or
             altered genome, has the potential to radically change life on earth.
             Genetic engineering was the natural precursor to cloning. This involves the alteration of the genetic makeup of a plant or animal. The DNA string can be manipulated in such a way as to
             give plants or animals characteristics not common to that particular species. Most of our food
             crops have been genetically engineered. The gene responsible for making a scorpion sting
             poisonous has been placed into cotton and corn to make them invulnerable to insects which feed
             upon them. When an insect bites the altered plant, it dies instantly. Genes from a flounder which
             allow it to survive in sub-freezing temperatures have been spliced into tomatoes so they may
             withstand frost. Most of us are not aware of these advances as there are no regulations in place
             obligating anyone to label their products with regard to any genetic alterations. Practically all
             grain crops have been altered in some way so as to be unsusceptible to the blights and insects that
             What is cloning, who will benefit, and what is the prevailing ideology attached to it? With
             regard to ideology, there is no one prevailing ideology, but rather a plethora of ideologies
             emanating from a myriad of social, religious, and special interest groups. Oddly enough the one
             institution which seems not express any formal ideology would be any specific government.
             Governments seem to be very hesitant to take any kind of stand on this blooming technology
             other than some token and quite meaningless guidelines set down by Great Britain and Australia.
             Is this lack of control the result of political weakness or is it that the governments are waiting for
             the technology to prove itself before adopting and promoting any ideology of its own? Or from a
             more sinister standpoint could it be that governments feel quite confident that the same people
             who want this technology ...