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If he's changed his mind based on facts, then I'm happy for him. However, the implications of Monsanto's Terminator seed technology (DRM for plants) is so swee

If he's changed his mind based on facts, then I'm happy for him. However, the implications of Monsanto's Terminator seed technology (DRM for plants) is so sweeping and, frankly, frightening that whatever time society wasted due to the anti-GMO activism was worth it. Does anyone really think that if we didn't make a stink about GMO that they wouldn't have gone full steam ahead? [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_use_restriction_technology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_use_restriction_technol... wherein we learn that Monsanto acquired the company that did the initial R&D.

bcoates 14y ago
Uh... what implications would those be? Sterile hybrids of plants where the offspring of hybrids are generally undesirable anyway? DRM for computers is bad because the only way for it to work is to ban computers as we know them and replace them with something fundamentally broken. There really isn't a plant equivalent.
- politician 14y ago
  Farmers who reuse seed from last season losing that ability. Monopolization of seed production increasing food costs rather than reducing costs as proponents claim. Monopolization of seed production leading to reduced biodiversity of food crops due to typical economic strategies used to remove competitors. Rent-seeking behaviors. Food security fragility due to dependence on monocultures. We can live without the latest DRM'd TV shows. We can't live without food.
andylei 14y ago
> the implications of Monsanto's Terminator seed technology (DRM for plants) what do intellectual property laws have to do with being pro or con GMOs?
- politician 14y ago
  It's an analogy to help people familiar with DRM understand what Monsanto's tech is without having to read the wikipedia entry: DRM is to digital content as Terminator seed technology is to plants.
- manicdee 14y ago
  IP law has everything to do with GMO: do you think Monsanto is going to let you collect seed from your GMO crop to plant next year without paying them a licence for the genes?

bcoates 14y ago

Uh... what implications would those be? Sterile hybrids of plants where the offspring of hybrids are generally undesirable anyway? DRM for computers is bad because the only way for it to work is to ban computers as we know them and replace them with something fundamentally broken. There really isn't a plant equivalent.

politician 14y ago
Farmers who reuse seed from last season losing that ability. Monopolization of seed production increasing food costs rather than reducing costs as proponents claim. Monopolization of seed production leading to reduced biodiversity of food crops due to typical economic strategies used to remove competitors. Rent-seeking behaviors. Food security fragility due to dependence on monocultures. We can live without the latest DRM'd TV shows. We can't live without food.

andylei 14y ago

> the implications of Monsanto's Terminator seed technology (DRM for plants) what do intellectual property laws have to do with being pro or con GMOs?

politician 14y ago
It's an analogy to help people familiar with DRM understand what Monsanto's tech is without having to read the wikipedia entry: DRM is to digital content as Terminator seed technology is to plants.
manicdee 14y ago
IP law has everything to do with GMO: do you think Monsanto is going to let you collect seed from your GMO crop to plant next year without paying them a licence for the genes?