From: Dave Sill (extropians@dave.sill.org)
Date: Wed May 01 2002 - 18:25:20 MDT
Lee Corbin <lcorbin@tsoft.com> wrote:
>
> The basic idea is that if someone causes no other existing citizen
> harm, nor in any way harms that person's property, then we do not
> focus upon and attempt to legislate away that person's freedom to
> engage in that activity.
OK, but creating defective citizens is harmful to those citizens, and,
since they don't exist yet, they're unable to defend
themselves. Therefore, others must act on their behalf.
> It takes some time to get used to: imagine your neighbor engaged in
> any kind of activity whatsoever behind his or her own closed doors
> that doesn't affect you.
No, that's too broad. Imagine your neighbor engaged in any kind of
activity whatsoever behind his or her own closed doors that doesn't
cause harm to anyone but himself. That I've got no problem with. But
if my neighbor is stocking his fridge with kids from the next
subdivision, that *is* a problem that demands my attention.
> Believe it or not, "freedom" dictates that you mind your own affairs
> and make no attempt to interfere by force NO MATTER HOW DISGUSTING
> OR REVOLUTIONARY THAT ACTIVITY IS. The mind boggles: your neighbor
> may be taking drugs!
Fine.
> Your neighbor may be harming kittens!
Fine.
> He or she may even be performing aberrant sexual rites, or deriving
> satisfaction from dirty pictures.
Fine.
> All these activities, and more, are---under this archaic mindset
> that I am attempting to describe---none of your business, hard as
> that may be to fathom.
MYOB is my personal (and family) motto. But that doesn't mean anything
goes.
> > However, cloning for the purpose of reproduction? I fail to find
> > any social argument for allowing such procedures for the average
> > person.
>
> Exactly! Whether something should be *allowed* is the question, to
> the modern mind. Unless there is a good reason for something to be
> allowed, then it should be forbidden.
Yes, that's absurd. But cloning isn't a simple allow/disallow decision
because it involves the creation of new people whose rights must be
preserved.
-Dave
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