The Wall Street Journal.
The bolded part at the end is what grinds my gears and demonstrates that some people truly should be locked up with minders looking after them, not to mention how yes, that science and history stuff they tried to teach us in grade school are actually things that it’s sometimes important to know a little about.

==================================

U.S. Probes Seeds Mailed From China

BY JESSE NEWMAN

State officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are investigating reports that hundreds of people have received seeds in the mail that they didn’t order.

Agricultural officials across the U.S. have launched probes after residents received unsolicited packages of seeds that appear to have mostly originated from China. Mike Strain, Louisiana’s commissioner of agriculture and forestry, which is investigating packages received in that state, said the USDA is also investigating the matter.

A USDA spokesperson said the agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is aware that “people across the country have received unsolicited packages of seed from China in recent days.” The spokesperson said USDA is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and state agriculture departments to prevent the illegal entry of prohibited seeds and protect agriculture from invasive pests and noxious weeds.

Mr. Strain said packages sent to Louisiana residents appear to be from China and Uzbekistan, and that some were labeled to suggest they contained jewelry or toys.

China’s Foreign Ministry didn’t respond to requests for comment. Uzbekistan’s embassy in Washington didn’t comment.

Other departments of agriculture in states from Virginia to Washington are investigating similar packages, or have asked residents to report any unsolicited seeds they received in the mail. They are urging people not to plant the seeds.

Officials are trying to identify the seeds, which they worry could be invasive plant species, and threatening to native plants and crops, or could introduce diseases or be harmful to livestock.

“I don’t think anyone has determined what’s really going on here,” said Mr. Strain. “If they are invasive or contain plant pests or disease, from an agricultural point of view, that is our greatest concern.”

Mr. Strain said his department learned Friday that a resident had received unsolicited seeds in the mail. Since releasing the information publicly that same day, the department has received phone calls from more than 150 people in Louisiana and other states, from California to Massachusetts, who received similar packages.

Field agents have begun collecting seeds from residents across the state. The initial seeds, brought to a lab in Baton Rouge, appear to be Chinese water lily seeds, Mr. Strain said.

Some state agriculture departments said the seed shipments amount to the illegal practice of agricultural smuggling because they were intentionally mislabeled to bypass U.S. customs. Importing seeds typically requires they come from a certified source. Some seed recipients told officials they had already planted them.

LINK

Added: Follow-up article at the end of page 2, 31 July.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sigfreund,

The folks who planted these seeds - especially knowing they came unsolicited from outside the US - should be prosecuted under whatever federal or state statutes may apply. I guarantee there are some.

Idiots need to pay for their stupidity.

-Rob

Its a scam called brushing where they send you stuff from Amazon so they gave give themselves 5 stars and boost their sales. That promotoes them further up the amazon sellers list.

Some sort of genetically-engineered super plant that manufactures and emits the Big Kahuna Virus's nasty cousin in its pollen, no doubt. Or perhaps a plant virus that will wipe out all known food crops.

Or manna, thereby sounding the death knell to Western civilization as we will no longer be motivated to feed ourselves.

China is indeed playing the long game. The mind boggles.

Hell, based on the bamboo infestation in my yard, they've already done their worst!

Nuke them! Nuke them from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

A friend here in NH got a package.

quote:

Originally posted by Scurvy:
Its a scam called brushing where they send you stuff from Amazon so they gave give themselves 5 stars and boost their sales. That promotoes them further up the amazon sellers list.

I don't think that's what is happening here, I've read several articles regarding this today, and none of them mention Amazon.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
Some sort of genetically-engineered super plant that manufactures and emits the Big Kahuna Virus's nasty cousin in its pollen, no doubt. Or perhaps a plant virus that will wipe out all known food crops.

Or manna, thereby sounding the death knell to Western civilization as we will no longer be motivated to feed ourselves.

China is indeed playing the long game. The mind boggles.

Hell, based on the bamboo infestation in my yard, they've already done their worst!

Nuke them! Nuke them from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

I'm on board with this plan. Apparently the Chi-Coms hit us with the insidious Bradford Pear tree and Mimosa tree in the initial stages of their plan. Bastards.

And who the hell would plan an unknown and unsolicited seed arriving from China?!? The mind boggles.

Sigfreud,

Unfortunately a lot of the public are fucking idiots, so planting seeds from God-knows-where makes sense to them.

quote:

And who the hell would plan an unknown and unsolicited seed arriving from China?

Maybe they're hoping they are magic beans?

So to add to the zombies, and riorters we now need to keep a lookout for giant trolls coming down out of the sky? Better bring enough gun!

These are the same people who download attachments from junk email.

quote:

Originally posted by Dakor:
Sigfreud,

Unfortunately a lot of the public are fucking idiots, so planting seeds from God-knows-where makes sense to them.

Pods?

I think Scurvy's theory is gaining traction...

FoxNews: Brushing Scam

With every passing day, it becomes clearer that China is the enemy of the entire world; I’ve no doubt that they will cause the next world war to erupt.

Agreed.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
Pods?

Triffids.

another biowarfare attack by the Chinese?

Damn "China berry" trees found around Houston at least probably started from this 60 yrs ago!

HK Ag

China is a far more dangerous enemy than the Soviet Union was.
It’s a unique mixup of unbridled greed, racism, hypernationalism, utter dishonesty at every level, communist totalitarianism and state-controlled capitalism, sophistication in modern technology with privative superstitions and barbarian eating patterns.
Have I forgotten anything?

Yeah, pushy with bad manners.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
I think Scurvy's theory is gaining traction...

FoxNews: Brushing Scam

Thanks. I was having trouble posting a link. The first article i read about it was the Guardian I think.