Well america... say, "goodbye" to your biotech industry

[buffys]

U.K. Scientists Apply for Cloning License

LONDON (AP) - Britain's reproductive science regulator said Wednesday it was considering the country's first request to clone human embryos for scientific research.

Britain legalized therapeutic cloning in 2001, becoming the first country in the world to do so. Scientists wishing to perform the process in Britain need a license from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, which has not yet granted any.

I can almost hear you're scientific community flushing away, britain's going to have it's pick of your best and brightest. At the beginning of this controversy one thing that was always agreed on by all sides was wether the US does or doesn't do it, someone will.

All hiding your head in the sand did was remove any advantage you might have had or say in the upcoming research, development and ethical debates. Well, actually I suppose you'll still be able to debate the ethics to your hearts content but it won't matter. All you've really accomplished by going the route you have is relinquish any influence you may have had. Maybe that's a good thing? I guess we'll see.

 

[invert_nexus]

I can't wait for the headless clone farms. Then we could abuse our bodies all we wanted and have a limitless supply of fresh parts just waiting to be installed. The glorious future.

 

[top mosker]

The problem with biotech industry is that it is an industry

biotechnology should be researched for the pursuit of knowledge and beterment of our society. In its current form, it is being researched for profit. Do you see why we might want to back off just a bit on this?

 

[buffys]

I can't wait for the headless clone farms. Then we could abuse our bodies all we wanted and have a limitless supply of fresh parts just waiting to be installed. The glorious future.

oh yeah, it's much more civil today. A person actually has to hope and pray for the death of another person to have a future. I guess it doesn't really matter anyway since as you correctly pointed out, most people waiting for organ transplants are self destructive hedonists.

I love these sci-fi predictions of cloning, ahhhh... nothing better than a little baseless fear-mongering to get you're point across eh?

Watch out for that hitler clone army!

 

[invert_nexus]

I think you thought I was being sarcastic. I wasn't. I'm serious. Bring on the headless clone farms. Hell, I'll run one myself if I can.

 

[buffys]

The problem with biotech industry is that it is an industry

biotechnology should be researched for the pursuit of knowledge and beterment of our society. In its current form, it is being researched for profit. Do you see why we might want to back off just a bit on this?

I don't understand, your hospitals are private. You can't even get life saving medical attention without paying for it. Medicine is already an industry in the US, suddenly you don't want to sully yourself with biotech because it can be 'for profit'? You decide what's 'for profit' and what isn't, and you chose to make medicine for profit. Don't blame the industry.

 

[Mr. Chips]

He's not blaming the industry. I think you put it quite succinctly, top mosker. There are different kinds of profit. Monetary concerns is square in the way of humanity becoming a success whether it be biotech, power generation, food, health, you name it. The idea that money doesn't work, is a hard one to swallow but the evidence is plentiful.

As far as the subject of this thread, look to other fields to see the same pattern. Higher mileage low emissions vehicles, amorphous semiconductors, cold fusion and more have and continue to gain more efforts in other countries than the US where entrenched special interests present an inertia that prevents funding of the most promising research and development.

 

[Insanely Elite]

Also, a very sad and overlooked fact is that US universities develop the newest technological breakthroughs with taxpayer dollars, and the local board of regents give the patents away for an endowment from such worthies as Dow, Hewlett-Packard etc.

 

[sargentlard]

I guess it doesn't really matter anyway since as you correctly pointed out, most people waiting for organ transplants are self destructive hedonists.

Really says who? That seems like a very unfair assessment. Most awaiting a organ transplant are patients suffering from cancer, not those who ravaged their bodies in youth. A good deal of those are childern who were born with malfunctioning organs.

Self destructive hedonists....majority of them anyway do not realize their problems untill it is far too late or never realize them at all. How many cokeheads and alcoholics suffer a gun shot to the head or a bursted liver instead of a place on an organ waiting list.

 

[buffys]

*sigh*

If I had set my tongue any further into my cheek it would have actually pushed through to the otherside. Of course it's "a very unfair assessment", that was the point.

 

[sargentlard]

You know people...use a friking smilie every now and then...thats what they are there for

 

[DeeCee]

Most awaiting a organ transplant are patients suffering from cancer

Just what sort of cancer did you have in mind Sarge?

I can almost hear you're scientific community flushing away, britain's going to have it's pick of your best and brightest. At the beginning of this controversy one thing that was always agreed on by all sides was wether the US does or doesn't do it, someone will.

Nice try Buffy but I'm afraid it's not so simple.

State Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg (D-9th District) was joined by House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-84th District) and health care advocates today to rename the Stem Cell Research Act (House Bill 3589) to honor the memory of former President Ronald Reagan.

http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_9214.shtml

So the yanks are trying to push stem cell research using the name of that great humanitarian anti-abortionist RR. Their efforts, however, are still limited by law.
Americas problem is the loony christian right who don't seem to be able to tell a cloned blastocyst from a fully formed taxpayer. So how does GW keep his deluded voter base and satisfy the demands of the dudes who bought the presidency for him?
Well believe it or not UK biotech has been starved of funds for some time, a major cash injection is needed. Guess where the money is coming from.
Not just the US but europe as well. Britain is on its way to become the Dodge City of biotech.
The world gets it's overpriced drugs and the American CEO's of British companies like celltech and Oxford biotech get to count the cash.

Thats Globalisation!
Dee Cee

 

[buffys]

sargentlard,

no question, they can defitely help relay subtext but I JUST HATE THEM SO GOD DAMN MUCH! I'd rather be misunderstood than use "emoticons". In most cases the meaning can be gathered from the context anyway, so I don't get too worried about misunderstandings.

I don't even have a good reason for hating them but it's a very fundamental, almost primal hatred that I can't really explain.

 

[buffys]

Nice try Buffy but I'm afraid it's not so simple.

hmm, interesting article.

It's always amazing how fast people's 'ethics' can be reconsidered when a loved one is sick, especially when that loved one is powerful and/or rich. On one hand I'm glad to see some minds might be changing, on the other hand it sickens me that it takes high profile illnesses of famous people to 'legitimize' this research.

Suddenly, we're hearing, "Oh, it could have helped ronald reagan? I guess I'm all for it then!"... two months ago it was a "crime against nature" or "blasphemy".

 

[SpyMoose]

Was that article about Illinoise legislature trying to make stem cell research legal? I don't think they can do that, as its outlawed at the federal level. Too bad for them that the current administration of "republicans" dosn't really give a crap about states rights, as has previously been the party line.

 

[Neildo]

Suddenly, we're hearing, "Oh, it could have helped ronald reagan? I guess I'm all for it then!"... two months ago it was a "crime against nature" or "blasphemy".

And I can't wait until more of that happens.

Soon people will realize there is no such thing as ethics or morality, only consequences. Ethics and morals change like yesterdays underwear.

- N