title was "Beefin' with GM", maybe you'll find this helpful...

Genetic modification poses multi-dimensional dangers that merit careful exploration of its potential short AND long term consequences. Concern over genetically modified organisms amply demonstrates the double-edged nature of scientific progress with regards to how perceived benefits of manipulating nature often become tainted by unforseen side-effects. The commercial introduction of genetic modification of agricultural animals in 1980 and crops in 1996 spawned controversial clouds over safety concerns regarding their adverse health and ecological impact.

Genetic alteration of plants occurs by either linking the desired genes to a transfer plasmid which gets absorbed by a bacterium that transfers it to plant cells to facilitate the transgene's migration and permanent integration into the plant’s chromosome, or by being injecting into the plant cells using gene-carrying “bullets” that penetrate cell walls through the use of a “gene gun”. Despite assurances from FDA Commissioner Jane Henney that genetic modification is a mere extension of traditional plant breeding techniques, the fact remains that the insertion of genes into organisms has yet to produce a genetically stable, uniform line.

Transplanted genes use a viral booster that radically alters the transgenes’ behavior to function as an invading virus, wheras organic plants are products of stable evolutionary tailoring that took place over countless years. This fact is the variable setting GM foods apart from their stable organic counterparts. Transgenes act independently of cellular controls and are uncorrelated with other genes. They escape regulation by the host organism’s control system, starkly contrasting with the harmonious coordination present among organic genes. The hyperactivity of invasive genes results from the constant expression of their product, where organic genes rest until the specific genetic function's need arises.

The tendencies of transgenes to loosen, rearrange, or become partially or entirely lost in successive generations forms the core of safety concerns. Because changes to the transgenic lines are upredictable, they often increase the chance of transgenic DNA being assumed by unrelated species. This horizontal gene transfer and recombination can spread to make new mixtures in the genetic coding of soil, water, airborne bacterbia, and the mouth, gut, and respiratory tracts of animals. Every species that interacts with a transgenically altered organism is at risk. Transgenic DNA is flanked by recombination sequences suited for crossing species barriers and invading genomes, which also allows them to jump out of the genome, as the same enzymes are catalysts for entry and exit. Dr. Mae-Wan Ho wrote about the similarity of this process with “gene therapy experiments” whose main side-effect was cancer. In a joint statement called “The Need for Greater Regulation and Control of Genetic Engineering” by scientists concerned with trends in biotechnology, the potential toxic or carcinogenic effects of genetic modification was said to have substantial latency periods. In short, the broad extent of environmental consequence unleashed by the Pandora’s Box that is genetic modification is unlimited.

Buffer zones are needed to protect organic crops and fields from GM ones because of the capacity of transgenic DNA to infect organic plants. Despite this understanding being acknowledged long ago, all earlier estimates of safe buffer zones- some of which have been as large as 5 miles- performed dismally in the prevention of cross-pollination, resulting in making soil conditions less hospitable to organic crops while more favorable for the invasive crop source.

Transgenes may also alter the genetic structure of symbiotic organisms to produce a genetically homogenous ecology. This constriction of biodiversity may potentially spell disaster for a specific biosphere if they are afflicted by conditions targeting specific weaknesses in a particular genetic structure. To put this in perspective, think what would've happened in Europe if no part of the population was immune to the black plague... or inversely, what would happen in D.C. if ebola broke out.

Arguments made for genetic modification typically assume overly simplistic, short-sighted premise sets to conclude beneficial results. Nevertheless, let us grant GM the benefit of the doubt and explore three of the text-book assertions made for the GM promise.

The vantage points hailed by GM advocates have repeatedly manifested their own serious drawbacks. Genetic modification is often presented as a solution for destroying weeds that consume valuable water resources, sunlight and soil nutrients needed by other crops. GM crops could be engineered to tolerate "broad-spectrum" herbicides that destroy all other plants. The field could then be sprayed with the broad-spectrum herbacide to kill all plants except the engineered crop, hence ensuring the bulk of soil and water resources be used by the intended crop. This would be a more "environmentally friendly alternative, as it would limit the use of numerous herbicides targeting specific plants. Unfortunately, weeds and GM crops often crossbreed to produce “superweeds” that actually draw nourishment from the herbicides. The presence of superweeds may spell pure disaster for farms.

Another argument contends that the insertion of transgenes allowing crops to produce pest killing toxins could save countless plants from being wasted. The most common natural pesticide is taken from genes of the bacterium Bacillus thurigiensis and combined to form pesticide-producing genetic crossbreeds, like Bt-cotton. Despite sounding like a fantastic innovation, the effectiveness of the genetically induced pesticide declines over time as the organisms its meant to destroy develop resistance to it thru prolonged exposure. Recent studies examining insect larvae in Bt-cotton indicated that pests have come to develop means of using the pesticide for nutrition. Larvae in modified cotton grew much bigger than those in organic cotton, and could eventually blitz and paralyze the farming industry, thereby severly disrupting global food production.

