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Article 19199 of alt.conspiracy:
Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.activism,alt.society.civil-liberty,alt.individualism,alt.censorship,misc.headlines,soc.culture.usa,misc.activism.progressive
Subject: Part 3, U.S. Government Practices Germ Warfare on U.S. Population
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Keywords: U.S. Government Practices Germ Warfare on U.S. Population
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I made the following transcript from a tape recording
of a broadcast by Pacifica Radio Network station
WBAI-FM (99.5)
505 Eighth Ave., 19th Fl.
New York, NY 10018 (212) 279-0707
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(continuation)
GARY NULL:
Basically, just about everything that the human mind can imagine is
much closer than ever before because of our ability to manipulate
the genetic structure of the living cell.
Well, not surprisingly, bio-technology companies are springing up at
a phenomenal rate, all with the hope of cashing in on this budding
new field. The profit potentials are ENORMOUS. And a public stock
offering by a promising new company can send Wall Street into a
frenzy. This is a world in which competition is fierce, and in which
each nation is vying against other nations -- company against
company. It is an arena in which profits can be in the billions of
dollars, and where today's fledgling company can be tomorrow's
multi-national giant, and where scientific reputations are made.
Because of its virtually unlimited potentials, the bio-technology
industry is attracting the attention of many established industries
and institutions who view bio-technology as their chance to bolster
profits and to increase power. The pharmaceutical corporations, for
instance, are major underwriters of bio-technology research aimed at
the development of new "wonder drugs", the most promising of which
is currently a cardiovascular medication for which heart patients
pay about twenty-two hundred dollars per SINGLE dose.
The Military, which is forced to abandon the use and development of
chemical and biological warfare -- by a treaty some years ago, and
by the demise of the Soviet Union -- is looking for loopholes in
these restrictions. The Military is already pumping tens of millions
of dollars every year into research on new forms of germ weaponry,
conducted at major universities and at research facilities, and at
corporations across the country.
However, while bio-technology does promise to provide (and probably
will) solutions in areas where Science has previously had no
success, many observers warn against unbridled enthusiasm. In a
whirlwind generated by the visions of a new mega-industry springing
up overnight, it's all too easy to overlook the need for caution
and vigilance. Bio-technology, after all, involves the release into
your environment of organisms which have NEVER, EVER been there
before. They've never existed on this planet! And since the field
itself is so young, it may be many, many years before we have an
inkling of the impact that these new organisms will have on human
beings and their environment. And while bio-technology is exciting
because of its potential benefits, it also evokes in many the fear
of an equally great risk of disaster if it is allowed to develop,
unchecked and without proper regulation.
The rapid growth of genetic engineering endangers a whole host of
species, too. Remember, when they're creating a new crop species,
they're doing it to replace an old crop that they don't OWN!
Could you imagine the day when virtually every single food that is
purchased in a market is patented? The seeds are patented, so
therefore, you don't have the selection. You don't have the taste.
You don't have the quality. It will have certain benefits. It might
be more disease-resistant to a certain blight or bug. It might
ripen at a certain rate. But it will have it's disadvantages. And
what about the people who will then control the price on it?
What, precisely, is the effect of releasing an artificially
manipulated organism into the environment for the first time?
Scientists are ASSURING us that there are no risks involved, either
to humans or to the environment. But this cavalier attitude toward
risks associated with scientific research and experiments is not
unusual. With so many researchers being involved in the field, they
may be inclined to simply contradict cumbersome facts. Other issues
surrounding the bio-technology industry are more general, and often
arise whenever Science allies itself too intimately with power and
politics and money. In this regard, bio-technology is particularly
vulnerable. It allies itself with America's most formidable
institutions: the Medical Establishment, universities, major
research facilities, the Pharmaceutical Industry, the
Military-Industrial Complex and Agribusiness; and, of course, the
U.S. Public Health Service.
Now, to understand some of the issues surrounding the development
of bio-technology today, first it's important to examine some of
the factors affecting the manner in which Science operates in this
country. I want to give you a little background. I think that it's
important that you understand this. One of the factors to consider
is that there are economics. Since PURE science, like pure art or
pure mathematics, is rarely a self-supporting, independent discipline
in America. In today's society, science is not so much valued for
itself, but rather, for how it can be utitlized by other sectors of
our society. What this means, in economic terms, is that much of
the private endowment funds, which gave scientists the liberty to
choose and direct their own research, have dried up, especially in
hard times. And those funds have been replaced by research grants
which are linked to very specific goals. The Military, for instance,
which provides eighty percent of the research funding on many of the
nation's campuses, wants new weapons, even though we have no one to
fight with these weapons -- even though we don't need them --
even though the ones we have are more than adequate.
It's because those [military contracting] companies generate profits.
Remember: Any time anything is made for the Government, someone
profits. Every industry wants a competitive edge. Medicine wants its
"cures". All of these goals are very closely linked to how research
monies are allocated. This puts research directors and university
chairpersons and heads of facilities -- as well as the researchers
themeselves -- under enormous pressure, aware that the continued
funding of their programs may well depend upon coming up with the
right answers at the right times. The temptation to cut corners
becomes irresistible in many cases. In most cases, these short cuts
are relatively insignificant, and we rarely hear about them or feel
their effects. But in some instances, they can have serious
consequences and lead to major questions of ethics and morality in
science. In this regard, the crash of the space shuttle Challenger
immediately comes to mind. But other events of equal importance
involving research fraud and violations of basic scientific
protocol frequently appear in the Media.
Another factor which greatly affects the manner in which Science
operates in this country is its relative freedom from public
scrutiny. As it stands now, rarely, if ever, does any lay person
know anything about science. They are intimidated by science, and
they view it to be beyond their grasp. Part of this belief stems
from the highly specialized and technical nature of science, which
does, indeed, place it beyond the comprehension of most lay people.
(to be continued)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If you agree that this information is vital to the defense and
the preservation of our free society, please help to disseminate
it by posting it to computer bulletin boards and by posting
hardcopies in public places, both on and off campus.
The Usenet newsgroup, "alt.bbs.lists" provides dial-in
numbers of BBSs.
John DiNardo
