It would be comforting to believe that the production of synthetic bacteria in the laboratory is going to accelerate cures for disease, replacement body parts and sympathetic engagement with nature. But that is not happening. The positive hopes are the marketing headline.
The reality, proven by the track record of Venter and his hairy faced cohorts as well as other biochemical-industrialists, is that they are simply there for the money. They want to control the market for genetic engineering. They want to patent life. That should be totally unacceptable to you. But it isn’t, because you think they are good people, working for the common good. What they are really doing is taking control of you – not your choices, but your biology. And we are allowing it to happen. Scientists will calmly say that there are issues and their controls are damaging. As a banker I can be a bit more emotional, and fearful. Precaution before permissiveness should be humanity’s approach.
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