Category Archives: Commentary

Nation Un-Building

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Ecstatic Nation CommentaryThis commentary is inspired by Wineapple’s book Ecstatic Nation, reviewed elsewhere on this blog.  While I marvel at America’s luck in ending the Civil War without an endless insurgency, in many ways our Civil War did not end in 1865.  For a hundred years Jim Crow laws continued the subjugation of black Americans, and the civil rights movement , which peaked in the 1960s, was very regional in America.  Even today some writers say two thirds of the members of Congress who figured in the recent U.S. government shutdown are from the old Confederacy.  (See http://bit.ly/1c4wJcc and scroll down to “Confederate Heritage”, or see the Atlantic’s count at http://bit.ly/1aTtqnu  )

The anti-government political position goes beyond any residual racism.  Consider that Wineapple says that, by the end of the Civil war, the Confederacy was ready to give up slavery but not their independence as a sovereign nation.

Today there seems to be an international anti-Union movement.  Continue reading →

GMOs, Science, and Morality

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RF_alum has written an informative string of postings on GMOs.  Here’s my two cents.

The GMOs that cause controversy are foods.  No one seems to want to stop producing insulin or vaccines using GMOs, or to ban oil-eating bacteria used to clean up spills in the environment.  Furthermore, I read negative opinions mostly about food crops farmed on an industrial scale, (especially corn, wheat, and soy beans), GMOs that resist Roundup or incorporate biocides, and anything produced by Monsanto.

Since we all agree that healthy food and sustainable production are good things and starvation and high prices are bad things, what causes the public policy controversy?

Many people hold moral and spiritual objections to GMO foods.  They draw on one of humanity’s six moral foundations (see book reviewed here):

Sanctity: People know that some things are noble and pure while others are degrading and base. These sacred values bind groups together.

People also show a practical skepticism about any new or unfamiliar risk.  Both views are important to the debate.  Public policies must consider moral values, and no one should get away with lying about the science. Continue reading →

Genetically Modified Food Risks

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I published a previous commentary to introduce the conflict between those who view Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as a danger to the environment and people and supporters who see them as the solution in how to feed an expanding human population. There are several wonderful web sites that discuss the issues in detail, and one of my favorites is one titled “Genetically Modified Foods:  Harmful or Helpful?” by Deborah B. Whitman. I intend to summarize what she and others say about why they may be harmful in this commentary and save the positive side as future material. Continue reading →

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Versus Hybrids

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dna_helixI recall drives through Kansas where there were fields of corn and other crops that had signs designating different rows of the plants as different hybrids. That memory made me think about the differences between hybrid plants and those that have been genetically modified (GMOs). I knew those fields in Kansas were planted to study which hybrid gave the best yields. The researchers would consider disease and pest exposure and rainfall and other weather conditions. The yields under those various conditions would then tell the seed companies and farmers which hybrids they should plant in coming years. That research and the information developed was and is a key to keeping up with the appetite of a hungry world. Continue reading →

Genetically Modified Organisms

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I have been interested in the arguments for and against genetically modified foods, although the standard reference has been “genetically modified organisms (GMO).” There is major conflict between those who believe we must develop this new technology to have a chance to feed an expanding world population and those who believe the technology of genetic modification presents significant risks. I was poorly informed about the technology, and the initial reaction is that “man should not be involved in modifying genetics.” Of course it isn’t quite that simple.  One side of the argument is that GMOs are useful to combating hunger, which is a powerful argument. Others contend that the technology is dangerous to the environment and consumers.  Some opponents consider the Monsanto, which has been a leader in development of GMOs, to be worthy of the harshest criticism possible. Continue reading →