Are Human -Animal Hybrids On The Horizon?

In the 1996 sci fi  cult classic  'The Island of Dr. Moreau' we beheld the nightmare world of human-animal hybrids/chimeras run amuck, thanks to a crazed bio-geneticist. He practiced his depraved experiments on human captives using  assorted techniques to transform them into semi-beasts as well as create new ones via human-animal reproduction. Is any of this really possible?

This has been done already to some extent with mouse-human hybridomas, though none of these were allowed to get to a stage of mitosis past about 22 divisions. In Vance Packard's notable shocker, The People Shapers, he described how the Chinese had reached the stage of more than 10,000 mitotic divisions for an ape-human hybridoma, before it became unstable. Evidently, they had planned to augment their then three million man army using ape-human fighters.

While the thought of facing a mass of ape-human soldiers is probably appalling, I don't believe it is nearly as appalling as some recent efforts to infuse human stem cells into animal brains, which could lead to human like thought in the animals so affected. But is it really ethical to confer human like thought on a hog about to be slaughtered? Can we not say that such an effort must be deemed not only unethical but barbaric?

Much of this work is being considered and promoted by the N.I.H for the obvious reason that it may shed more light on human health issues and maladies, say like Alzheimer's disease. However, N.I.H. has been careful to keep a ban on any potential breeding of humans and animals, such as the goodly Dr.Moreau conducted on his island.

Good thing, also when the studies got underway N.I.H had no projects in the pipeline involving human-animal chimeras - a term derived from mythology referring to creatures part goat, part snake and part lion. But according to Renate Myles quoted in a NY Times piece (Aug. 13):

"We watch the state of the science and knew where this was heading".

The Times then cites two types of experiments being considered for N.I.H. funding:

1) The addition of human stem cells to the embryos of animals before the embryos reach a stage where organs are starting to develop. The danger clearly is that if human stem cells are added too early -  especially to a close primate relative like monkeys or chimps  - there would be a real risk of engendering a human-monkey or human -chimp chimera.  Hence, one waits until the animal embryo is more fully developed before adding the human stem cells.

2) The focus in these second types of experiment is on introducing, human stem cells  into the brains of rodents say, or better snakes, apes or maybe alligators. But N.I.H. spokespersons insist these experiments are "of particular concern". And why wouldn't they be? Would you really want human "smart" rats or gators roaming around, with even a rudimentary ability to plan attacks like a human might? I think not.

But the N.I.H. has made it abundantly clear (ibid) it will "continue its ban on funding any research that could result in an animal with human sperm and eggs that would then be bred".

Note, however, that all of the N.I.H. proposals and limits on experiments only apply to work financed by taxpayer money. Research funded by private donors would not be affected. In effect, if some mad Dr. Moreau type of Svengali character wanted to experiment using human sperm and say chimp eggs there would be no controls on him - at least from N.I.H.

Many of the new experiments being considered are "disturbing to many".  For example, Jeffrey P. Kahn of Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics points to two looming ethical issues:

1) To decide if there is a fundamental difference between adding DNA from one species into another- using the technology now employed for creating genetically modified foods.

2) To decide where to draw a human boundary - say for an entity created this way.  Related to this, if it is okay to put human cells into an animal can we also put animal cells into a human? If more and more human cells are added to an animal at what point is the result different from adding more and more animal cells to a human embryo?

Is creating a rat-like (rattish?) human baby (with a small ratty tail and slightly pointed ears)  worse say, than engendering a baby rat with a few human features - say like piercing blue eyes and developed nose?

Dr. Kahn pointedly asks (ibid.):

"What are we doing when we mix the traits of two species? What makes us human? Is it having 51 percent human cells?"

Maybe we need to ask Dr.Moreau.

Real Patriots Don't DO 'Black Fridays'!

"Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves therefore are its only safe depositories. AND TO RENDER THEM SAFE, THEIR MINDS MUST BE IMPROVED."

 - Thomas Jefferson, 'Notes on Virginia'.


I am certain that in the last two days  I've tossed (into the recycle dumpster) at least two -thirds of all the newspapers received. Why? ALL 'Black Friday' (i.e. Shopaholic) adverts! Kohl's announces 100 items on special! Walmart has special opening day Thanksgiving!  and so on and so forth! How about the workers? Don't they count?