Genetically engineered recombinant Bovine growth hormone’s (rBGH) injected into cows stimulates the production of another hormone called IGF-1 that is responsible for speeding up the cow’s metabolism to increases milk production by 30%. Although this might produce tremendous short-term profit from increased milkprodction, the long-term impact of rBGH could spell disaster for both cattle and rancher. The hormone is linked to hoof problems and a serious udder infection called mastitis. An investivation by former Fox News reporter Jane Akra explored the claims by ranchers who blamed rBGH for shortening their cattles' lives by two years. The hormone affected cattle on many levels, altering the content of dairy products to where the produced milk is contaminated with increased levels of bacteria, mastitis induced pus and the antibiotics used to treat it. By consuming this milk, we subsequently raise our resistance to those antibiotics. This complicates the fight against disease, as new virii immune to our current medicines emerge. The increased production of IGF-1 carries into the milk and has also been linked to breast, colon, and prostate cancers.

Over 90% of GM crops are produced by Monsanto, with the remainder being distributed among Syngenta, Bayer Cropscience, Dow, and Du Pont. This concentration of GM production presents the very real possibility of global food production succumbing to oligopolistic control. Food could be used as a weapon tailored to suit socio-political and economic interests.

Shortly following Mexico’s ban of genetically modified (GM) crops, a particularly virulent strand of GM corn that was designed to secrete harmful poisons commenced to spread rapidly through Mexico’s northern borders, infecting fields of organic corn. Many analyst interpreted this incident as a sort of arm-twisting measure executed to coerce the Mexican government into reversing its ban. The recent wave of politically induced famines in various African nations were exploited as an opportunity to further the proliferation of GM crops by donor nations that dumped them into needy provinces. A political stand-off has since emerged between select leaders refusing to accept such food aid, and the western heads who would offer nothing else, despite being readily capable of supplying organic products. Food as a political weapon has the potential to surpass any weapon of mass destruction developed to date.

The union of big business and politics undoubtedly dominates the global socio-political landscape, often flying in the face of sustainable development. Wide-ranging health and ecological drawbacks of proposed commercial interests are ignored, and the marginal presence of objective GM oversight amply exemplifies this. Much of the GM regulations in the United States were swiftly passed during the two-year tenure of Michael Taylor as head of the FDA. Taylor's previous job was in the capacity of an attorney for the GM industry giant Monsanto. After his tenure, Taylor went right back to work for Monsanto. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the glaring conflict of interest here. The latest in regulatory measures came in the form of voluntary guidance allowing the commercial distribution of GM foods even before safety testing had been conducted.

Rest assured you are completely safe, citizen.

Who can comfortably accept the status quo knowing their very health and well-being is entrusted to the protection of a government driven by parochial corporate interests? The visions of many who thought the 21st century would usher an era of renewed reverence for huamnity, civility, egalitarianism, and peace have slowly transformed into pipe dreams.

History doesn't grant us the priviledge of having blind faith in the institutions affecting our lives. The world is mostly governed by complex agendas that often elude the precepts of rationality. We have arrived at a junction where everyone of us must strive to grasp the "big picture" and proactively engage our global village in pursuit of truth to genuinely reclaim power over our lives and, ultimately, our collective destinies. The parochial agenda of multi-national corporations are amply represented in this world, irrespective of what that translates into regarding the collective interests of humanity, while the interest of the people is actively supressed and muted in the process of social decision making called politics. In short, multi-national corps got their backs covered... so who got yours? A realistic, sustainable future cannot be possible without the active, resolute pursuit of our collective human interest.
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www.absurdtheater.org

“Stand out firmly for Justice as witness before God, even against yourselves, against your kin and against your parents, against people who are rich or poor. Do not follow your inclinations or desires lest you deviate from Justice. Remember, God is the best of Protectors and well acquainted with all that you do.”
-Qur’an 4:135

"Don't be deceived when they tell you things are better now. Even if there's no poverty to be seen because the poverty's been hidden. Even if you ever got more wages and could afford to buy more of these new and useless goods which industries foist on you and even if it seems to you that you never had so much, that is only the slogan of those who still have much more than you. Don't be taken in when they paternally pat you on the shoulder and say that there's no inequality worth speaking of and no more reason to fight because if you believe them they will be completely in charge in their marble homes and granite banks from which they rob the people of the world under the pretence of bringing them culture. Watch out, for as soon as it pleases them they'll send you out to protect their gold in wars whose weapons, rapidly developed by servile scientists, will become more and more deadly until they can with a flick of the finger tear a million of you to pieces."
--Jean Paul Marat, 18th Century French Visionary (and revolutionary), murdered in his bathtub by Royalist Charlotte Corday

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."
-- Johann W. von Goethe

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