Just try eating an American meal without corn. And good luck with that, by the way. Corn is hidden in almost everything we eat, as the late great Peter Jennings told us in a special not long before his death. And this means the corn industry is HUGE and has tons of corporate farm cash with which to lobby the government.
But that's another blog for another day. Today, I'd like to focus on genetically modified corn and how you should know it's probably gonna be the death of us all. Well, maybe not all of us - but it's gonna wreak some damn havoc!
Most corn in America is grown by corporate farms, using genetically modified seed. According to The Washington Post, one company - Monsanto - controls 80% of the market share (not to mention 93% of soybean seed). That means Monsanto corn is in much of what we eat, and even drink. The sweetener in your Dr. Pepper and your kids' "juice" drinks, for instance.
Now this: Studies show Monsanto corn causes organ damage in mammals. You, my cluelessly corn-consuming friend, are a mammal. The nipples are a dead giveaway.
Why is corn seed genetically modified in the first place? Well, for many reasons. To increase yield per acre, optimizing ROI. To make it so the corn creates its own insect repellent. Thing is, you're then eating that. Yum!
Why don't you know these things? Why aren't you being told? Well...if you actually pay attention, the info is out there. You were probably too busy watching American Idol at the time... The good news is, you can read this article to inform yourself! Yay.
Bon apetit, mofos!
http://twilightearth.com/environment/report-monsanto-corn-causes-organ-damage-in-mammals/
I'm not one of these folks who thinks we shouldn't be working with genetics. On the contrary, I recently defended the practice in a debate with my dear wife. I'm betting most highly advanced civilizations in the universe have mastered genetic engineering.
ReplyDeleteReducing carbon usage and boosting yield and productivity are just the sort of positive change that can be made with GM. I'm for anything that benefits mankind as a whole.
That said, I don't believe Monsanto has the best interests of humanity or even Americans as it's prime directive. Profit and market share are more likely intentions, and they've gotten good at gaining both. It's not for farm families that they're trying to improve things - as their ads would lead you to believe, what with the americana footage and music (that's right, folks - those "America's Farming Families commercials are paid for by Monsanto). It's huge corporate farming conglomerates, who also don't give a hoot about anything but the bottom line.
And if fewer pesticides are making their way into our waterways and ground water, GREAT! But if it's being accomplished by having the plant manufacture its pesticide internally - which we then ingest - which then causes organ damage...well, that's some FUCKED UP SHIT. Period.
Corporate greed partnered with governmental corruption that values contributions and political backscratching over the best interests of the population it's supposed to serve and protect is what got something like that through the FDA), onto the market, onto our dinner table, and ultimately into our bloodstreams.
That's a huge problem. And it's crap like that which makes the common man skeptical about the benefits of GM foods. Easier to ban them all than risk the dangerous few. Again, I think that's backward thinking, but it's an understandable reaction from The People. So, if biogeneticists would like to see their field grow (pun intended), I would think they'd want to route out the bad to protect and promote the good.