Sunday, February 23, 2014
The Plain Truth: Secret Gov’t Agency is Following Your License Plat...
The Plain Truth: Secret Gov’t Agency is Following Your License Plat...: It’s been 65 years since George Orwell published his renowned novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four . Since then, his story of a dystopian state cont...
Secret Gov’t Agency is Following Your License Plates and What Else?
It’s been 65 years since George Orwell published his renowned novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Since then, his story of a dystopian state controlled by Big Brother
has been cited countless times, especially in reference to the United
States.
Unfortunately, that’s not surprising. Surveillance is at an all-time high in America. Citizens’ rights, particularly regarding privacy, are being stripped away so fast that many don’t even realize it’s happening. And, sadly, there’s no end in sight.
In fact, the hits just keep coming. Most recently, on February 12, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its synopsis of the National License Plate Recognition Database, a program that will give the government an even greater ability to spy on its citizens at will.
The license plate tracking system is supposedly intended to “track aliens and absconders.” But, not surprisingly, other countries with similar programs already in place have had to deal with an avalanche of abuse.
Take the United Kingdom, for instance, where similar cameras were used to target anti-war protestors who had no connection to terrorism whatsoever. In Australia, the cameras have been used to keep a record of people who violate parking restrictions and to collect extraordinary amounts of data about innocent citizens.
In America, preliminary concerns over the tracking program seem justified, especially considering that the DHS has funded reports that characterize “liberty lovers” as potential terrorists.
Chipping Away At the Foundation of Liberty
The License Plate Recognition Database would be outrageous enough on its own, but it’s only the latest in a long line of privacy violations. The government’s thirst for control seemingly knows no bounds. And its obsession with tracking transportation is well documented.
In fact, in conjunction with the license plate tracking program, the DHS has launched a mass transit camera system in Massachusetts worth over $7 million. Soon, 70% of all MBTA bus routes will be on camera 100% of the time. So even if you’re just going to work or to the store, you’ll be on camera for the DHS to see. Better not make any sudden moves…
These recent DHS programs are far from the totality of the government’s plans. Just check out this article from Tech & Innovation Daily’s Chief Technology Analyst, Marty Biancuzzo, about hidden, government-mandated black boxes in cars. If you’ve bought a vehicle in the last two years, there’s a 96% chance that every move you’ve made in that vehicle has been recorded, from your distance traveled to your destinations to how fast you were going.
Marty also broke a story for Capitol Hill Daily fully seven months ago about license plate tracking! In preparation for the License Plate Recognition Database, the government has been installing “Automatic License Plate Readers” all across the country. They’re tracking millions of plates, despite an outrageously low percentage of plate reads actually leading to criminals. In Maryland, for example, the rate is 47 serious criminals for every 1 million plate reads.
Meanwhile, we’re all familiar with surveillance programs targeting our phones, computers and email, among other things. At this point, it’s almost impossible to escape the watchful eye of the government, whether you’re on the road, at work, or in your home. I bet George Orwell would be turning in his grave if he knew that his vision of Big Brother was actually coming to fruition.
In Pursuit of the Truth, The Plain Truth!
Unfortunately, that’s not surprising. Surveillance is at an all-time high in America. Citizens’ rights, particularly regarding privacy, are being stripped away so fast that many don’t even realize it’s happening. And, sadly, there’s no end in sight.
In fact, the hits just keep coming. Most recently, on February 12, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its synopsis of the National License Plate Recognition Database, a program that will give the government an even greater ability to spy on its citizens at will.
The license plate tracking system is supposedly intended to “track aliens and absconders.” But, not surprisingly, other countries with similar programs already in place have had to deal with an avalanche of abuse.
Take the United Kingdom, for instance, where similar cameras were used to target anti-war protestors who had no connection to terrorism whatsoever. In Australia, the cameras have been used to keep a record of people who violate parking restrictions and to collect extraordinary amounts of data about innocent citizens.
In America, preliminary concerns over the tracking program seem justified, especially considering that the DHS has funded reports that characterize “liberty lovers” as potential terrorists.
Chipping Away At the Foundation of Liberty
The License Plate Recognition Database would be outrageous enough on its own, but it’s only the latest in a long line of privacy violations. The government’s thirst for control seemingly knows no bounds. And its obsession with tracking transportation is well documented.
