From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@www.aeiveos.com)
Date: Wed Feb 02 2000 - 01:55:10 MST
On Tue, 1 Feb 2000, john grigg wrote:
> I totally agree on these points. I still encounter people with the idea
> that we need some kind of Nazi-style selective breeding plan to keep "the
> race strong!"
[snip]
> Anyway, fairly soon genetic engineering will be here and parents with
> the money will be buying the best traits they can for their offspring.
And its worth pointing out that whenever the pseudo-eugenics, removal
of the "bad" genes discussion arises, to *connect* these two concepts.
Because once you climb onto the slippery slope of "removal" of the
"bad" genes, you logically and rapidly progress to engineering in
"good" genes. Now the people who are "pro" the "master" race, get
themselves into a bind when they realize that the logical end-point
of this creates a "race" better than them and they now become the
bottom-scum that should be eliminated... So to be pro-eugenics
you have to be anti-genenetic engineering unless you altruistically
favor the enhancement of the race over your own personal survival.
That position might be noble, but isn't going to win many converts.
> And even with a healthy genome, a person still needs the right nurturing
> and sense of ambition to succeed in an economy of ideas and technology.
So true.
R.
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