[107341] in Cypherpunks
[Fwd: [Fwd: Release: anti-drug fungus]]
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Soren)
Mon Jan 11 14:24:50 1999
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 15:01:55 -0400
From: Soren <sorens@workmail.com>
To: cyphers <cypherpunks@cyberpass.net>
Reply-To: Soren <sorens@workmail.com>
I know this is off-topic, but ...
Latest round of 'pre-millenium idiocy' category.
> Subject: Release: anti-drug fungus
> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 99 06:12:26 PST
> From: announce@lp.org
> To: announce@lp.org (Libertarian Party announcements)
>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> =======================================
> NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
> 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100
> Washington DC 20037
> World Wide Web: http://www.lp.org/
> =======================================
> For release: January 11, 1999
> =======================================
> For additional information:
> George Getz, Press Secretary
> Phone: (202) 333-0008 Ext. 222
> E-Mail: 76214.3676@Compuserve.com
> =======================================
>
> Libertarians blast Congress for spending
> $23 million to develop anti-drug killer fungus
>
> WASHINGTON, DC -- The United States government is spending $23
> million to develop a killer fungus to wipe out marijuana plants -- a
> dangerous plan that could cause an environmental catastrophe, said the
> Libertarian Party today.
>
> "This project is the political equivalent of athlete's foot
> fungus: It's nasty, it's dangerous, and it needs to be stopped before
> it spreads," said LP National Director Steve Dasbach. "The last thing
> we need is a bio-engineered killer fungus turned loose on the world."
>
> Late last year, Congress passed legislation that authorized $23
> million for research into soil-borne fungi called "mycoherbicides,"
> which will attack and kill marijuana plants, poppy plants, and coca
> plants.
>
> When developed, the fungus could be released in such South
> American countries as Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, said U.S. officials.
>
> The legislation was guided through Congress by U.S.
> Representatives Bill McCollum (R-FL) and Mike DeWine (R-OH), who said
> the killer fungus was potentially a "silver bullet" in the War on
> Drugs.
>
> But Libertarians say the tax-subsidized fungus is a "biohazard"
> that could have a disastrous impact on the ecosystems of the target
> nations -- and, potentially, the whole world.
>
> "In the government's irresponsible search for a quick-fix in
> the War on Drugs, politicians could cause terrifying long-term
> ecological problems," warned Dasbach. According to scientists, the
> killer fungus could...
>
> * Attack other plants, wiping out valuable cash crops.
>
> "For example, a chemical alkaloid similar to the one that
> produces cocaine is present in many legal plants -- including tobacco
> and coffee beans," said Dasbach. "In an effort to wipe out drugs, this
> killer fungus could wipe out the livelihood of millions of farmers."
>
> * Cause many plants to develop stronger chemical defenses
> against the fungus, which could then mutate and spread to other,
> harmful plants.
>
> "According to scientists, mutated plants could pass on these
> resistant genes and create herbicide-resistant weeds, which could have
> a ruinous effect on farm yields," he said. "With world hunger already a
> problem, why risk making it worse?"
>
> * Wipe out industrial hemp plants, which are legal in every
> major industrialized country outside the United States.
>
> "No fungus is smart enough to tell the difference between legal
> hemp and illegal marijuana," noted Dasbach. "This fungus could be the
> biological warfare equivalent of carpet bombing -- killing whatever is
> in its path."
>
> What should Americans do about this dangerous program? Tell
> their Congressional representatives to apply a strong dose of political
> fungicide to "cure" it, said Dasbach.
>
> "This tax-funded fungus should be treated like any dangerous
> mold or mildew -- exposed to sunlight and wiped clean. Congress should
> just say no to biological warfare."
>
> Dasbach also said Libertarians have a better way to reduce the
> consumption of marijuana, with no environmental risks: Legalize it.
>
> In the Netherlands, he noted, where marijuana is
> decriminalized, drug use is half that of the United States. In fact, a
> new study revealed that while 32.9% of Americans have tried marijuana,
> only 15.6% of Dutch adults have done so.
>
> "Treating adults like adults -- and letting them make decisions
> about how to live their lives -- seems to have a stronger anti-drug
> effect than any killer fungus," said Dasbach. "Wouldn't it be ironic if
> liberty was a more effective anti-drug program than deadly
> mycoherbicides?"
>
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>
> The Libertarian Party http://www.lp.org/
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> Washington DC 20037 fax: 202-333-0072
>
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