the current media environment.
I am very conservative, and do not consider myself in any category to be a liberal. I am too conservative to consider myself as a supporter of the GOP.
I do not eat GM foods if I can possibly avoid them. It has nothing to do with being a science skeptic, climate or otherwise. My desire is to eat only natural, healthy, preferably organically raised food, and including natural raised or wild-caught meats. The Genetic Modification of food makes it more difficult for the endocrine system to handle the food, and in many foods, the genetic mutation is designed to enable the food to survive harsh pesticides which pollute the product. I do not want the pesticide residue in my body. I am a six year colon cancer survivor, and pure natural organic unprocessed food with minimal chemicals and synthetics, and preservatives, can help me live in a healthy way. Also, my wife had a form of breast cancer that thrives in an estrogen positive state, which hormone is also influenced by diet. Processed Soy, which is pervasive and incorporated extensively into the American processed foods, is also generally derived from GM soy, and is a source of food that hyper elevates typical estrogen levels in the body.
These GM apologists do not tell the whole story. Our bodies are designed to have natural nutrition from the earth. It is simply not safe to mess with the genetics of the food supply and act like there will be no health consequences for people who eat genetically modified food.
An argument seeking societal approval for GMO foods based on climate change is highly suspect.
Have to agree with you FlyingEagle, not a fan of GM foods.
I’ve seen just as many on the right displaying fanatical opposition to GM foods, often as some kind of NWO one-world-government plot to subjugate the food supply and thereby force dependence on government in cahoots with Monsanto and other supra-national corporations. Big banking and Agenda 21 usually get tied into it somewhere too.
In this single formulation you inadvertently reveal that you do not understand either food or the endocrine system. So why should anything else you say be given any credence?
GMO is the total takeover and control of what we eat. GMO seeds cannot be reused forcing repurchase year after year. In case of nuclear war or total destruction there would be no organic seeds to plant.
Cancer rates are exploding all over the world. What might be causing this? How about they look into GMO foods.
I am a full time. capitalist but have a hard time letting a few businesses taking control of my food supply.
I too think that when man tinkers with nature nothing good will become of it and when a few businesses control the food, they control the world.
No seeds can be re-used. What you are talking about is the reservation of a portion of the seed crop to use for the next year. Not a bad idea for the farmer, but not so good for the people who developed the insect resistant, mold resistant, drought resistant varieties etc. Naturally they are looking for more than a one time sale. How can you blame them? This kind of research is not done on the cheap. Now, any farmer who wants to forgo the advantages to be gained from other men's labor can use his own heirloom seeds. No problem there, but Monsanto and others are not charities, and to expect them to behave as charities is unrealistic to say the least.
I’m with you here! The difference with us as conservatives is that we don’t push our choices onto others and we don’t demand government actions that require others to do what we do. I prefer to grow and preserve as much of our food as possible, so another reason I dislike certain companies that make GM foods is that I can’t save seeds like I do with my heirlooms.
Spot on!
Source? I didn't think so.
Why not? Because there is no worldwide explosion of cancer. What there is a worldwide explosion of longevity. This increase in longevity is exposing the fact that cancer will eventually get every one of us if we don't die from something else first - as has been the case of most of mankind's existence on Earth.
If the wind carries GM pollen into my garden and contaminates my heirlooms, can I sue Monsanto like they can sue me?
I am in total agreement with you FlyingEagle.
These scientists have no clue about the Pandora’s Box they are opening.
I only eat natural foods that G+d has given us, not overly-processed crap that comes from factories or these frankenfood experiments.
I avoid genetically modified food as much as possible. I don’t consume anything with artificial sweetener either. I avoid medication and supplements. It’s a matter of choice. I’m not a fan of big government or big Agra or big pharma. This is not a liberal’s view. With healthcare access about to be rationed, my health is my wealth.
Is it possible that you don't see your own hypocrisy here?
You say that you are a conservative and you don't push your choices onto others. Great - I applaud you for that.
But then you say you "dislike certain companies that make GM foods." Why is that?
It's because they have this weird desire to earn back their research and development costs by charging for their products. Isn't that you wanting to push your choice, i.e. that Monsanto should operate as a charity instead of a profit making business?
That's what it looks like to me.
I’m with you. I’m not going to jump on that ‘they are all liberals so there must be nothing to it. It’s like Fracking in that its relatively safe and rather benign, but needs constant and continual oversight because you know somebody is going to abuse our collective ignorance in pursuit of the almighty dollar.
I am not totally on the side of the GM seed barons. They should not be able to sue or harass anyone for the inadvertent proliferation of their genes.
GM seed producers ought to find satisfaction in court only for the intentional theft of their IP, either by a farmer gathering and storing patented seeds or by industrial espionage. Inadvertent spreading of genetic material ought not be actionable by the GM seed producer.
But it ought to be actionable by the person whose seed stock has been contaminated with unwanted genes. It ought to be the GM seed producers and the farmers using their seeds to control their proliferation. I would think strict liability ought to govern in such cases.
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