Selective breeding methods of crops to achieve disease resistance has been going on for thousands of years. Modern genetic modification techniques now allow for the same results in a much shorter period of time. There is no credible scientific evidence to show that the ingestion of GM products is harmful to human health or the environment.
Monsanto has done some interesting things, ranging from safety tests that are just funny, to some lobby efforts that are exceedingly questionable (like using their lobbying power, both parties, to try and push through Bovine Somatotropin in milk. Bovine Somatotoprin is a sythentic compound used to boost milk production, with the hormone really improving milk yields.
Monsanto is an industry dynamo that is creaming their competition. No one in the industry can touch their R&D. For some reason, people like to demonize success. How anyone can criticize this company for creating a method for increasing milk production, or overall food production, is a mystery. Norman Borlaug argued for genetic modification of food and saved hundreds of millions of people, if not billions, from starvation. He had to deal with the same fear mongering by people who held a fraction of his knowledge. Thankfully, he prevailed and became the most famous American no one ever heard of.
The issue is that it has been tied with various types of cancers
People fear things they don't understand. bST is naturally produced by a cow's pituitary gland and is no different than the synthetic hormone dairy cows are injected with. Although it does increase the amount of Insulin Growth Factor (IGF) in milk (IGF is the hormone linked to the cancer you mention) this IGF is digested like all other dietary proteins and any hormonal activity is destroyed in the process. It poses absolutely no risk. If these claims were true, then human colostrum, human breast milk and, in truth, all milk would cause cancer.
Monsanto is no shrinking violet and has stood up to the toxic terrorists and other assorted and sundry enviro-whackos who would ruin a great American company. They do all of this while outperforming the competition in a tough industry. For that, they deserve admiration. They wouldn't be so successful if they weren't delivering products and services people wanted. The anti-industry whackos don't understand this important point. Monsanto, and all companies like them, should be defended by conservatives against those who would vilify them, and vilify industry in general.
Hey, if I do not want to drink milk from cows given bovine somatotropin, and I buy from producers who do not do that, you may (or may not - who knows) understand why I may not be too hot about a COMPANY trying to negate my ability to choose. If Obama doing that is wrong, what makes a company any better?
Please answer that for me since 'conservatives should support Monsanto.'