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Monday, February 25, 2013

PaleoJay Podcast 19- A Tale of GMO Wheat




PaleoJay Podcast 19- A Tale of GMO Wheat




Norman answered the door.  He was a punctilious man, and never hesitated to do what he thought was right.  He opened the door.

In the doorway was a slim, tall man with a thin mustache and saturnine face.

“Mr. Borlaug?” he asked.

“Yes” answered Norman.

“I hear that you are a philanthropist, of sorts.  That you would desire to save the human species, of the future that is.  Am I correct?”

Norman stared.  Who was this man?  How did he know about...

“What do you mean?  Why have you come-  I don’t understand!” expostulated Norman.

The slim man smiled, revealing sharp, white teeth.

“May I call you Norman?” he asked.

“Yes, of course. “ said Norman.

“OK, NORman.  It doesn’t matter just HOW I know, but I KNOW- you want to save the world of humanity- am I right, Norman?”

The slim, dark man smiled again, and although perfectly friendly, there was something vaguely sinister in his query.  But Norman wondered how he could so perfectly know what he had been working towards in his research.  But then he thought- heck, this must be one of the “Angel Investors” he had been hoping to attract!!  All of a sudden he was really excited!

“Uh, YEAH!  I mean, I’ve been researching like HECK to , uh, reverse the future- I mean, it is inEVITABLE that we will all starve in the future if we don’t come up with a way to really, I mean REALLY enhance the production of grains, in particular WHEAT.  By the 1990’s we could see the beginnings of serious starvation in many places, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, and possibly the Middle East- I have spent so many hours trying to come up with a grain variety that could stop this disaster that-”

The dark man stopped him- “What if I told you that- I HAVE that grain variety!  I can help you to STOP the starvation you foresee in the future.  What would you... GIVE... for that?”

The dark man, smilingly regarded Norman with a slight leer to his thin lips.  He was holding a large manilla envelope in his hands, and tapped it suggestively.


Norman was surprised, and confused.  Who was this guy, and what were his motives?

But then again, what the hey- How did he know exactly what Norman wanted?  Was he a research consultant, or an investor, or what??  And how could he say “I have what you want!!”

It was crazy!

But, looking at that assured smile on those thin lips, and the cocksure glint in his reddish eyes, Norman knew the slim stranger was no flash-in-the-pan.  He resumed his interrogation:

“You seem to know a lot about what I’m doing. But what do you mean when you say you
have the SOLUTION? “


“Well Norman, there have been many times in the past when humanity was at a crossroads...  In Jericho, for instance!  I was there to help- they wondered about starting a city, growing grains...It was I who encouraged starting a city-state- growing grains!  I was a pioneer!!  And EGYPT- perfect!  I encouraged an ultimate ruler that had control over everyone, life or death, and we would all found our nation state on grain!  It worked out perfectly for centuries!  Everyone knew their place so well!

Norman stared- this guy was nuts!  But the tall, slim man continued:

“And then later, it was a nation named... uh- ROME- that’s it!  I said to Just KILL all the barbarians that didn’t CONFORM to our agricultural ideas!  It worked so well at first, but over time there seemed to form some... opposition.  This was troubling... but, we worked it out pretty well.  BUT, we need your, uh, assistance to continue!  “

Norman didn’t know WHAT say!  This sounded absolutely insane.  BUT, that thing about the enhanced grains that had huge productivity??

HOW COOL WAS THAT??

So, Norman decided to suspend judgement.  He would try anything to boost grain yields!

“What did you say your name was, Mr...” asked Norman.

“Mr. Lucifer”, answered the dark complected man with a thin smile.  “And I ask nothing of your for this, um, formula... nothing but that you give it to the world as your own handiwork.  I guarantee you will be lauded and feted worldwide as a hero of science!”

“But why offer this to me?  What about you- don’t you want the credit?”


The man looked at Norman with a piercing, actually a chilling look, and smiled... not a happy smile at all, but a smile that reminded Norman of how a cat would smile after eating a bird...

“I always get my due in the end- don’t worry about me!”

And so, Norman Borlaug got the specially modified wheat from the packet given him by the dark man, back in 1963.  And now, 50 years later, this same “miracle wheat” is largely responsible for many of our modern diseases- obesity has run rampant, diabetes is an epidemic, and our intestinal linings are so permeable from the anti-nutrients in this new form of “wheat” that autoimmune diseases are spreading from our guts to our bloodstreams in ever increasing numbers!


J   



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