Wow, man! You must really hate the west... Put your communist bias aside and treat entities based on similar terms. China wasn't doing much good when diamond hungry executives were having your land stripped... With another point, America imposes those "political strings" on principle; whether you agree to those terms is your problem. I don't recall China endorsing a democratic leader for North Korea. If you want to fix your country, a little history is great but try to mend differences (in large part by letting them go).

Most of the world's countries follow similar pharmaceutical laws, from what I know. There may be cultural confusion/conflict as a problem but there are problems everywhere. South Korea was war torn after the Korean War yet it is now the tenth largest economic powerhouse in the world (or around there). Get Somalians united and strive to out produce, out yield and out market goods and let's forget about China and really start talking about the power of Somalia.

The west is amazing… Please, rethink what you wrote.

This article by Bashir Goth is very well written and also inadvertently gives an indication of why there is suddenly a "world food shortage," as he mentions the seeds from crops that have been genetically modified to be sterile, forcing farmers to buy new seed every year. And, what if they can't afford to buy seed.

Those kind of plants should be banned by NATO. The corporations who are engaged in such mischief should be held responsible for world hunger.

China's emergence as the world's next superpower has so far been seamless. Not only does it have international corporations queuing up for its capital, but it is now transferring that power into influence, from Africa to Latin America, without making enemies along the way."With the development of global economy, China will become the economic powerful country of the world soon, its level of consumption has been increasing too.Demand for many US products in China are very strong,but there are few, if any, effective methods for US SMF's to access Chinese buyers and meet the demand. AC-Ali enables US businesses to list their company and product descriptions in English. AmeriChinaB2B will translate these descriptions in Chinese and put them on its China Business platform www.acb2b.cn. which attracts a large number of Chinese importers and distributors looking for American products to import to China. Welcome to AmeriChinaB2B( http://www.acb2b.com/ ) to begin your business trip of China.

Google is the best search engine Google

Info on plant patents

http://inventors.about.com/cs/biopatents/a/aa_plant_patent.htm

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/plant/index.html#2

From the USPTO's website, here is an excerpt:

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/#top

Novelty And Non-Obviousness, Conditions For Obtaining A Patent

In order for an invention to be patentable it must be new as defined in the patent law, which provides that an invention cannot be patented if: “(a) the invention was known or used by others in this country, or patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country, before the invention thereof by the applicant for patent,” or “(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country more than one year prior to the application for patent in the United States . . .”

If the invention has been described in a printed publication anywhere in the world, or if it was known or used by others in this country before the date that the applicant made his/her invention, a patent cannot be obtained. If the invention has been described in a printed publication anywhere, or has been in public use or on sale in this country more than one year before the date on which an application for patent is filed in this country, a patent cannot be obtained. In this connection it is immaterial when the invention was made, or whether the printed publication or public use was by the inventor himself/herself or by someone else. If the inventor describes the invention in a printed publication or uses the invention publicly, or places it on sale, he/she must apply for a patent before one year has gone by, otherwise any right to a patent will be lost. The inventor must file on the date of public use or disclosure, however, in order to preserve patent rights in many foreign countries.

Even if the subject matter sought to be patented is not exactly shown by the prior art, and involves one or more differences over the most nearly similar thing already known, a patent may still be refused if the differences would be obvious. The subject matter sought to be patented must be sufficiently different from what has been used or described before that it may be said to be nonobvious to a person having ordinary skill in the area of technology related to the invention. For example, the substitution of one color for another, or changes in size, are ordinarily not patentable.

To Mary

I posted the anonymous comment about which you asked the following question:

"Let's see the rationale behind this: it starts with plants that has been used medicinally a people's ancestors for hundreds of years. The day comes when the natives are asked by some European or American biochemical company 'researchers' to reveal their knowledge of the plants. As their ancestors have done for them, the natives pass on the secrets, for the benefit of mankind. Then
through the magic of our holy lawyers the plant is patented and becomes the exclusive property of the company.
My question anonymous and Dave: how do you sleep at night... ?pharmaceuticals?(hint:they're eating away at your brain!)"

Unfortunately, in your zeal to condemn the notion of a pharma company's patenting a new discovery, you display a tremendous ignorance about the subject.