In fact, in conjunction with the license plate tracking program, the DHS has launched a mass transit camera system in Massachusetts worth over $7 million. Soon, 70% of all MBTA bus routes will be on camera 100% of the time. So even if you’re just going to work or to the store, you’ll be on camera for the DHS to see. Better not make any sudden moves…
These recent DHS programs are far from the totality of the government’s plans. Just check out this article from Tech & Innovation Daily’s Chief Technology Analyst, Marty Biancuzzo, about hidden, government-mandated black boxes in cars. If you’ve bought a vehicle in the last two years, there’s a 96% chance that every move you’ve made in that vehicle has been recorded, from your distance traveled to your destinations to how fast you were going.
Marty also broke a story for Capitol Hill Daily fully seven months ago about license plate tracking! In preparation for the License Plate Recognition Database, the government has been installing “Automatic License Plate Readers” all across the country. They’re tracking millions of plates, despite an outrageously low percentage of plate reads actually leading to criminals. In Maryland, for example, the rate is 47 serious criminals for every 1 million plate reads.
Meanwhile, we’re all familiar with surveillance programs targeting our phones, computers and email, among other things. At this point, it’s almost impossible to escape the watchful eye of the government, whether you’re on the road, at work, or in your home. I bet George Orwell would be turning in his grave if he knew that his vision of Big Brother was actually coming to fruition.
In Pursuit of the Truth, The Plain Truth!
Sunday, February 16, 2014
The Plain Truth: Time to Stand Up to Gay Censors!
The Plain Truth: Time to Stand Up to Gay Censors!: Since we all agree, as followers of Jesus, that bullying is wrong, it’s time we stand up to the gay bullies who are trying to put us in the...
Time to Stand Up to Gay Censors!
Since we all agree, as followers of Jesus, that bullying is wrong, it’s
time we stand up to the gay bullies who are trying to put us in the
closet and take away our freedoms of speech, conscience and religion.
Consider for a moment that Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty could have said in his GQ interview, “I think you’ve got to be crazy to be a polygamist,” or, “In my opinion, polyamory is just another word for adultery,” or, “A man who sleeps with lots of different women is no better than an animal,” and there would have been no reaction from A&E and no outcry from the gay censors.
Consider also that his comments about pre-entitlement black Americans were considered highly offensive by many, but these comments did not prompt A&E to take action, as I pointed out in my interview on Piers Morgan. (If you missed the interview, I encourage you to take 15 minutes to watch.)
Rather, it was comments about homosexuality that crossed the forbidden line, comments that, when read in context, although crude, simply expressed biblical perspectives. And that was more than gay censors like GLAAD and the HRC could tolerate.
The truth is that GLAAD has been on a campaign for years to censor all opposing viewpoints, as I noted in March 2012: “This sums up the duplicity of GLAAD: It urges the media to beware of conservative Christian leaders like [the late] Chuck Colson, Maggie Gallagher, and Tony Perkins [and me too!], even calling on CNN to ban some of them from appearing on their shows, and then gives its first Outstanding Blog award to the JoeMyGod website, famous for entries like this one ... [stating that] ‘God is SUPER busy killing babies and giving people cancer.’ And this earns praise from GLAAD...
“And for those who claim that GLAAD is not trying to engage in censorship, note well that at the end of 2010, GLAAD launched a petition drive urging ‘CNN to Make a New Year's Resolution: Keep Away From the Anti-Gay Industry.’ Yes, said GLAAD, ‘It’s time for outlets to finally drop several hundred pounds of unhealthy weight, which they've been carrying around for years, in the form of anti-gay activists. ... CNN and the rest of the media are doing nothing but exposing their viewers to dangerous anti-gay rhetoric when they invite members of these anti-gay groups onto their programming. Starting in 2011, this needs to stop.’”
GLAAD even asks its constituents to alert them if people like me (or Jim Daly of Focus on the Family or psychiatrist and Fox News contributor Keith Ablow or political consultant Gary Bauer or Princeton professor Robert George, among many others) appear on the mainstream media.
GLAAD is undeniably in the business of censorship, which is why I believe they should be called the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Disagreement rather than the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Most recently, GLAAD commended comedian Bob Newhart for canceling a scheduled appearance at a Catholic businessmen’s event sponsored by the Legatus Summit.
