Selective breeding is not a meaningful use of the term bio engineered aka genetically modified orgamism. You cannot combine genetic material from different species via breeding. Full stop. You're arguing semantics simply to play devil's advocate. Put your strawman down and look for a fight elsewhere?You've been out of school too long. I clearly know the definition and difference between the two. Selective breeding is a form of genetic modification. It's not up for debate. Things change.
Hes not an idiot, but his definition of GMO in that context totally differs from this one. Yes in a very basic, non meaningful use of the word, selective breeding creates a new organism as a result of shared genetics from its parents. But who cares, that's meaningless. What we are taking about here is bioengineering in the lab that has the capability to combine genetic material from totally different species. For example bio engineered silk worms that produce spiders silk.So is Neal D. Tyson an idiot because he says gmo's are created by selective breeding. You can google it and watch a video of him saying such.
The point is if some dude in an expensive suit has enough money he can probably pay some dude in a white lab coat to engineer a strain of weed with specific characteristics, patent it, sell it to big agriculture and slowly kill off the small growers. Especially if bureaucracy and regulations favor the large scale grower, and I can tell you right now here in Canada THEY DO. Pretty standard market economics that has happened in plenty places world wide. Have people already forgot about Percy Schmeiser?