It is a fundamental prerequisite of getting a patent that the "discovery" must be novel (or new), original (i.e., not something already known). In general, you also can't patent a natural product, even if it takes a lot of work to discover it, as might be the case with a rare medicinal herb.

What a company may be able to patent is a new or novel process to extract something from a plant by a process that is novel and unique -- i.e. not previously done, but if the "extract" itself is just the plant juice and people already know what it does in medicinal terms, there's nothing to patent.

You would have to search far and wide for any natural plant that is patented and has become the exclusive property of a company -- and then you would not find any. What you will find is that new plant species - such as those created by genetic engineering -- because they are novel, can be patented.

How do I sleep at night? When I'm not tossing and turning trying to figure out how to cure the kind of ignorance you displayed, fairly well. But then I worry about war and other stuff too.

Happy St. V's day!!

Here is a Valentines' Day gift towards global good.

Visit the following link, and download a (free) cookery book from that link. The cookery book has Pasta recipes recommened by international chefs and celebrities. For every download, Barillaus - the pasta making company from Italy will donate one dollar to alleviate hunger from this world.

http://www.barillaus.com/Celebrity_Cookbook.aspx

Unfortunately, this has been a pretty sterile dialogue.

The big powers aren't completely ignoring the countries of Africa or any other impoverished nations! There are those out there who do care and it is all about awareness. In 2000, 191 countries made an agreemnet known as the Millennium Development Goals, one of which is to eliminate global poverty by 2015. We Americans should let our representatives know that we care about this very important issue.

Anonymous:"Your countrymen had the plant for hundreds of years before America even came to exist as the present nation it is. How come they did not make the pharmaceutical ... or the bio-engineered seed?"and Dave!: "American or European pharmaceutical companies spend billions upon billions of dollars developing medicines to save millions of lives and in order to keep that development going, they commit "biopiracy"."

Let's see the rationale behind this: it starts with plants that has been used medicinally a people's ancestors for hundreds of years. The day comes when the natives are asked by some European or American biochemical company 'researchers' to reveal their knowledge of the plants. As their ancestors have done for them, the natives pass on the secrets, for the benefit of mankind. Then
through the magic of our holy lawyers the plant is patented and becomes the exclusive property of the company.
My question anonymous and Dave: how do you sleep at night... ?pharmaceuticals?(hint:they're eating away at your brain!)

United States aid to the developing countries is designed to create jobs in the US, fatten the corrupt leaders in these countries, and promotes dependency of foreign aid.

The only tangible aid from US to Africa in particular, is in the form of weapons. Knowing well that Africa has some of the worst leaders in this universe. They use these weapons to kill each other.

I have seen in my own eyes a USAID project ran in Somalia where the office supplies (pens, penceils, printing paper, clips, etc) has to be airfrieghted from the U.S. These supplies are available locally 50 to 100 times cheaper!!!. Why? Because it has been inked in the project document that all material used for the implementation of the project should come from US. This is a simple example...not exagerated! Guess where the majority of the money is spent! Here in the U.S.!!

The chinese violate the west most important principle: "Do as I say, not as I do." Now let nuke them back to the Tang dynasty.

At the end of the day, the most aggressive entrepreneurial classes, usually representing a country or group of countries will alway run roughshod over weaker resource-based nations. Either that or they will largely abandon them has the West has done with most of Africa. To argue that China is some kind of white knight come to do nothing but good for Africa is simplistic at best. They will be there as long as it is in their interest and will begin to push their weight around if they don't get what they want. Or they will leave for greener of more stable pastures elsewhere. It may be counterproductive but at least a portion of Western society is genuinely interested in helping the sickest and most impoverished Africans. I have yet to see a statement of values come out of China other than its desire to see itself and its own people prosper.

Mr. Bashir Goth

Where do we start? Where indeed?

You title your article "America is Colonizing us Quietly" but apparently your lament is that someone has discovered how to make a pharmaceutical from a plant and someone has figured out how to make bio-engineered seeds. The "someone" in each case is an American.

Your countrymen had the plant for hundreds of years before America even came to exist as the present nation it is. How come they did not make the pharmaceutical ... or the bio-engineered seed?

Another lament is that "Microsoft and Google are two soft powers that have caused a revolution in our working environment. They have deprived us of our ability to think and to labor."

