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might prompt other nations to engage in full-scale testing. Some Chinese and Japanese officials also criticised the US, calling for America to stop "skirting its responsibility for arms reduction". Underground experiments aren't the US Government's only method of subverting the Treaty, says The Nation (15 June 1998). In July 1993, Clinton introduced the Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) which is allotting US$45 billion over the next 10 years to finance new research facilities. While the CTBT pro- hibits the "qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons", this pro- gram will fund the building of nuclear accelerators, giant X-ray machines and the largest glass laser in the world. In defending the experiment to the Press, Russian officials pointed to the US test as proof that subcritical tests of nuclear weapons are permissible under the CTBT. There are no signs that either country will change its policy on subcritical nuclear testing. Nor does the DOE appear ready to end other activities in the Stockpile Stewardship Program that violate the principles and goals of the CTBT. may burst, due to public outrage, before they can recoup their investments. Not surprisingly, then, there is currently no indepen- dent investigation into the relationship between genetic engineer- ing and the emergent and recurrent diseases. In July 1993, Clinton introduced the Stockpile Stewardship No. 8: CATHOLIC HOSPITAL MERGERS THREATEN Program (SSP) which is allotting US$45 billion over the next 10 | WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS years to finance new research facilities. While the CTBT pro- ationwide hospital mergers with Roman Catholic Church hibits the "qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons", this pro- medical facilities are threatening women's access to abor- gram will fund the building of nuclear accelerators, giant X-ray tions, sterilisation, birth control, in vitro fertilisation, foetal tissue machines and the largest glass laser in the world. experimentation and assisted suicide. In 1996, over 600 hospitals In defending the experiment to the Press, Russian officials merged with Catholic institutions in 19 states. The merged part- pointed to the US test as proof that subcritical tests of nuclear nerships extend from Portland, Maine, to Oakland, California, and weapons are permissible under the CTBT. these mergers and partnerships with hospitals and health mainte- There are no signs that either country will change its policy on —_ nance organisations (HMOs) are resulting in the impairment of subcritical nuclear testing. Nor does the DOE appear ready to end reproductive health care rights across the nation. other activities in the Stockpile Stewardship Program that violate Christine Dinsmore, writing in Ms. magazine (July/August the principles and goals of the CTBT. 1998) gives the example of Kingston Hospital in Rhinebeck, NY. Kingston once performed about 100 abortions each year, but if No. 7: GENE TECHNOLOGY LINK TO NEW DISEASES merged with Benedictine Hospital, a Catholic facility, it will pro- Il the signs are pointing toward a major crisis in public health vide the service for medical reasons only. No hospital in the com- as both emergent and recurring diseases reach new heights of | munity would provide birth control counselling or family plan- antibiotic resistance. At least 30 new ning services. diseases have emerged over the past Collaborations between secular 20 years, and familiar infectious dis- and Catholic hospitals have made eases such as tuberculosis, cholera the Roman Catholic Church the and malaria are returning with vigour. _ there is currently no largest private health care provider By 1990, nearly every common bacte- in the nation. Why would they want rial species had developed some independent investigation into to join forces with secular hospitals? degree of resistance to drug treatment, the relationship between genetic "The big money in the hospital many to multiple antibiotics. . . comes when you have a closed sys- A major contributing factor, in engineering and the emergent tem of doctors, HMOs and hospitals might be the transfer of wenes and recurrent diseases. joop” wets Dinsmore between unrelated species of animals Though activists object to partner- and plants which takes place with ships between religious and secular genetic engineering, according to hospitals that result in the ban of Third World Resurgence (no. 92, reproductive services, they are "Sowing Diseases, New and Old", by Mae-Wan Ho & Terje sometimes willing to accept lesser collaborations, such as joint Traavik). Worse yet, regulators are considering a further relax- ventures or affiliations in which it's more likely religious direc- ation of the already lax safety rules regarding this unpredictable tives won't be imposed. In response to community pressure, some and inherently hazardous field. health care agreements have resulted in independently run wom- The technology of genetic engineering, also called biotechnolo- en's health clinics. Some activists, however, say it's a lousy solu- gy, uses manipulation, replication and transference techniques to tion because separate women's health clinics are often easier tar- insert genes "horizontally", to connect species which otherwise gets for anti-abortion extremists. cannot interbreed. Normal genetic barriers and defence mecha- nisms, which degrade or inactivate foreign genes that they recog- | No. 9: US TAXES SUPPORT DEATH SQUADS IN nise as dangerous to the self, are in this way broken down. Used | CHIAPAS, MEXICO to facilitate horizontal gene transfer, genetic engineering can also oO: 22 December 1997, in the village of Acteal in the highlands result in antibiotic-resistant genes which can inadvertently spread of the Mexican state of Chiapas, 45 local men, women and and recombine to generate new drug- and antibiotic-resistant children were shot as they were praying. Their bodies were pathogens. This, say the authors, has occurred. dumped into a ravine. Elsewhere throughout the state of Chiapas, Horizontal gene transfer and subsequent genetic recombination unarmed women faced down armies "with fists held high in rebel- may have been responsible for bacterial strains which caused a lion and babies slung from their shoulder". In Jalisco, more than 1992 cholera outbreak in India, and for a Streptococcus epidemic a dozen young men were kidnapped and tortured. One of them, in Tayside in 1993. Antibiotic-resistant genes spread readily Salvador Jimenez Lopez, drowned in his own blood when his between human beings, and genes from bacteria inhabiting the gut tongue was cut out. Members of the group responsible for these of farm animals spread easily to human beings. Antibiotics can _ and other atrocities are allegedly members of the Mexican Army create the very conditions that facilitate the spread of antibiotic Airborne Special Forces Group (GAFE)—a paramilitary unit resistance because they can increase the frequency of horizontal trained by US Army Special Forces. gene transfer 10-fold to 10,000-fold. Mexican soldiers are being trained with US tax dollars to fight Biotechnology firms have billions of dollars invested in these an alleged War on Drugs, but peasant activists say the real motive new technologies and are concerned that their speculation bubble —_ driving the US-supported war is the protection of foreign invest- No. 9: US TAXES SUPPORT DEATH SQUADS IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO oO: 22 December 1997, in the village of Acteal in the highlands of the Mexican state of Chiapas, 45 local men, women and children were shot as they were praying. Their bodies were dumped into a ravine. Elsewhere throughout the state of Chiapas, unarmed women faced down armies "with fists held high in rebel- lion and babies slung from their shoulder". In Jalisco, more than a dozen young men were kidnapped and tortured. One of them, Salvador Jimenez Lopez, drowned in his own blood when his tongue was cut out. Members of the group responsible for these and other atrocities are allegedly members of the Mexican Army Airborne Special Forces Group (GAFE)—a paramilitary unit trained by US Army Special Forces. Mexican soldiers are being trained with US tax dollars to fight an alleged War on Drugs, but peasant activists say the real motive driving the US-supported war is the protection of foreign invest- JUNE — JULY 1999 NEXUS © 15 engineering and the emergent and recurrent diseases.