Issues you kinda sorta side with the Conservatives on

[Brainstormy]

73. Ok, let's do this one at a time

First, the rBGH hormones initially approved for diary cattle were the first "breakthrough" genetically modified food. So that's not a "bait and switch." The hormone, a genetic manipulation of bacteria, engineered and patented by Monsanto, was sold under the trade name Prosilac. Since you seem to concede that the hormones in milk are at least suspect, I'll not belabor this point beyond saying that milk, and now, to a much greater extent, cheese, is a GE food. You concede: "There is even some real evidence that this can cause problems, but since we have been consuming milk and beef that has had hormone injections for decades now, it would seem that the impact is minimal, or possibly less than minimal. "

To return to our starting point: Where are you getting YOUR research? And how does "real evidence that this can cause problems " jive with "the impact is minimal, or possible less than minimal." The fact that every developed nation in the world besides the US has banned rBGH would seem to suggest that somebody, somewhere, thinks the risks are more than minimal.

As for your next point: "GMOs are different. Our bodies do not react to the DNA that we consume, unlike chemicals such as hormones. " You've got me here, since I have no idea what you're talking about or even what your point is. I'm open to some refinement on this topic.

Your third point is a little fuzzy for me, too. You acknowledge that the articles cited have pointed to a failure in GMO crops to deliver on some of the hyped promises of genetic engineering. (Most of these can be subsumed under the "GE crops will feed the world" hypothesis. ) But the fact that these articles suggest that these promises (crop yield, environmental damage, etc.,) appear false bothers you less than wanting to know who made such promises. Well, Monsanto, for one. But I wish I could get to the seat of your antagonism. Do you work for Monsanto?

My questions are all posed in good faith. For me, these are life or death issues and I'm eager to understand how best to communicate them.