[gmc]

Globalization is affecting us all but instead of pointing fingers at each other we should create international laws forbidding labor exploitation, product dumping, and state subsidization of greedy multinationals.

I think we agree with each other.

If Europe doesn't want it, fine, but don't expect America to bend over for European agricultural exporters if that's the case.

Europe doesnt want it. It's not about trade it's concern about the environment. I think it is portrayed as simply being about trade issues in the US but to the average european it is not that simple. There really was a tremendous backlash against GM crops with test crops being destroyed. nything labelled GM doesn't get bought. Not labelling the stuff is viewed as the govt and agribusiness trying to sneak in by the back door. Please understand the opposition to GM is very much a grass roots affair our government amd in europe ignore that kind of sentiment at the risk of being voted out of office.

I'm not very sympathetic to that unscientific concern particularly when I hear that distribution of food supplies in Africa is being blocked by food production activists.

It's hardly unscientific. We already have problems with our water supply being contaminated by pesticides and fungicides. Used in conjunction with genetically modified crops that need the concomitant pesticides it may be good for the likes of the big agribusinesses but it's a potential disaster for the environment.

Canadian farmers that don't use gm seeds are finding the stuff in amongst their crops and are being sued by the seed companies who swear blind it couldn't be there except by someone planting it. I would put in a link to the story but I've lost it.

The thing is once we have these and they do damage we are stuck with the consequences.

As to food production, you know what we inport from Kenya? Flowers, in a continent where millions starve they grow flowers as a cash crop because they can't get enough for their food crops thanks to the EEC and US dumping foodstuffs. The problem is not we can''t feed everybody it's that the food is in the wrong place

It is a very complex issue with no single factor causing the problem. I suspect we could spend the rest of the year debating the issue but probably agree in broad terms. The problem is in debates I have seen like this it tends to fall in to a slagging match about capitalism versus communism which totally miss the point. Nor is it US against EEC we are both at fault on this one.

As to the economy, most of the growth in the UK comes from small to medium size enterprises. The internet is beginning to have atremendous impact on busionesses and the way they operate. I am about to set up my own company, currently I work with a larger company, self employed but i pay them a monthly charge for office space admin etc. Thanks to new scanning tachnology and internet based transactions and research I no longer need them. I can do the same level of business and triple my profitability. Boy do I love IT. Wre;; Ilike to use it, in truth once I get things working the way i want i tend to lose interest.

I live in an area where twenty years ago there were a few major employers. When they left unemployment was around 10-15%. Now there are hundreds of businesses and employment is under 3%. It is not change that is the problem but how you deal with it.