When I first read this, a smile crossed my face. I wasn't sure I had actually read what may be the MOST STUPID statement on the Post's PostGlobal and On Faith segments COMBINED - and that is saying something.

Let me see, as someone else pointed out, you must have used Microsoft to do your word processing and perhaps Google for a search or to look at a map of where you are. You do know where you are don't you? You do know your ass from your elbow, don't you? Okay, okay, that's asking a lot, so we'll let it go.

So, tell us, how many of your countrymen have ever heard of Microsoft or Google? How many have EVER seen a computer, let alone touch one?

Microsoft and Google have deprived you of your ability to think and labor? Funny, isn't it, that in America and most of the rest of the world, these two companies have made a seismic shift in people's productivity and in providing software and tools and information to enhance the thinking process.

Did you actually read what your wrote? Why don't you re-read it and, for a moment, pretend that it was written by President Bush ... if it had been, you'd have called it stupid.

You say: "China’s loans and aid to Africa have no political strings attached. They don’t demand democratization, regime change, transparency, environmental mandates, or good governance."

No kidding? You ever heard of Tibet?

>

Okay, maybe that's why the taxpaying, philanthropic citizens support programs that seek democratization, and end to tyranny, transparency, environmental responsibility and good governance. Of course, it doesn't always happen especially when governments are corrupt or don't want to give up power, but maybe you are right -- the Chinese way of imposing it from above is better.

>

Hmmm, I thought your point was the America is quietly colonizing your country? What happened? Ah yes, Microsoft and Google stopped you in mid-thought.

BTW, I was born in Africa and now live in the US.

I don't recall reading such an imbecilic piece as this in a long, long time.

Take a deep breath.

If you don't like Microsoft and Google, there's a switch on your computer that is an ON/OFF switch. Switch it OFF and go squeeze some sugar cane juice.

Again, Mr. Bashir Goth went further and deeper into the geopolitical competition among the world powers to have access to the natural resources human labor of Continent of Africa that had been going for centuries and still going.
Africa is blessed with natural resources and cursed to have had weak people that had been subjected to enslavement, colonization, and all forms of abuse.
Africans wether black, red, or white were always attacked, caputred and subjogated by Arabs during the spread of Islam, Ottaman epmire, Roman empire, Cruasaders, and the Europeans after the 1884 partition of Africa.
During the spread of Islam all the Northern parts of Africa was not only caputred and colonized but was compelled to be Arabized and the history of Egyptian Civilization, Phonecian Civilization, Carthagien civilation, and many other civilizations to be wipedout and islamized.
The Roman Empire captured some parts and did more harm too.
The Ottoman Empire did it's damage to many parts of the Continent of Africa.
The biggest hammer came down on the continent of Africa when Europeans who used to call Africa," The Dark Continent" found out that Africa was not dark after all but rich with cheap labor and loaded with natural minerals and resources.
In 1884 Europeans agreed on what is called " Partition of Africa".
Since that year and the years before Africans had suffered all kinds of human suffering in many different forms, in the form slave trade, in the form enslaving them in thier own villages and homes, and in the form embezzlings of their natural resources.
Now coming to the subject at hand, I do believe the latest arrival of China as a trade partner is much better and more refreshing compared to the earlier arrivals experiences. Both Africa and China will benefit from this trade agreements.
Though learning Chinese and ascimilating into thier culture will be hard for many Africans like me, I am betting that Chinese damage to the Continent of Africa and its people will not be as bad as the damages by Arabs, Europeans, and Americans did.

I like your article goth.i have only one comment to add and that is if you understand chinese culture and attitude of the chinese people in its relation to other non chinese people,you will find they are not capable of colonising africa.THey are only interested in trading and entrepreneuship is in their blood.IF China want to colonise Africa Admiral Zheng He who went to africa one hundred years before the European could have exploited africa then.The armada of ships that arrive in Africa were bigger and more numerous than those from europe .they are militarily more stronger than the african tribes they met and yet it never occur to them to claim the land of africa and enslave its population or steal their resources to enrich themselves.MOst of the wealth of europe and america comes from the pillage of developing countries using brute force.AMERICA today is doing to IRAQ what their ancestors has done to AFRICA.

