As close readers of the list will know, I spend more time than I can probably
afford to monitoring and studying the dynamics of anti-technology and
anti-liberty groups and activists. I've seen in the last year or so a steady
"creep" of the language defining the targets of what was originally reaction
solely against a few genetically modified agricultural plant species. The
groups involved in this effort have slowly but steadily begun to use the term
"genetic engineering" to describe the targets of their opposition.
Here's an example of the kind of organizing and activism that is being
mobilized against "genetic engineering":
> Earth First! Western Regional Rendevous and
> Genetic Engineering Action Camp August 4-6
>
> Join Santa Cruz EF! for a three day action camp focused on genetic
> engineering. We will have a rowdy time learning how to be more effective,
> sharing skills, discussing tactics and culiminating in the largest crop
> action the West Coast have ever seen!
As an example of the kind of "issue growth" that's going on in the
anti-genengineering camp, take a look at:
I'm looking for examples of activist "borders" where this "issue growth"
might run into trends opposing extending the original opposition to things
like Monsanto's "Terminator Gene" to a more generalized opposition to genetic
engineering. Many here have predicted that this will happen when the
anti-genengineering groups run into the area of human medical benefits to be
derived from genetic engineering. With the trend in steady "issue growth"
I'm seeing, this should happen fairly soon -- within the next year to 18
months, I'd guess.
Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
Attorney ::: Vice President, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
http://users.aol.com/gburch1 -or- http://members.aol.com/gburch1
ICQ # 61112550
"We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know
enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another
question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species."
-- Desmond Morris
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 02 2000 - 17:34:37 MDT