Confused Thinking?
I don't get it. Rick Weiss of the Washington Post has written that people remain wary of eating genetically altered food. Many want nothing to do with meat or milk from cloned animals. Yet, majorities of people would willingly have cells created from embryonic stem cells taken from other human organisms injected into their bodies? This seems like a tremondous disconnect to me. Perhaps it is because genetically altered foods have faced appropriately skeptical media reporting, unlike ESCR.
Still, the people have figured something important out. When asked who they trust most to tell them the truth about GM foods and related issue, the media came in dead last, with only an 11% trust rating. Again, note the disconnect. If people were equally skeptical about media coverage of ESCR and cloning, proponents of ethical biotechnology might be doing better.
posted by Wesley J. Smith @ 6:15 PM
9 Comments
9 Comments:
People have been genetically altering food forever. Ever seen fossilized specimens of corn from the pre-Mayan days? It was so closely monitered and tinkered with by our forefathers that the sex cells actually switched; the male parts became the female parts and vice versa. Yes, there are dangers to be had in under-regulated playing around with our food, but I've never seen anything in any of the literature suggesting genetically altered food is totally unsafe.
I won't eat cloned meat, though. I don't believe in cloning animals any more than I believe in cloning humans.
Tabs.
There is certainly a lot of confused thinking around, but this case is easy to explain. People see no particular advantage to GM food, they didn't ask for it, it's being foisted on them by corporations. So naturally it is viewed with suspicion and rejection.
But the only reason a person would be treated with stem cells is if they are faced with a major disease that is otherwise untreatable. So even if there was some queasiness about the unnaturalness of it, the perceived upside is much greater than in the case of GM food.
Wrong, mtraven. Women in the UK are traveling to Eastern Europe to be treated with fetal stem cells as beauty treatments! And, according to UK media, Ukrainian women are being paid $200 to get pregnant for eight weeks.
I think you are partially right. But I think the media has played up the potential danger of GM foods and down the potential problems associated with ESCR and cloning.
I concur with Wesley in that I don't quite understand the objection to GM foods, but less reluctance elsewhere.
But going to Eastern Europe for beauty/stem cell treatment? That's gross.
T E Fine (and anyone else)
Below is a short sci-fi story I wrote way back in college that deals with cloning, manipulation of nature, abortion, and many of the issues here.
I'd say it's my "Brave New World." Comments are appreciated.
http://thetriangleroyale.blogspot.com/
Wesley, cd. you post the link about "getting pregnant for eight weeks"? I thought that sort of thing was still in future-land, but I suppose people are so irrational about beauty treatments that I shouldn't be surprised. (And so willing to do anything for money in the former Soviet Union.)
Do we have reason to believe that it is the same people who are unhappy about genetically-modified foods and willing to use embryonic and fetal stem-cells? Perhaps it's non-overlapping sets of people.
Royale: "Triangle"
Excellent action story but NOT Brave New World.
Preserved "genetic experiments" would not be Abortion as I think of it - as an artificial stoppage of a natural act.
Many interesting discussions can arise from the satire and imagination and social commentary of Huxley in Brave New World.
All that can be derived as a message from this short, short story is that life and purpose of our "Hero" are totally predestined by genetics and what remains of society. Yet, he is undone by a seemingly random incident in a chaotic world - was it by chance, did somebody know his weakness, or there a Fate that rules men's lives - even the genetically enhanced human equivalent of the invincible Titanic
Lydia: I blogged the beauty treatment story a bit ago. Here is the link:
www.wesleyjsmith.com/blog/2006/08/
fetal-farming-for-cosmetic-purposes.html
Royale -
I like it. Do you have an email addy where I can reach you? I'd like to do a better critique and I don't really want to impose upon Wesley by using up his space for editing and commentary.
mtraven -
"People see no particular advantage to GM food, they didn't ask for it, it's being foisted on them by corporations."
Penn and Teller's BS show brought up the subject of GM food, pointing out that most of the modifications make the food harder for insects to spoil, last longer, and maintian more of their nutrients. Fear-mongering lead a Third World country to reject much needed food because it was genetically modified grain.
Besides, why is GM food worse than injecting one's face with botulism toxins for the sake of smoothing out wrinkles?
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/116913.html
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