According to GLAAD, “It is possible that Newhart, like many people were unaware that Legatus was such a rabid anti-LGBT organization. The organization was created by former Domino’s Pizza CEO, Thomas Monaghan, for Roman Catholic businesspeople, and membership is only available to top level executives.” Yes, the Legatus Summit’s website states that it was established to “bring together the three key areas of a Catholic business leader’s life—Faith, Family and Business—connecting two powerful realities, the challenge of top-tier business leadership and a religious tradition second to none.” How utterly nefarious! The website also states, “Undergirded by their parish and diocesan life and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Legatus nurtures an interior transformation as members grow in their love for Christ and fidelity to the teachings of his Church. They become genuine ambassadors who study, live and spread the Catholic faith.” And GLAAD commends Newhart for canceling his scheduled appearance. How dare he crack jokes for committed Catholics! Even more remarkably, GLAAD’s actions come at a time when the Advocate, the flagship gay publication, named Pope Francis its man of the year for his softer tone toward gays. But this was not good enough for GLAAD, which represents the new face of “tolerance” and “diversity,” the face of unabashed censorship in the name of gay rights. This censorship and bullying will only get worse unless we make a determination to stand for what is right and speak the truth in love, regardless of cost or consequence, recognizing that our strategy of appeasement (which has often been a cover-up for our spinelessness and fear of man) has failed miserably. The reality is that in the last 12 months, it is not just private individuals who have been punished for refusing to bow the knee to gay activism or for speaking out of turn, but also public figures like Dr. Ben Carson, pastor Louie Giglio, and Sen. Rick Santorum. (In case you missed what happened with Mr. Santorum, in April, a Michigan high school canceled his speaking appearance out of concern that he would address same-sex marriage, eventually agreeing to let him speak with the caveat that students could only attend with parental permission [!]. In stark contrast, Bible-bashing, gay-sex-exalting speakers like Dan Savage are hailed as heroes in our schools and campuses, given carte blanche to talk about the most vile subjects to our young people.) Now the gay censors have tried to bully the ultrapopular (and, yes, backwoods, Bible-thumping) Phil Robertson, which for many finally means that enough is enough, a conclusion which is long overdue. It really is high time that we draw a line in the sand and refuse to capitulate or bow down, following the Jesus principle that we find our lives by losing them (Matt. 10:39). This does not require name-calling or rightwing rhetoric or anger on our part. To the contrary, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20, NIV). Rather, our stand for righteousness requires a heart in tune with the Lord and His Word, a life of personal purity without hypocrisy, and a genuine love for LGBT individuals, whose lives we protect and defend even while stating that homosexual practice is sin, that gay marriage is not truly marriage, and that God has a better way. We really have no choice, and, as I’ve said many times before, either we stand up and do what is right today or we apologize to our kids and grandkids tomorrow.
What will it be? As Always The Plain Truth!
Consider for a moment that Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty could have said in his GQ interview, “I think you’ve got to be crazy to be a polygamist,” or, “In my opinion, polyamory is just another word for adultery,” or, “A man who sleeps with lots of different women is no better than an animal,” and there would have been no reaction from A&E and no outcry from the gay censors.
Consider also that his comments about pre-entitlement black Americans were considered highly offensive by many, but these comments did not prompt A&E to take action, as I pointed out in my interview on Piers Morgan. (If you missed the interview, I encourage you to take 15 minutes to watch.)
Rather, it was comments about homosexuality that crossed the forbidden line, comments that, when read in context, although crude, simply expressed biblical perspectives. And that was more than gay censors like GLAAD and the HRC could tolerate.
The truth is that GLAAD has been on a campaign for years to censor all opposing viewpoints, as I noted in March 2012: “This sums up the duplicity of GLAAD: It urges the media to beware of conservative Christian leaders like [the late] Chuck Colson, Maggie Gallagher, and Tony Perkins [and me too!], even calling on CNN to ban some of them from appearing on their shows, and then gives its first Outstanding Blog award to the JoeMyGod website, famous for entries like this one ... [stating that] ‘God is SUPER busy killing babies and giving people cancer.’ And this earns praise from GLAAD...
