General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Neil DeGrasse Tyson Tells Bill Maher That Anti-Science Liberals Are Full of Shit Too [View all]Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)As far as application of Genetic Engineering, uhm, is it fair to criticize agricultural companies for trying to increase yields and profitability by using such technology? Yes, it can be used in medicine, but isn't that for medical research organizations, companies and universities to research. Its fair to criticize HOW said technology is used, but the fact that its used at all doesn't seem like a fair criticism.
In addition, there is independently funded research into the safety of GMOs, don't know why you stated such a blatant falsehood.
You then make a lot of claims, so can you back them up:
New toxic proteins? Can you name some?
Gene Instability? What does this even mean?
New Allergens? Name some.
You then go on a tangent about superweeds and superpests, which isn't even related to GMO, but rather industrial farming practices. I would say that yes, overuse of pesticides leads to resistance to those pesticides in farming, this hold true regardless of whether the crop is GMO or not. That's why we need to find new pesticides and other effective techniques that are just as safe as the ones used, but are more effective in the future. Similar to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, its an arms race.
Now we see the ideology behind this post, and let me just say, a vegan diet isn't a cure for a heart attack, it might be a preventative, but it isn't a cure, neither is it a cure for cancer, also you need evidence for these assertions. In addition, are there doctors out there that actually prefer to have us go through bypass surgeries rather than cut down on the salt and fat? Or to exercise more, etc. Where does this myth come from? Hell, it took my fiancee a year and two referrals to get hip surgery, her orthopedic tried everything under the sun, from physical therapy to steroid shots, to avoid the surgery. Even the orthopedic surgeon was skeptical, and told her, in blunt terms, the risks, and the possibility that the surgery wouldn't work at all.
After he shaved her ball joint, a couple of bone spurs on her hip bone and sewed her cartilage back together, she feels much better now, but here's the thing, I'm not saying her doctors were wrong, they weren't, but they rightly wanted to avoid the risk of surgery IF it can be avoided. In this case, it most likely will have paid off, we will know long term, she's still in recovery of sorts, surgery was in January.