[infogulch]

I agree in general that GM is mostly a shortcut to a similar selective breeding that humans have been doing since pre-history, and banning it altogether is short sighted and reactionary. That said I think there is space for debate over which phenotypes are bred into our food, and how some phenotypes enable drastic changes in how our food is harvested and processed. For example, the use of glyphostate as an essential component in weed control and harvesting of wheat is enabled by transferring phenotypes from very different organisms that would be impossible using natural breeding techniques. And note that this and similar modifications are now IP owned by the people who did it, and they have a vested interest in getting everyone to use it (by force if necessary) irregardless of the obvious looming health questions that arise.