“And for those who claim that GLAAD is not trying to engage in censorship, note well that at the end of 2010, GLAAD launched a petition drive urging ‘CNN to Make a New Year's Resolution: Keep Away From the Anti-Gay Industry.’ Yes, said GLAAD, ‘It’s time for outlets to finally drop several hundred pounds of unhealthy weight, which they've been carrying around for years, in the form of anti-gay activists. ... CNN and the rest of the media are doing nothing but exposing their viewers to dangerous anti-gay rhetoric when they invite members of these anti-gay groups onto their programming. Starting in 2011, this needs to stop.’”
GLAAD even asks its constituents to alert them if people like me (or Jim Daly of Focus on the Family or psychiatrist and Fox News contributor Keith Ablow or political consultant Gary Bauer or Princeton professor Robert George, among many others) appear on the mainstream media.
GLAAD is undeniably in the business of censorship, which is why I believe they should be called the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Disagreement rather than the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Most recently, GLAAD commended comedian Bob Newhart for canceling a scheduled appearance at a Catholic businessmen’s event sponsored by the Legatus Summit.
According to GLAAD, “It is possible that Newhart, like many people were unaware that Legatus was such a rabid anti-LGBT organization. The organization was created by former Domino’s Pizza CEO, Thomas Monaghan, for Roman Catholic businesspeople, and membership is only available to top level executives.” Yes, the Legatus Summit’s website states that it was established to “bring together the three key areas of a Catholic business leader’s life—Faith, Family and Business—connecting two powerful realities, the challenge of top-tier business leadership and a religious tradition second to none.” How utterly nefarious! The website also states, “Undergirded by their parish and diocesan life and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Legatus nurtures an interior transformation as members grow in their love for Christ and fidelity to the teachings of his Church. They become genuine ambassadors who study, live and spread the Catholic faith.” And GLAAD commends Newhart for canceling his scheduled appearance. How dare he crack jokes for committed Catholics! Even more remarkably, GLAAD’s actions come at a time when the Advocate, the flagship gay publication, named Pope Francis its man of the year for his softer tone toward gays. But this was not good enough for GLAAD, which represents the new face of “tolerance” and “diversity,” the face of unabashed censorship in the name of gay rights. This censorship and bullying will only get worse unless we make a determination to stand for what is right and speak the truth in love, regardless of cost or consequence, recognizing that our strategy of appeasement (which has often been a cover-up for our spinelessness and fear of man) has failed miserably. The reality is that in the last 12 months, it is not just private individuals who have been punished for refusing to bow the knee to gay activism or for speaking out of turn, but also public figures like Dr. Ben Carson, pastor Louie Giglio, and Sen. Rick Santorum. (In case you missed what happened with Mr. Santorum, in April, a Michigan high school canceled his speaking appearance out of concern that he would address same-sex marriage, eventually agreeing to let him speak with the caveat that students could only attend with parental permission [!]. In stark contrast, Bible-bashing, gay-sex-exalting speakers like Dan Savage are hailed as heroes in our schools and campuses, given carte blanche to talk about the most vile subjects to our young people.) Now the gay censors have tried to bully the ultrapopular (and, yes, backwoods, Bible-thumping) Phil Robertson, which for many finally means that enough is enough, a conclusion which is long overdue. It really is high time that we draw a line in the sand and refuse to capitulate or bow down, following the Jesus principle that we find our lives by losing them (Matt. 10:39). This does not require name-calling or rightwing rhetoric or anger on our part. To the contrary, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20, NIV). Rather, our stand for righteousness requires a heart in tune with the Lord and His Word, a life of personal purity without hypocrisy, and a genuine love for LGBT individuals, whose lives we protect and defend even while stating that homosexual practice is sin, that gay marriage is not truly marriage, and that God has a better way. We really have no choice, and, as I’ve said many times before, either we stand up and do what is right today or we apologize to our kids and grandkids tomorrow.
What will it be? As Always The Plain Truth!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
The Plain Truth: Obama’s Latest Con, a Massive Ponzi Scheme?
The Plain Truth: Obama’s Latest Con, a Massive Ponzi Scheme?: With much fanfare, Barack Obama recently announced his plan to solve the retirement crisis: a new savings vehicle called the MyRA. But on...
