Starving Nations Reject U.S. Food Donation

Fox News ^ | June 12, 2003 | Fox News

[walford]

...The high-profile political fight with Europe comes even as some Europeans say they have no evidence that genetically modified, or GM, foods are in any way harmful. EU scientists acknowledge that after dozens of studies that show no ill effects from engineered foods, their rejection is not science-based, but the result of paranoia following outbreaks like mad cow and foot-and-mouth disease...

[walford]

There is suspicion that protectionism is the real reason. There are widespread protests in famine-ravaged areas in Africa. None of these protesters are starving or know anything about agriculture.

The farmers who are using these crops are finding that they have to use less pesticides, which saves money and reduces the possibility of contaminaion. They are able to feed more people too.

Human beings have been 'genetically modifying' crops and livestock ever since we abandoned the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. It is called selective breeding. If we were to adopt the agricultural methods advocated by the Greens, only 5% of our present population would be fed. The rest would have to die, which is probably what they want anyway. Them first.

[BlueLancer]

Easy call ... let them die and reduce the surplus population in those countries.

[Wonder Warthog]

"There is suspicion that protectionism is the real reason."

WHAT "suspicion"?? The EU has been doing "protectionism by bureaucratic regulation" ever since it was established.

[Guillermo]

You're also deemed "surplus population" by the population control fanatics...should we "let you die" too?

[TheBigB]

Lemme get this sh*t straight...

We, the United States of America, get whipsawed by every two-bit jackass, thug, dictator, rock star, and do-gooder from The UN to the EU to France, Cuba, etc. etc. because we're "selfish" and "uncaring" and "unconcerned about the plight of third world nations." So then when we DO offer tons and tons of perfectly safe food that could help feed millions of people, IT'S TURNED DOWN???? Well, then F*CK these mudhole nations. Let them rot and starve in their own self-made filth! I've HAD it with these people!! We do more as a nation that any country ever has to help people around the world, we still get insulted and belittled! Why should we even bother??

[BlueLancer]

I won't refuse good food when it's offered to me. That's the difference.

As far as the population control fanatics go, if they want to try to "control" me, they can come and try .. and they'd better pack a genetically-unmodified lunch and some heavy firepower.

If these people want to commit suicide by not accepting and consuming the food that we are offering them, then they've made their decision and I fully support it.

It helps to clean the gene pool of mental defectives at the same time.

[Guillermo]

Many of these third world hellholes do reject the food for their own, evil reasons, but many reject them solely based on pressure from the EU. They are threatened if they accept GM food.

[Z-28]

Another attack against American capitalism.

[Guillermo]

Sheesh, you think that it's the people who are actually starving who is rejecting the food?? I doubt you'll find a single mother in Africa who wouldn't feed it to her starving children because it is GM.

The people who are turning it down live in luxurious palaces and eat better than you or I ever could dream of eating.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Lemme get this sh*t straight...

We, the United States of America, get whipsawed by every two-bit jackass, thug, dictator, rock star, and do-gooder from The UN to the EU to France, Cuba, etc.

You may make a good Curmudgeon. Shall I forward the paperwork?

[walford]

To the Left, the whole point of any type of aid is not to help the poor. Otherwise they would encourage them to adopt limited representative government which would in turn would lead to self-sufficiency and later, prosperity.

No, the purpose of free prosperous nations giving aid is to DRAIN OUR WEALTH, not help the poor. The purpose of socialism is not to eliminate poverty - it is to eliminate wealth. Their ideal society would very much resemble Europe in the Dark Ages, politically economically and socially. The only difference is leadership would be chosen by political pull rather than by inheritance.

[BlueLancer]

And whose "leaders" are these? Mine? For whatever reason, however they were chosen, these people are stuck with their leaders. If the leaders would rather they starve than take GM foods, the people have two options: get a new leader or starve. I, for one, am not going to shed any crocodile tears over the deaths of those who won't take their own future into their hands. If they'd rather make nice with the EU and bow to their demands rather than feed their people, so be that as well.

The UN, EU, and all of the bleeding hearts are constantly whining about there not being enough food aid to provide to the starving masses. If they won't accept our food ... TS!

[MinuteGal]

Conservative economists have drummed for many years that a continuing supply of "welfare" food to these people absolutely guarantees that their governments will never initiate agricultural programs to their populaces. Kinda a "tough love" advocacy, I presume.

I believe in emergency relief, of course, but it's true that when the recipients become perpetual victims and dependent on free donated food for decades, they will NEVER gain the stimulus to initiate programs to feed themselves.

Leni

[Conservomax]

The EU is trying to compete with the US on every single level. In this instance thaey are creating a philosophy of junk science, the unifying principle of which is anything made in the US is bad. It is utter idiocy. They are going to destroy themselves and these developing nations that they care so much about. I shudder to think of what Europe is going to be like in 25 years.

[TheBigB]

Why, certainly. Are there requirements? :)

[walford]

"...the people have two options: get a new leader or starve. I, for one, am not going to shed any crocodile tears over the deaths of those who won't take their own future into their hands..."

I have to take issue with you on this one, BL. I don't think that you have an appreciation of what it must be like to live under a dictatorship. It is not so easy to 'just get a new leader' when you have a Saddam, Qaddafi, Hitler, Idi Amin, Castro, Stalin, Robert Mugabe running things.

There is no freedom of the press. There is no right to peacable assembly. There is no habeas corpus [you can be arrested at any time and held without charges indefinitely]. These dictators typically have to be removed via outside pressure, economically/militarily/diplomatically.

I have a great deal of sympathy for the people, and despise their dictators and the European appeasers who cater to them.

[yankeedame]

There is suspicion that protectionism is the real reason. There are widespread protests in famine-ravaged areas in Africa. None of these protesters are starving or know anything about agriculture.

The farmers who are using these crops are finding that they have to use less pesticides, which saves money and reduces the possibility of contaminaion. They are able to feed more people too.

Human beings have been 'genetically modifying' crops and livestock ever since we abandoned the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. It is called selective breeding. If we were to adopt the agricultural methods advocated by the Greens, only 5% of our present population would be fed. The rest would have to die, which is probably what they want anyway. Them first.
===============================

Bravo!!

[yankeedame]

Many of these third world hellholes do reject the food for their own, evil reasons, but many reject them solely based on pressure from the EU. They are threatened if they accept GM food.

Though, of course, given 100 years of African it's not like this food (or very much of it, anyway) would reach "the little people" anyway.

[Larry Lucido]

But, how do you really feel, B? :-)