The Republican War On Science

[AllPurposeAtheist]

In very recent history millions upon millions of people starved to death around the globe on a fairly regular basis.  As a child it was on the news every year. The famines were as regular as clockwork and seemingly nothing could be done about it.
Now something is being done about it and unless you're just as happy as a pig in shit looking at teevee images of children starving every single day GMO's are here to stay. The alternative of course is to never pay a bit of attention to the news and pretend that your neighborhood Kroger just shits out perfectly edible food perfectly packaged for your convenience.

[stromboli]

Regardless of what we want, it ultimately doesn't matter. Monsanto and other companies can justify their actions based on food needs worldwide. the other side- perhaps more relevant to the topic- are golden wheat and golden rice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_wheat

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_rice

Both are genetically based for different reasons; golden wheat for yield and hardiness, golden rice to produce vitamin A, which is traditionally lacking in most rice varieties. You can find very good reasons for both, the nutritive aspects of it are certainly valuable, despite any objections to the process to achieve it. Humanity has been meddling with crops for thousands of years.

The obverse is, as many would recommend, reverting to non modified species. but the problem with that is they would immediately be prey to a variety of pests, fungus, and any number of natural enemies. Also crop yield per acre would be greatly diminished. I don't have a source, but I read that an acre of ground today produces 4-6 times the yield of a hundred years ago. You have less produce per acre and, even though ultimately the soil would benefit and improve, the issue is still crop yield. I guarantee you if you asked 10 big crop farmers if they would rather grow heirloom crops versus GMO crops, the majority would go with GMO. Heirloom crops are raised on smaller farms where issues with pests and so forth can be controlled. Try that on 10,000 acres and it is a different story. Like it or not, GMO is here to stay.

(edit) Sorry AP, you posted same time I did.

[aitm]

Most people are too ignorant of simple science. They think that GMO's are not even made with atoms but man made other things……really.. peeps be stupid.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

There was an anti-gmo rally in Columbus Ohio a few years ago and as I walked down the street watching several people yelled toward me AS IF I should join in which I didn't. One fool tried to shove pamphlets in my face. I told him to fuck off and go have a twinkee. I guess since I have long hair they thought that I must be just as stupid.
Hint:hair length doesn't tell you much other than I don't like cutting it off. 

[AllPurposeAtheist]

AND here we have the republican war on infrastructure right here in South Carolina. Call the feds.

[Baruch]

Most people are too ignorant of simple science. They think that GMO's are not even made with atoms but man made other things……really.. peeps be stupid.

Tell that to the sheep that are 10% human DNA over in England.  Or are you one of the humans who is 10% sheep?  I am not ignorant of science, or of evil.

[Baruch]

In very recent history millions upon millions of people starved to death around the globe on a fairly regular basis.  As a child it was on the news every year. The famines were as regular as clockwork and seemingly nothing could be done about it.
Now something is being done about it and unless you're just as happy as a pig in shit looking at teevee images of children starving every single day GMO's are here to stay. The alternative of course is to never pay a bit of attention to the news and pretend that your neighborhood Kroger just shits out perfectly edible food perfectly packaged for your convenience.

I am not happy ... but feeding third world people poisonous food, or shooting them up with experimental pharmaceuticals ... is about as colonialist as I can think of.  The farmers in India who are being exploited by Dupont or Monsanto ... thank you for all your wonderful science, before they go commit suicide.  Tell me how things are working out for the Mexican campesinos with the availability of cheap grain from the US.  If you don't want starving children, then don't have any.

[aitm]

Tell that to the sheep that are 10% human DNA over in England.  Or are you one of the humans who is 10% sheep?  I am not ignorant of science, or of evil.

DNA is still composed of atoms and atoms for the most part are still all of the natural variety.

[aitm]

. but feeding third world people poisonous food,

well sure..we always do that. My goodness it's in our national motto.

[Baruch]

well sure..we always do that. My goodness it's in our national motto.

Apparently you aren't aware of how us Western folk generously provide aid, including Aids medicine, to Africans.  Also how the US thru its organ, Monsanto, is trying to eliminate every old-seed food crop on the planet, so that the only seed planted, self destructs ... it can't be used for seeding next years crops.

[josephpalazzo]

The war on science by the Republicans is based on their religious beliefs. That took place after Reagan open the gates to the religious nutcases. Pre-Reagan, the GOP was not anti-science.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Baruch you don't seem to be able to separate the idea of feeding a hungry world from the motivation of one corporation.  So what do we do?  Sorry you have to starve because Monsanto is a greedy corporation?  General Motors was and is a greedy corporation and automobiles have caused irreversable damage the world over and millions of people die every year in them. Are you suggesting we go back in time to horses and buggies because GM and oil companies are also greedy?  I'm all for limiting the power these corporations have and heavily regulating them, but not to the point where millions of people starve to death every year. 

[Baruch]

If you want to feed the world ... go ahead, just leave me out of your NWO.  Put on the tin pot hat, and a sack of apple seeds, and go around planting apple trees.  Worked for Adam and Eve ;-)  Our ecological impact is great, no matter how we self organize.

People are born.  People die.  Both people I know and don't know.  Including myself.  Fact is, we have an obligation to die, not just maximize our ecological footprint or our numbers.  All three ... but don't forget the obligation to die.

So what is going forward in time?  Teleology to utopian visions?  Manifest Destiny of the Middle Class?  We go forward in time, and it isn't all progress.  In fact a lot of so called progress is regress, but in a new shiny package.  Progressives vs regressives ... I say fie on you both!

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Oh goody. You're out to save us all from ourselves.  Personally I have no interest in trying out the notion of seeing if heirloom crops can feed us all so be my guest and go plant your fat ass on Monsanto's front door step to protest GMO's.

[TomFoolery]

If you want to feed the world ... go ahead, just leave me out of your NWO.  Put on the tin pot hat, and a sack of apple seeds, and go around planting apple trees.  Worked for Adam and Eve ;-) 

Except apples aren't native to North America. Now who's fucking with ecology?