Obama’s Latest Con, a Massive Ponzi Scheme?
With much fanfare, Barack Obama recently announced his plan to solve
the retirement crisis: a new savings vehicle called the MyRA.
But one look under the hood shows that MyRA is about as likely to solve the retirement crisis as Obamacare was to solve the healthcare crisis.
You see, MyRA is actually another fraudulent scheme to transfer wealth from the young to the government. These long-suffering youths already pay hefty payroll taxes to fund social security as well as oversized health insurance premiums to subsidize middle-aged buyers.
On top of that, many young people are burdened with student loans, which mostly fund the extravagant lifestyles of older professors – many of whom teach less than three hours a week. In fact, between state, local and national taxes, young people pay some of the highest taxes in the world – and politicians in D.C. wonder why these youths still live with their parents!
The younger generation is slipping into poverty, and the reason is simple: They’ve been fleeced by politicians, stripped of nearly every last cent and left with no money to save.
Young Americans Left for Dead
So now, the exalted leader of the United States, his highness Barack Obama, has a grand plan to fix the problem (which was caused by his socialist U.S. government in the first place).
Young people aren’t saving, Obama says, so let’s create a scheme that puts their money into U.S. government bonds! And in his infinite benevolence, Obama will insure the whole scheme so that nobody loses a dime.
This sounds good to the average saver, because he or she has probably been abused by Wall Street. In fact, many people are still looking at IRA and brokerage balances destroyed by the financial crisis.
And the MyRA couldn’t be simpler, as it boasts just one investment choice: a Treasury bond fund stuffed with U.S. Treasury bonds. While account holders allegedly can’t lose money on this investment, I’d argue that they’re likely losing every month as the value of their currency is inflated away. Just look at 2012, when the fund returned a miserly 1.47% and inflation more than doubled that at 3%.
Anyone who invests in Treasury bonds will tell you that they absolutely can lose money. When interest rates go up, the value of an outstanding bond with a lower coupon goes down in value. When interest rates go down, the value of outstanding bonds with a higher coupon go up in value. The only way that you don’t lose is to hold the bond to maturity, and by then you’ve likely lost to inflation.
Therefore, even when you get paid a return on these bonds, the currency you get back in retirement will be worth substantially less than the currency that you put into the account. This is no way to save for retirement, unless you plan to live on food stamps in a government housing project.
The Government’s Last-Ditch Effort
So why would Obama tout his new savings plan as a grand solution to the retirement crisis?
Here’s a little secret: The Federal Reserve is insolvent. The U.S. government is insolvent. Truth be told, the whole MyRA scheme is about getting unsuspecting people to invest in something that they don’t understand.
And the government is desperate to find new investors. You see, our politicians are currently spending like a drunken sailor on shore leave in Hong Kong. The budget hasn’t been balanced in years, and instead, the government has issued debt to cover the unpaid balance.
Obama and the politicians always want more money, and the only place left to turn is your wallet. The MyRA is one scheme that they can use to covertly fleece the unsuspecting masses. Buy in at your own risk!
But one look under the hood shows that MyRA is about as likely to solve the retirement crisis as Obamacare was to solve the healthcare crisis.
You see, MyRA is actually another fraudulent scheme to transfer wealth from the young to the government. These long-suffering youths already pay hefty payroll taxes to fund social security as well as oversized health insurance premiums to subsidize middle-aged buyers.
On top of that, many young people are burdened with student loans, which mostly fund the extravagant lifestyles of older professors – many of whom teach less than three hours a week. In fact, between state, local and national taxes, young people pay some of the highest taxes in the world – and politicians in D.C. wonder why these youths still live with their parents!
The younger generation is slipping into poverty, and the reason is simple: They’ve been fleeced by politicians, stripped of nearly every last cent and left with no money to save.
Young Americans Left for Dead
So now, the exalted leader of the United States, his highness Barack Obama, has a grand plan to fix the problem (which was caused by his socialist U.S. government in the first place).
Young people aren’t saving, Obama says, so let’s create a scheme that puts their money into U.S. government bonds! And in his infinite benevolence, Obama will insure the whole scheme so that nobody loses a dime.
This sounds good to the average saver, because he or she has probably been abused by Wall Street. In fact, many people are still looking at IRA and brokerage balances destroyed by the financial crisis.