Case in point was one of the Walmart "associates" planning to strike today, Mr. Greg Fletcher (featured on the ending segment of 'UP With Chris Hayes' on MSNBC last Sunday) who aknowledged to Chris Hayes and his panel that he along with his wife (also an associate) would be unable to spend Thanksgiving together with their kids. He was confirmed to work the 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. shift and she had to work from 3 p.m. to midnight. This is not right, and no one ....no worker... should be hostage to the capitalist-driven consumerist frenzy so well documented by Benjamin Barber, author of : 'CONSUMED: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults and Swallow Citizens Whole'- which ought to be required reading for everyone.

Of course, another book that needs to be read by all those citizens who wish to remain citizens (as opposed to mere grubby "consumers" ....i.e. out to "consume") is Douglas Rushkoff's COERCION, that details the psycho-dynamic basis for how most of us become puppets at the end of the strings manipulated by the Overclass marketeers and their associated Puppeteers. The latter are often ensconced in Washington think tanks and their pundit blabber often fills the air waves - or newspaper columns- warning Americans that they have an obligation to hold up their end of the economy by spending! (Since 70% of GDP is claimed to be traced to consumer activity- purchasing).  Never mind "consumers" are emulating herds of cattle, running each other down in the aisles of most big box stores today! )

But to me, real patriots will not allow themselves to be driven into such frenetic consumption, like zombies or brainless puppets. If they are real patriots , and citizens, they will sit home today - and pick up a good book from their library shelves - OR, look for one of the thousands of available FREE online and immerse their brain cells in something enlightening and constructive, improving their minds as Thomas Jefferson once beckoned us in his  “Notes on Virginia”  .

Jefferson's basis for making his comment was a recurring worry that at some future time citizens might become lax, and sluggish of mind, thereby losing the mental acuity and awareness that assures REAL freedom of their nation, as opposed to that embraced by the red, white and blue paper patriots who espouse endless war and a gargantuan military. If he could have peered 200 or so years into the future, however, he'd have seen that this sluggishness of mind has become an attribute of most of us. Our thinking, our judgments, or capacity for intense thoughts have become diluted by too much mental 'candy' and eye candy, as well as the endless desire to consume (which is why the Overclass now dismisses us as "consumers").

And what, pray tell,  is the "consumer"? He or she is basically a sheep, a mindless sheep. Erik Larson ("The Naked Consumer”  , p. 167) first highlighted the mutation, noting how consumer monitors in stores regularly referred to consumers as "grazing like cattle"(ibid.). Meanwhile, a September, 2011 article about brand names in The Wall Street Journal casually ruminated about "branding" consumers from the earliest ages. That is, insinuating deep product preferences into their brains, preferably from age two or earlier.(Why does little 3-year old Johnny Joe prefer a Big Mac to your own burgers? Easy! He's been branded! Especially if 'toys' are part of the eating deal!)

Are most people aware they are being relentlessly tracked and studied like prey- or better- "grazing cattle"? Hardly. Should we be aware? Probably. Why? Because by having awareness - and displaying it - we become more than the passive, stupid 'consuming cattle' they want us to be. Larson again (p. 181):

"No one ever notices. Ever. Consumers shop like in a trancelike state like 'idly grazing animals"


How can this happen? Central to Rushkoff's thesis is a process called "the Gruen Transfer". Without its initiation and consolidation within a fertile brain, arguably no American would become a marketer's zombie puppet. Alas, most of our citizenry, unread as they are (and with too short attention spans induced by over obsession with social ties on Facebook, etc.) aren't aware of how the Gruen Transfer takes over their mind in any situation. To read Rushkoff's book, therefore, is at once like reading the most horrific of Dennis Wheatley's "Devil" novels, while being brutally exposed to how our society really runs.


I never believed in the power of the Gruen Transfer until once having had occasion to ask an acquaintance in marketing if it could be conceivable an American could be so market-tethered and brainwashed that he or she would need to consult an advert before even taking a dump. Her response? "Of course! Hell, they would definitely wish to know whether the cool thing is to use Charmin or remain a poor douche and putz using some generic 2-ply brand of rough toilet paper! If you have to do your business at least you need to end it special!"