The Marshal Plan, and engagement in two World Wars by USA, was essentially an aid program by second and third generation Europeans in USA, a kind of cousins helping the extended family. That was a unique and one-off deal. The growth of Japan was not in that way, but by way of trade and Americans buying their goods. Neither of these plans were implemented in Russia or Eastern Europe and highly unlikely to happen in Iraq or elsewhere in the Middle East.

So, it is time for a new player, with a new ball and a new game. China seems to be making the rules for exactly such a game. The old colonial masters such as UK and France are suffereing from old age and delusions of the past. The European realists, such as the Germans and Russians, will probably join the trend in a few years. Volkwagen's revenues and profits from China are larger than the rest of the world!

Let me see if i've got this straight. America did not give Africa enough money and the money it did give had too many strings attached. American or European pharmaceutical companies spend billions upon billions of dollars developing medicines to save millions of lives and in order to keep that development going, they commit "biopiracy". The blame for civil wars in Africa lies with the Europeans. Technology is making you weak. Freedom, democracy and capitalism are ideas only for the west and not applicable to Africa. Wow, we suck here in the US. Good luck China, you'll need it.

People might questioned on what China’s interest in Africa beside trade? Well this is my opinion

Western people use to demonize that China came to colonize or steal Africa’s good…well people can believe what ever they want? But the misinterpretation of China intention will do harm to themselves rather then good. China came to African not only to do business but to counter Taiwan check diplomacy.

In history, United States and China were not natural enemies, but United States had to make artificially China as an enemy by supporting Taiwan, U.S had though that will certainly weakening or keep China trap for ever. As for Taiwan, it’s in it interest to run around the world and find support for it independence. And by forging the alliance with Japan, U.S expect to hedge or contain China’s rise…well that the way that western people see. But for Chinese, crisis is a danger and opportunities: Chinese peoples are not adventurism but if the opportunity to find the solution to counter or damp the danger is on the other side of the world than China will go. U.S had forced China out to play the global game, that’s not a bad new

It’s tragic that United States of America had chosen China as strategic competitor, by choosing a country with 5000 years history as enemy that had fought uncountable wars (dynasty to dynasty) during the timeline, accounting a huge experience in warfare & had playing diplomacy like a chess game, well U.S government must assume Chinese people are a bunch of idiots than can easily contain…way to go

As Chinese, I rather want to see US-China as strategic partner, there so much to gain for each other: I rather want to see Chinese people inside the international space station and make some financial contribution than spending money to shoot down an old weather satellite, also to see Chinese and Western people cooperate to help Africa rather compete each other for influence. All these are wet dream to me, so be it.

Mr. Goth-

Just a quick thought. You said that Microsoft and Google's products have "...deprived us of our ability to think and to labor". But without companies like Microsoft you would have been unable to post your opinion piece on the internet and thus spread your point of view. In this regard, Microsoft has in fact assisted in propagating your ability to think.

Perhaps the United States should stop sending aid of any kind to any nation for a period of 5 years. Lets see what happens in the world then. Not everything the US or the "west" tried has worked or been perfect, or even beneficial, but I content the good far out ways the bad.

Its true that some people or institutions have abused thier position to the detrement of many African nations. But on a trip to South Africa with an Aid organization, I was surprised to see that nearly every permanet building, or structure had a sign that read Donated By The United States.

When you give someone something freely for long enough, it becomes expected. Reading posts by people of other nations who focus soley on the negatives that America brings to thier culture or nation, make me want to stop donating my time and money for thier benefit.

Next time a disaster hits like a Tsunami, or outbreak of a virus, or when the AIDS epidemic reaches levels of human death we cannot imagine rigth now, perhaps as a "numb taxpaying philanthropist" I'll think that any help I could give, would be returned with a thanks for nothing attitude. I'll just go about my way, because other people from other nations like China will help out so much better than anything I as an American can do.

Enough of the America bashing!

well said, just as the China is investing and rebuilding your Africa continent, the Wests will see it as a threat to their well being. The Wests had and will continue to exploit Africa in any forms or shapes. The Wests will prevent you from improving you relation with China. Hope the people of Africa will choose to work with China. I believe China has done more for African in the last decade than the west have ever done.