And the MyRA couldn’t be simpler, as it boasts just one investment choice: a Treasury bond fund stuffed with U.S. Treasury bonds. While account holders allegedly can’t lose money on this investment, I’d argue that they’re likely losing every month as the value of their currency is inflated away. Just look at 2012, when the fund returned a miserly 1.47% and inflation more than doubled that at 3%.
Anyone who invests in Treasury bonds will tell you that they absolutely can lose money. When interest rates go up, the value of an outstanding bond with a lower coupon goes down in value. When interest rates go down, the value of outstanding bonds with a higher coupon go up in value. The only way that you don’t lose is to hold the bond to maturity, and by then you’ve likely lost to inflation.
Therefore, even when you get paid a return on these bonds, the currency you get back in retirement will be worth substantially less than the currency that you put into the account. This is no way to save for retirement, unless you plan to live on food stamps in a government housing project.
The Government’s Last-Ditch Effort
So why would Obama tout his new savings plan as a grand solution to the retirement crisis?
Here’s a little secret: The Federal Reserve is insolvent. The U.S. government is insolvent. Truth be told, the whole MyRA scheme is about getting unsuspecting people to invest in something that they don’t understand.
And the government is desperate to find new investors. You see, our politicians are currently spending like a drunken sailor on shore leave in Hong Kong. The budget hasn’t been balanced in years, and instead, the government has issued debt to cover the unpaid balance.
Obama and the politicians always want more money, and the only place left to turn is your wallet. The MyRA is one scheme that they can use to covertly fleece the unsuspecting masses. Buy in at your own risk!
Sunday, February 2, 2014
The Plain Truth: A “Genetically Altered” Nightmare for American Con...
The Plain Truth: A “Genetically Altered” Nightmare for American Con...: On January 2, General Mills (GIS) announced that it would stop using any genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in its most popular brand,...
A “Genetically Altered” Nightmare for American Consumers!
On January 2, General Mills (GIS) announced that it would stop using any genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in its most popular brand, Cheerios.
The change has been heralded as a major victory by anti-GMO and food activist groups, such as Food Democracy Now and GMO Free USA. But it left me wondering: What exactly have they “won,” and ultimately, what are they fighting for?
It’s easy to see why activists are so thrilled with General Mills’ decision. Cheerios is one of the most ubiquitous brands in America. Better yet, the move to eliminate GMOs from the breakfast cereal seems to imply that General Mills has the consumer’s best interest at heart.
Makes you feel all fuzzy inside, doesn’t it?
But even a cursory look at statements from General Mills’ spokesman, Tom Forsythe, quickly dispels that heartwarming illusion…
“It’s not much of a change at all,” Tom wrote in a posting on the company website.
And he’s right – it’s not.
You see, Cheerios are made of oats, and there are no genetically modified oats. All General Mills has done is use different corn starch (now made from non-GMO corn) and different sugar (non-GMO pure cane sugar).
Tom added: “It’s not about safety. Biotech seeds, also known as genetically modified seeds, have been approved by global food safety agencies and widely used by farmers in global food crops for almost 20 years.”
All true. Genetically modified seeds are FDA approved and have been in use for decades. In fact, 90% of commodity crops in America (including soy beans, corn and sugar beets) are grown from genetically modified seeds, according to National Geographic.
So why did General Mills feel the need to acquiesce?
“We did it because we think consumers might embrace it,” says Mr. Forsythe.
Or, more accurately, because the company thought its bottom line might suffer if it didn’t make the change. Meanwhile, General Mills has no plans to remove GMOs from any other line of cereal because it would be “difficult, if not impossible,” according to a recent statement from the company.
The Biggest Loser
So let’s tally up the points here. Non-GMO advocates have scored a major win because a national brand has ostensibly turned its back on biotech seeds. And General Mills has protected its bottom line while making nothing more than trivial changes.
That leaves us with the loser, which in this case is science. Oh, and the nearly 900 million people around the world suffering from undernourishment (according to the World Hunger Education Service).
You see, the shortsighted and ignorant push to eliminate GMOs from food does come with a cost. It casts an ominous shadow on a technology that doesn’t deserve quite so much vitriol, and it hampers progress toward stemming third-world hunger.
