Starving Nation Turns Down Bioengineered Corn

The Washington Post has a story about Zimbabwe turning down shipments of genetically engineered corn, even though the country is experiencing a severe drought and starvation. Zimbabwe is afraid some of the corn will end up planted instead of eaten -- and growing patented corn is a no-no, of course! If the corn is planted even once, it may contaminate all future crops grown in those fields or any fields nearby, leading to huge lawsuits - and then the fields are contaminated, exacerbating the food shortage. So, starve or be bankrupted, and Zimbabwe appears to be choosing, "starve". Tons of ethical issues here, which have hardly been touched upon in the U.S. press.

Comments

Re:Catch 22

[nagora]

This is an elaborate catch-22 that the US has set up to make Mugabe look bad no matter which way he decides to go.

First of all, Mugabe is capable of doing that himself, second of all he also couldn't care less what the US thinks of him. In fact, the worse the "white powers" think of him the more he can play the race card at home to gain support.

he will be labeled as a blundering fool, a ruthless dictator, and as a person who the world can not trust.

He's already know for all these in every country outside Africa and most of those in Africa.

Either way, this is a brilliant move by the US in the chess game between these two countries.

Except it's the pawns that lose while the Kings stay on the board forever.

TWW