Legalize drugs, ban GM food?

[RaiseYourVoice]

I was wondering about that. In leftist circles i hear both speeches to legalize drugs, while actively fighting genetic manipulated food by either destroying it, or calling for the state to ban it. Isn't that a huge contradiction? In both cases its a question of people deciding over their bodies, of debatable risks (in the case of drugs the "left" says they are alot less harmfull in the case of GM food alot more harmfull then what the "mainstream" opinion is. To me it seems that either you protect people from themselves and the "free market" or well you dont.

Are there any arguments i am missing?

[BobKKKindle$]

...while actively fighting genetic manipulated food by either destroying it, or calling for the state to ban it

Which "leftist" organizations argue in favor of banning GM food? Although there are several political issues connected with the use of GM crops under capitalism and the resulting impact on poor farmers (for example, the use of terminator seeds, which forces farmers to buy seeds from an agricultural firm year to plant a new crop, because the second-generation seeds are always infertile) there are no proven health risks associated with the consumption of GM foods, and GM crops can be used to increase the total output of a harvest and so avoid the threat of food shortages.

[Lamanov]

Yes, we're not against GM per se, only against GM that poses a risk, like seeds that modify soil composition in order for the producer to monopolize the seed market.

As far as drugs go, well, I am for limitations; and meaningful ones too. Drug production will never be a part of standard economic production and distribution; it will be reduced to personal endeavor, and restricted from public spaces. There will also be a differentiation of drugs according to composition and effect. At least this is my opinion.

[apathy maybe]

Heck yes, I'm against GM foods, and general GM in the wild.

At least under capitalism.

Until you can remove the profit motive, I don't trust the companies to do the correct thing.

Besides which, you can't choice not to eat food, and if all the food is GM..., but you can decide not to do drugs.

[bobroberts]

GM food allows capitalists to patent, and profit exclusively, from life itself. This allows all sorts of abuse and injustice to occur, and is basically a scam designed to let companies dominate and monopolize entire sectors of agriculture. Often times their products don't even work as advertised, and they also spread to other farms who don't want their "product", but at which point they are legally obligated to remove the "product" from their land or pay fines. If they operate to organic standards they may even lose a significant portion of their crop. It would be like if someone threw a rock through your window, then sued you claiming you have stolen his rock, and getting away with it.

Banning technology is obviously not the best answer, as there may be some legitimate use to genetically modifying a plant, but under the current system that is the only way to address these types of abuse which is probably why people advocate for it. Under a system of workers control, the nature of these industries would be radically changed, and instead of technology being restricted, banned, or abused according to the whims and desires and profit motive of people with capital, the people with capital would instead be "banned". There would be no reason to cook up some GM plant to control sections of agriculture, because the technology would belong to everyone and nobody could use that as an excuse to control or profit exclusively from another persons labor.

[politics student]

I am a great supporter of GM but not under capitalism as it becomes a new method to oppress the poor.

Its a sad situation. :crying:

[Lost In Translation]

I would argue that GM Foods have great potential in our world in producing vast amounts of food. However, with such potential there will always be somebody who wants to cash in on it. People already have, and now the farmers are paying the price. Despicable.