Well, yes, I take it as read that men's productive powers rebound back on them as an alien force under capitalism. Even the most viruous qualities are turned inside out by capitalism.
My point is that the capitalistic misuse of technology does not mean that the technology or science is in itself bad. That is where I differ from the environmentalist critique of GM food.
So, for example, Cuba is amongst the most advanced developers of GM technology, without any capitalistic motivation. However, the European protectionist bans on GM food designed to punish the US have rebounded on Cuba, which is now prevented from putting its Gm engineered crops into production, at considerable loss to the socialist economy.
In message <s9f42b09.071 at mail.ci.detroit.mi.us>, Charles Brown
<CharlesB at CNCL.ci.detroit.mi.us> writes
>CB: Yes, pressures on scientists, but I'm speaking more about how valid
>scientific theories and facts have been used misanthropically by capitalism.
>Discoveries in navigation and shipbuilding were used to go around the globe
>conquering, murdering, colonizing and enslaving just about everybody, instead of
>establishing a peaceful , egalitarian panhuman network. Biological discoveries
>were used to make biological weapons, as used in WWI. Physics discoveries were
>used to make bigger and bigger bombs and missiles. Anthropological data was used
>to control and colonize peoples. Chemical knowledge was used to develop crack
>cocaine.
>
>GM food may involve strongarming scientists to manipulate data, but the misuse
>of accurately reported data is a big danger with capitalism too.
>
>
>
>
>>
>>CB: Perhaps it is your unquestioning optimism about how scientific discoveries
>>are likely to be used under our capitalist regime that starts to move toward a
>>religious type of outlook. "Don't worry , be happy" optimism is not scientific;
>>it is not "questioning everything" and looking at the "objective" history of
>>capitalism to warrant your answers about what capitalism is likely to do in the
>>future with powerful scientific discoveries.
>>
>
>Charles, this is a sleight of hand. I say 'optimistic' and you smuggle
>in the charge 'unquestioning' as if that was my case. But my case is
>precisely the opposite. I am the one defending rational enquiry against
>religious belief.
>
>(((((((((((
>
>CB: You had said
>
>"When Carl uses the term science, he doesn't know that this is merely a
>compacted way of saying 'to question everything, taking only the
>objective as warrant for knowledge'. (By contrast faith founds knowledge
>on belief.) So, 'faith in science' isn't really faith. It means faith in
>the evidence of the sense, which is to say, that every proposition
>should be tested."
>
>What are you questioning about GM food , and specifically capitalist use of GM
>food ?
>
>
-- James Heartfield