[lindil]

I am of real limited time today so w/ out qoutes and such I am sure you can connect my replies to yours...

I am no scientist, heck , my only science in High School was the bare minimum earth science.

But I do fear large corporations and their desire for profits. Monsanto and ADM being to of the scariest in my limited understanding.

I am not against extremely secluded and guarded experimenting with GMO's but I did not see you address the [for me] essential point that via pollen the GMO [dna?] essentially contaminates [possibly? probably?] forever realted nearby species.
I cited the example I have heard of that many species of native Mexican corn are now gone due to serious pollen drift.

In Europe some GMO company had the gall to sue an ORganic Farmer because of their pollen drift!!!

He now had their copyrighted seeds in his organic crop.

The whole concept of copyrighting seeds which are the worlds inheritance is pretty fundamentally sick.

I can't really tie this to anything Tolkien related other than vague Mordor and Saruman-esque generalizations of seeming corporate intent, so I won't try...

Re: the anecdotal evidence I presented of my friend [which you very tactfully replied to btw] does not such anecdotal evidence become often the basis for scientific inquiry?

We listened for decades to big Tobacco tell us that there was no link between smoking and lung cancer....

I tend to, and this is a direct result of a very strong Tolkien influence when I was still young and impressionable, distrust Large corporations, I admittedly jusdge them guilty until proven innocent.

GMO's are in this case such a potentially far-reaching, and potentially irreversible shift that the greatest caution is needed.

I agree that science in and of itself is neutral. So is in some utterly abstract way and atom bomb till it is exploded.

Many scientists on the'left' or rather outside of corporations are very concerned that GMO's are something of a trojan horse, in addition to the greed factor of proprietary seeds...

One last point, re: the attitude of run or be run over, well in the corporate world that really seems to be the case, every new development not pursued could mean loss of profits or a 'competitive edge' and this mindset has seeped into our culture in general.

I think it is fine a fine attitude to adopt for things such as getting housework done, or training hard in something, but I do not trust it at all when it comes too serious scientific or spiritual pursuits where the hazard of uncertainity is coupled w/ irreversible harm from haste.

I hesitate to use the analogy, but it does seem apt; would not Saruman have said much the same to G?

" we must fight Sauron with all weapons necessary even orcs, or we shall be mowed over"

As one Lord Pentland said, " the solution to any problem does not lie on the same level as the problem itself".