Incredible!

 Still, I had a difficult time swallowing this until coming across an article in The Economist ('Hidden Persauders II', Sept. 24, 2011, p.80), which of course cops its title based on the much earlier work 'The Hidden Persuaders', by Vance Packard. A book I believe every member of Generation X, Y and Z ought to read very carefully, if you can get it on your Kindles! That book, from over fifty years ago, showed the power of the marketing empire even then.

The Economist also references how assorted "market guerillas" prowl the social networks, in order to generate "buzz" that ropes in the needy eyes, and claims gullible brains. One company referenced (ibid.) is "the Girls Intelligence Agency" which employs some 40,000 girls to act as 'guerilla marketers', sowing buzz for assorted products - in return for which services they get free products and "everything they need to organize a slumber party". Of course, the slumber party then delivers the perfect captive audience which features an assortment of all the buzzed products which each guest is invited to try out. Refuse to buy after getting such an invite? That would be uncool!


Back to Rushkoff and the Gruen Transfer. As Rushkoff notes (p. 212):

"(The key) is the moment of confusion. In that moment of confusion- the buyer is subjected to a dissociative hypnotic trance (by the focus of the advert)- the consumer absorbs the image within the image."

Case in point, as cited by The Economist (ibid.).

 "In 1995, only 53% of American men admitted to shopping for themselves. That figure has now risen to 75% with many now buying traditional female products. The marketers created a $27 billion male grooming industry from nothing by bombarding men with images once meant for women .."

Thus, incredibly the new items on the new males' shelves evidently include depilatories, eye liner (!?), special moisturizers for body, face and hands, and "novel fragrances". Items they'd never have remotely purchased in the days the Gruen Transfer was still a primitive marketing ideation, but has since been developed to a state of the art mind-washing tactic so the males "absorb the image within the image", i.e. of them using female products! (Let's hope to hell the marketing monkeys never succeed in getting American males to do pedicures!) Rushkoff goes on:

"That's all coercion really is, after all: convincing a person to lie to himself by any means necessary. The stance of ironic detachment, while great for protecting ourselves for straightforward linear stories and associations, nonetheless makes us vulnerable to more sophisticated forms of influence.."

For sure, the incessant bombardment of ads via 'Black Friday' specials has played no small role in feeding this consumerist frenzy, that's now reached the point that even Thanksgiving is no longer sacred for families. Many millions must now conceive of having to work. (Btw, of course we know medical people, RNs, docs etc,. are on call...this stands to reason! But Walmart associates? Come on!)

Meanwhile, today's Black Friday walkout is being organized by the Organization United for Respect at Wal-Mart (OUR Walmart), a group of Wal-Mart employees formed last year that works closely with the United Food and Commercial Workers union, or UFCW. OUR Walmart, which organized walkouts in October, is pushing for better working conditions, benefits, and an end to alleged retaliation by management.

Today's strike would add yet another chapter to a wave of worker protests across Wal-Mart’s supply chain. It all began in June when a group of immigrant guest workers at a Wal-Mart seafood supplier in Louisiana walked off their jobs. In September, workers at company warehouses in California and Illinois went on strike. The workers in Illinois eventually won back pay. California workers weren’t so lucky—they started striking again last Wednesday. Shortly after those warehouse strikes began, retail workers backed by OUR Walmart started walking out of stores in 12 states.

Wal-Mart is painting the striking employees as a minority that’s unrepresentative of its workforce.  But don't believe it! Even those not directly participating (on account of a real fear of losing a low payscale job they still need) will be sympathizing with their fellows.

Yes, there will be those right wing goons who portray these striking workers as "communists" or even "terrorists" - but consider the sources! Most plausibly either the likes of Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh or certain unnamed FLA "pastors" who also believe prostate cancer is a "spiritual disease" for millions and oh yeah, that Jonah really got gulped by a whale and lived in its belly 3 days.

Bottom line? REAL patriots and true citizens will not be doing a thing consumer-wise, today, other than perhaps to pick up a few needed groceries. But no 'toys', including for adults - such as HDTVs, DVDs, or other 'stuff'. Save your money! Besides - the "fiscal cliff" is approaching and you may need that $$$$ if tax rates go up across the board ....as they really should!