It’s unfortunate that all of the recent press about GMOs ignores their numerous benefits. According to UC Santa Cruz, these benefits include greatly increased crop yields, foods with more complete nutritional value, foods with a longer shelf life for easier shipping and, ultimately, the promise of more sustainable agriculture worldwide.
Food activists will be quick to point out that there are concerns over testing (or a lack thereof). Do we really know that GMOs produce food that’s safe for consumption? At this point, the majority of the research (including a majority of independent critical reviews) says that GMOs are harmless.
In fact, Jon Entine, a Forbes contributor, writes that, “Every major scientific body and regulatory agency in the world has reviewed the research about GMOs and openly declared crop biotechnology and the foods currently available for sale to be safe.”
It’s that kind of information that gives the anti-GMO movement the same self-righteous stink as, say, the Occupy Wall Street movement (body odor not withstanding).
Considering we live in a world where a child dies every two seconds from hunger, should anyone really be concerned about the GMO corn starch in his or her Cheerios? As Always The Plain Truth!
The change has been heralded as a major victory by anti-GMO and food activist groups, such as Food Democracy Now and GMO Free USA. But it left me wondering: What exactly have they “won,” and ultimately, what are they fighting for?
It’s easy to see why activists are so thrilled with General Mills’ decision. Cheerios is one of the most ubiquitous brands in America. Better yet, the move to eliminate GMOs from the breakfast cereal seems to imply that General Mills has the consumer’s best interest at heart.
Makes you feel all fuzzy inside, doesn’t it?
But even a cursory look at statements from General Mills’ spokesman, Tom Forsythe, quickly dispels that heartwarming illusion…
“It’s not much of a change at all,” Tom wrote in a posting on the company website.
And he’s right – it’s not.
You see, Cheerios are made of oats, and there are no genetically modified oats. All General Mills has done is use different corn starch (now made from non-GMO corn) and different sugar (non-GMO pure cane sugar).
Tom added: “It’s not about safety. Biotech seeds, also known as genetically modified seeds, have been approved by global food safety agencies and widely used by farmers in global food crops for almost 20 years.”
All true. Genetically modified seeds are FDA approved and have been in use for decades. In fact, 90% of commodity crops in America (including soy beans, corn and sugar beets) are grown from genetically modified seeds, according to National Geographic.
So why did General Mills feel the need to acquiesce?
“We did it because we think consumers might embrace it,” says Mr. Forsythe.
Or, more accurately, because the company thought its bottom line might suffer if it didn’t make the change. Meanwhile, General Mills has no plans to remove GMOs from any other line of cereal because it would be “difficult, if not impossible,” according to a recent statement from the company.
The Biggest Loser
So let’s tally up the points here. Non-GMO advocates have scored a major win because a national brand has ostensibly turned its back on biotech seeds. And General Mills has protected its bottom line while making nothing more than trivial changes.
That leaves us with the loser, which in this case is science. Oh, and the nearly 900 million people around the world suffering from undernourishment (according to the World Hunger Education Service).
You see, the shortsighted and ignorant push to eliminate GMOs from food does come with a cost. It casts an ominous shadow on a technology that doesn’t deserve quite so much vitriol, and it hampers progress toward stemming third-world hunger.
It’s unfortunate that all of the recent press about GMOs ignores their numerous benefits. According to UC Santa Cruz, these benefits include greatly increased crop yields, foods with more complete nutritional value, foods with a longer shelf life for easier shipping and, ultimately, the promise of more sustainable agriculture worldwide.
Food activists will be quick to point out that there are concerns over testing (or a lack thereof). Do we really know that GMOs produce food that’s safe for consumption? At this point, the majority of the research (including a majority of independent critical reviews) says that GMOs are harmless.
In fact, Jon Entine, a Forbes contributor, writes that, “Every major scientific body and regulatory agency in the world has reviewed the research about GMOs and openly declared crop biotechnology and the foods currently available for sale to be safe.”
It’s that kind of information that gives the anti-GMO movement the same self-righteous stink as, say, the Occupy Wall Street movement (body odor not withstanding).
Considering we live in a world where a child dies every two seconds from hunger, should anyone really be concerned about the GMO corn starch in his or her Cheerios? As Always The Plain Truth!
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