Jamie; Consider this love mail instead of hate mail. You said what i have been thinking much more eloquently than I could. Although there is a small amount of validity involved in the control of pathogens and invasive plants, much of this is overblown. It seems to me rather inconsequential when one considers the much larger threats of global warming. Terrorists in the larger scheme of things are pitiful annoyances but one wonders why the government is spending their energy in this type of venue when screening for nuclear devices might prevent much more than a runaway weed. It sometimes seems we can't face the real threats so we have to pick on the tiny ones to make us feel like something is being done. Plant enthusiasts seem to be quiet individuals who take much of what is thrown at them. --- "JamieV." <jamievande@freenet.de> wrote: > Adam, et al, > > although I agree this is not really off-topic, as it > concerns the > traffic in ornamental plants, which is definitely > what we are involved > in, but to believe that these new regulations are to > protect us from > terrorist or genetic plots is pretty naive! If one > were to actually > create some form of pathogen that could be easily > transmitted via plants > or seeds, getting to the appropriate point of > distribution would never > be a big problem. The current security measures > would never be able to > stop a well thought out plan. Let's be realistic! > We shouldn't let > media propoganda mislead us. > > The current situation is much more to do with > control of all transaction > between otherwise free peoples and control as much > of their daily > intercourse as possible, end of subject. (or is it? > Who is benefiting > from these controls?. Not you and me) The > unfortunate fact that phytos > for small shipments have become an issue is simply > fall-out of political > correctness and is of little value in actually > monitoring the > import-export of possible pathogens. Inspecting > huge shipments of > organic goods has a valid point, but inspecting > small shipments of > garden plants/seeds is nothing short of nonsense. > Now, this knowledge > doesn't help any of us obtain the objects of our > desire, but it should > make it clear that the issue is much larger than > control of a few stray > seeds! What we are seeing is a world wide > tightening of controls, which > does effect our personal liberties. That the > American people have > allowed their govt. to interfere in their personal > lives in the name of > national security leaves the rest of the free world > in absolute > disbelief. One would think people would read > between the lines and see > the issue for what it actually is. Loss of freedom. > Usurping personal > and human rights. Unfortunately, this madness has > spread well beyond > the American borders. We are all effected. > > I don't want to do a soap-box, but I have. You want > to have the right > to import plants without undue restriction, then > write hard core letters > to your politicians and tell them the current > situation is > unacceptable! Don't let yourselves be whitewashed > into believing this > is in the name of national security. After all, > those Monarch > Butterflies were not murdered by terrorists, they > were murdered by > researchers that didn't have it all figured out. An > unfortunate > mistake, but not a terrorist attack. Such > 'accidents' happen world > wide, it is certainly not only the US, but the > connection to gardeners > like you and I simply does not exist! > > I expect to receive some hate mail after this, > especially considering > the day we have, but the point of my posting is that > the situation is > already out of hand. If we do not all react and > attempt to regain > control over our personal rights, we won't be able > to raise anything in > our gardens, except the local weeds! And that only > with permission. > > Ciao, > > Jamie V. > Cologne > > > > Adam Fikso schrieb: > > Considering the importance of the phytosanitary > issue , and the likelihood > > of it continuing--why don't we start considering > phytosanitary issues and > > delays as being "on-topic"?. Apparently there is a > new set of standards > > being considered for international uniformity > which derives its concerns not > > only from terrorist concerns, but from anxiety and > concern about > > genetically engineered seeds and plants, which > might be used as vehicles for > > terrorist goals. being issued by the Secretariat > of the International Plant > > Proection Convention , Food and Agriculture > Organizationn of the U.N.. > > Jacques Diouf, Director-General. > > > > For example, there is current research on > transgenic corn which would > > carry a gene to protect against E.coli just as a > result of eating it, and > > another line of research which would protect > against HIV infection. (Chicago > > Tribune Magazine Section, September 9, 2007) . > Most of you are probably > > already aware of the transgenic corn pollen which > destroyed thousands of > > Monarch Butterflies. > > > > > > Given this, what is to keep a bio-terrorist from > using similar methods to > > infect or destroy a population of people? > Without answering the questions > > implied here, the issue of how one guards against > this bio-terrorist > > eventuality by developing and writing regulations > for the inspection and > > transport of seed between countries becomes an > enormous task. Relevant > > questions for governments are: What kind of > inspection is even possible? > > What kinds of quarantines are facing us in the > future? > > > > I think that much of the present concern we're > seeing is motivated in part > > by some of the above issues. So, growing > decorative plants from seed from > > other places may become much more restrictive in > the near future, and > > perhaps for a long time. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >