In a previous discussion, it reached the point of affirmation of George Carlin's advisory 'the problem is dumb asses.' It did not go beyond that to what should be done about it except the suggestion that people with an IQ less than one hundred (i.e. median IQ) should not reproduce.
This is usually attributed to Hitlerian thinking on eugenics but it wasn't that uncommon at the time. For scientists and philosophers it was an intellectual exercise but Hitler found Mengele and the rest is in the books.
An example of eugenics without NAZI butchers is in the movie "Gattaca" as everyone is genetically-sampled at birth so every attribute is known. Those who do not meet the 'standard' become the lower class. Our hero comes from the lower class but he wants to go to space. He has the mind for it but his heart has a congenital problem. That makes him genetically-unfit so he can't go. Drama ensues.
The genetic sampling has already started so the movie provides a novel view of how it might play in the future.
Note: there is no endorsement of doing any of this as any sort of eugenics filtering assumes those who do the filtering are worthy of god-like powers. I know I'm not worthy and I can't say I can think of anyone who is.
Maybe there are some compromises to be made. How about sterilization of violent people. Anyone who manifests violence through murder, rape, pedophilia, etc loses the right to reproduce. The flaw to this is the same as the death penalty: what if you do it to an innocent man who was convicted by mistake.
That's about the limit of what I can accept from god-like powers. It seems reasonable and righteous for the society to protect itself against those who have shown themselves to be violent. Some say it's best simply to execute them and be done with it. I don't agree but it's a position to take.
An additional flaw to this logic is that it wouldn't affect enough people to make any significant genetic shift in the population or at least not for an exceedingly-long time. When the audience for the procedure is limited to the prison population and not even everyone in it, the size of that audience won't be all that large.
But maybe consider the deterring effect. If you know you will be sterilized for being convicted of a crime of violence, would that actually deter crime. Taking away some time is one thing but taking away your baby-making may have some effect. We observe the death penalty has never changed anything so likely this wouldn't either but maybe.
Maybe there's a compromise in elimination of clearly deleterious genes such as the one for haemophilia. People afflicted by it can live full lives with appropriate protection or medication or so but what is gained for following generations in allowing that gene to be propagated.
Down's Syndrome is another one. You love the kid who lives but why keep that going into future generations.
Again, I'm not suggesting anyone do anything but I always started out my meetings with 'what is the problem we are trying to solve.' From the top we have the problem is dumb asses. I know I am not worthy of the god-like powers to manage a eugenics program to eliminate dumb asses and I really can't think of a person on the planet I would trust with such power.
Nevertheless, you can bank on the discussion coming regarding genetic selection as mapping of the genome gets progressively more sophisticated. At least the discussion will come as soon as you get over the heartbreak of Zayn Malik leaving the band.
Meanwhile, we're stuck with dumb asses. I do have one suggestion: send them to Indiana.
Update:
It dawned later than Gattaca is an attempt to make a play on the 'active ingredients' in DNA which are Guanine, Adenosine, Thymine, and Cytosine (i.e. GATC).
This is usually attributed to Hitlerian thinking on eugenics but it wasn't that uncommon at the time. For scientists and philosophers it was an intellectual exercise but Hitler found Mengele and the rest is in the books.
An example of eugenics without NAZI butchers is in the movie "Gattaca" as everyone is genetically-sampled at birth so every attribute is known. Those who do not meet the 'standard' become the lower class. Our hero comes from the lower class but he wants to go to space. He has the mind for it but his heart has a congenital problem. That makes him genetically-unfit so he can't go. Drama ensues.
The genetic sampling has already started so the movie provides a novel view of how it might play in the future.
Note: there is no endorsement of doing any of this as any sort of eugenics filtering assumes those who do the filtering are worthy of god-like powers. I know I'm not worthy and I can't say I can think of anyone who is.
Maybe there are some compromises to be made. How about sterilization of violent people. Anyone who manifests violence through murder, rape, pedophilia, etc loses the right to reproduce. The flaw to this is the same as the death penalty: what if you do it to an innocent man who was convicted by mistake.
That's about the limit of what I can accept from god-like powers. It seems reasonable and righteous for the society to protect itself against those who have shown themselves to be violent. Some say it's best simply to execute them and be done with it. I don't agree but it's a position to take.
An additional flaw to this logic is that it wouldn't affect enough people to make any significant genetic shift in the population or at least not for an exceedingly-long time. When the audience for the procedure is limited to the prison population and not even everyone in it, the size of that audience won't be all that large.
But maybe consider the deterring effect. If you know you will be sterilized for being convicted of a crime of violence, would that actually deter crime. Taking away some time is one thing but taking away your baby-making may have some effect. We observe the death penalty has never changed anything so likely this wouldn't either but maybe.
Maybe there's a compromise in elimination of clearly deleterious genes such as the one for haemophilia. People afflicted by it can live full lives with appropriate protection or medication or so but what is gained for following generations in allowing that gene to be propagated.
Down's Syndrome is another one. You love the kid who lives but why keep that going into future generations.
Again, I'm not suggesting anyone do anything but I always started out my meetings with 'what is the problem we are trying to solve.' From the top we have the problem is dumb asses. I know I am not worthy of the god-like powers to manage a eugenics program to eliminate dumb asses and I really can't think of a person on the planet I would trust with such power.
Nevertheless, you can bank on the discussion coming regarding genetic selection as mapping of the genome gets progressively more sophisticated. At least the discussion will come as soon as you get over the heartbreak of Zayn Malik leaving the band.
Meanwhile, we're stuck with dumb asses. I do have one suggestion: send them to Indiana.
Update:
It dawned later than Gattaca is an attempt to make a play on the 'active ingredients' in DNA which are Guanine, Adenosine, Thymine, and Cytosine (i.e. GATC).
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