Bucky wrote:for me, it's the validation of the science-ignoring population. acknowledgement breeds credibility.

that's a fair point, but in this instance, no single person really gets hurt. the anti-vax crowd endangers the general population by risking the possibility that a previously extinct or near extinct disease will affect their kids and then the general population. the anti-climate change crowd endangers humanity because climate change could potentially be disastrous for millions(if not billions) of people. the anti-GMO crowd will bring a small reduction in sales to companies who use GMO products. there's no wide-ranging disastrous effect to labeling GMOs like their could potentially be in the other examples i listed.

it's a consumer thing not a public health thing, you know?

Bucky wrote:for me, it's the validation of the science-ignoring population. acknowledgement breeds credibility.

but aren't the impact of the ingredients we see on labels now in constant flux?

SK790 wrote:

Roger Dorn wrote:O'Malley deserved to be booed. His zero tolerance approach to crime in Baltimore greatly exacerbated the situation there with enormous negative impacts on minority communities. Rounding up and locking up non-violent offenders and idiots wonder why the family structure and society breakdown. Oh yeah, and when they get released they can't get meaningful employment because they have a record. Need meaningful criminal justice reform in the worst way.

Fivethirtyeight wrote about how this will be difficult: http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/rele ... rceration/

Using this interactive tool referenced in the article: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015 ... 50-percent

You can cut 50% if you release all "non-violent crimes" plus 30% of all robberies(which may or may not have involved actual violence). Without letting out the robbery-commiters, you still get rid of 46% of the prison populations, which is pretty damn good, IMO.

someone recently posted something next to bernie's picture, and i didn't research, but wonder if it's true or not. it was something along the line of 'we imprison more people than supposedly intolerant china, despite having a quarter of the population". wish i could find the meme

just the fact that we use jail time instead of rehabilitation to, um "fix", drug offenders is ridiculous. putting someone in prison 99% of the time assures the rest of their life will be terrible and it's no wonder why most of these people become repeat offenders.

land of 2nd chances*

*if you're rich and white

Youseff wrote:

Bucky wrote:for me, it's the validation of the science-ignoring population. acknowledgement breeds credibility.

but aren't the impact of the ingredients we see on labels now in constant flux?

yes, but you can't really compare listing the amount of trans-fat against whether the source material has been GM

it's like apples and volcanoes

Bucky wrote:

Youseff wrote:

Bucky wrote:for me, it's the validation of the science-ignoring population. acknowledgement breeds credibility.

but aren't the impact of the ingredients we see on labels now in constant flux?

yes, but you can't really compare listing the amount of trans-fat against whether the source material has been GM

it's like apples and volcanoes

i think they're pretty similar.

look at the pork belly industry w/r/t the bacon craze: http://foodspin.deadspin.com/you-like-b ... 1642981536

Youseff wrote:what would the downside to labeling GMOs be? 1/2 hour of extra work for industrial designers?

Very good long read from Slate from last week about GMOs - Are GMOs safe?

What would be the downside of labeling each food item you eat with the first name of the person who operated the machine that picked it?

thank you for the decent response and then a dumb guy, glib, non-logical stupid response.

Youseff wrote:thank you for the decent response and then a dumb guy, glib, non-logical stupid response.

I posted the Slate article last page before your question. If you had read it first, my dumb response would've been unnecessary!

SK790 wrote:i chugged half a rainier

My eyes are getting tired... I just thought to myself "why would he chug a reindeer?"

jerseyhoya wrote:What would be the downside of labeling each food item you eat with the first name of the person who operated the machine that picked it?

I'd think that package of hotdogs I just bought contained "Fred".

@kept_simple: Trump has been calling Mexicans rapists for weeks but the thing that will finally sink him with journalists is being mean to John McCain

jerseyhoya wrote:

Youseff wrote:what would the downside to labeling GMOs be? 1/2 hour of extra work for industrial designers?

Very good long read from Slate from last week about GMOs - Are GMOs safe?

I'm not sure the guy who winds up saying this:

Saletan wrote:That’s what genetic engineering can do for health and for our planet. The reason it hasn’t [done all sorts of wondrous things for humans everywhere] is that we’ve been stuck in a stupid, wasteful fight over GMOs. On one side is an army of quacks and pseudo-environmentalists waging a leftist war on science. On the other side are corporate cowards who would rather stick to profitable weed-killing than invest in products that might offend a suspicious public.

is supporting what you imagine is your triumphal position on this issue.

Saletan is grumpy that lefties are ignoring and in fact often lying about GMO science, to everyone's detriment. He goes easy on the issues of who owns and who decides, because, well, he's being paid for a different counter-narrative. So he acknowledges 2 "sides", and frequently describes the issue as "complicated", but needs to come to the finish line with a clear position, and he honors his contract.

It is a nice touch that the gadfly - writers like Saletan used to be referred to as "gadflies" - you have chosen as your standardbearer in this conversation has been labelled "the dumbest man on the internet" - by Redstate.

part of the issue I am concerned with is that food labeling to date has-

a) been a disaster and extremely confusing for the consumer. Marketers have found all sorts of ways to make their products sound healthier by using words that have no official meaning with the FDA- "All natural" is a perfect example of that. Even cuts of meat is confusing for the customer- with "Prime, choice or select" all three sound wonderful but the difference between a select steak and a prime steak is huge. Also information on labels is often outdated or flat out wrong, how many years did "fat free" snacks get labeled as healthy (and still does) when they contain tons of sugar and sodium?
b) the enforcement of the labels is next to nothing, the FDA and USDA is extremely underfunded to run routine inspections and make sure our food is safe, let alone labelled properly. Just look at last year when herbal supplements sold by GNC and others turned out to be completely devoid of what the product said it was.

the entire system needs an overhaul and more money if you want correct and clear labeling and better safety but the food/agricultural lobby is HUGE and won't let a politician even bring it up

The amount of attention the media gives trump's campaign is a new low point for them, which is saying something.

As a Republican I think it will be good when Hillary wins, Bill and her both are leaders and closer to the middle than any Republican that has a chance. I hate everything the party does now. Nobody aligns.

I actually like Donald Trump but if he became the leader of the free world...OMG.

Roger Dorn wrote:@kept_simple: Trump has been calling Mexicans rapists for weeks but the thing that will finally sink him with journalists is being mean to John McCain

They don't know any Mexicans, though. Who's to say if they're all rapists or not? Trump says this, Mexicans say that, I REPORT YOU DECIDE

WilliamC wrote:I actually like Donald Trump

WilliamC I enjoy your posts and of course respect you as a Phillies fan, but I need help with this, because I have to tell you I cannot see how an actual human can do what you suggest you do in this particular instance