Answers Arent At The Back

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

A Question of Ethics

In light of recent news about human cloning and stem cell research, I think its important that we all start asking ourselves some hypothetical questions:

For instance, if you pushed your own clone off the top of a tall building, would it be:

Murder ?
Suicide?
or Merely making an obscene clone fall?

OK, OK it was bad... ;-)

Right then cloning... To be honest, it worries me...

So lets forget about that whole God(s) argument and try and making a serious observation. Cloning would promote further Social Darwinism; the rich being able to pay for the design of 'Better' babies. Now I'm not against the rich being allowed to spend their money in any way; shape or form. No, what I'm against is that suddenly we're dismissing the whole 'Survival of the Fittest' science, the basis of our species evolution.

We will be populating our planet with indivuals that have not necessarily evolved to be here. Frightening...

[Please try and avoid the obvious 'Chav' comments... ;-)]

Ciao Ciao
Confused From Chichester

I BLOG There4 I am

8Comments:

gemmak said...: For me the whole issue is simply immoral, as an agnostic I can't be accused of waving the relgion flag but I none the less believe that there are some aspects of life that we shouldn't tamper with. The genetics involved in the survival of the fittest are necessary for just that ...survival! What, I wonder will be the ultimate outcome once we begin to choose our offspring by hair/ eye colour/social status/demographics or maybe intellect alone?

Scary stuff!; 7:47 pm
Anonymous said...: having not read for a while and delving through back issues comments abound
A robo babe guinea pig impression surely was sufficient "pay back in itself" for the weekend - interesting to know if ever used in any other situation
Equally The Spitting Llama" is a great name for a pub
As for the clone can I point you towards Hawkwind and their "i am a clone i am not alone ditty" with its "your teenage replica is not the same when she comes she calls anothers name"....do i hear guinea pigs?........
Regards

AWT's mi GI boy; 12:41 pm
Fletch said...: The worrying thing about the Genetic arguements is who is policing the science... Medical advances to help cure or prevent Alzheimers, Parkinsons etc. I think can be easily justified, thats to look after the living. But designer New Life... (By Gucci etc.) Not...

Hawkwind... Who the F**k r Hawkwind? ;-)Can't find them on my 'NOW 312'...

'The Spitting Llama' Pub, Love it... :-) Crap Food, Warm Ale etc. :-)

Caio Caio; 1:57 pm
Anonymous said...: Aren't we making genetic selection when we choose a partner, go for a certain hair colour, height, size of wallet...etc.??

Survival of the fittest? What does that actually mean in a modern society?

And along the lines of your clone gag – If a schizophrenic threatens to shot himself should it be treated as a hostage situation?; 2:05 pm
Fletch said...: While ur conscious mind is searching for the Perfect Mate, ur unconscious mind is searching for the perfect match.

Most of our preferences dont come from our conscious mind. They r not a choice. It is a pre-programed selection pattern... Chemistry. This programing is based on countless generations of ‘Selection’ criteria, none of it controlled nor controllable...

Don’t agree...? Y do u think some people often ‘Fall’ for the wrong types, repeatedly?

Ciao 4 Now :-); 4:49 pm
Fletch said...: And survival of the fittest.

It means we disserve our place here. All our direct descendants goin all the way back 2 the primeval soup ‘Had Wot it Takes’, they were survivors. Not just us though, every living organism on this planet.

What happens if we introduce something that’s skipped that process, just because we ‘believe’ it can survive? Have we really covered all the bases?

Ciao; 4:59 pm
Anonymous said...: Our being here was chance, nothing more, nothing less. We got lucky. Rewind and run evolution again with all the 'determination' you can handle and its still a billion to one shot that we would be here again..; 5:33 pm
Fletch said...: Stig: Yep Luck is part of evoltion, but I don't think anyone could dispute developing bigger brains help us survive...

Think a guy who was ever so slightly 'brighter' than me once said "God doesn't play dice" - Einstein ;-)

Lisa: Cloning Morals... Umm... Deepends on why their doing it? For Cash? :-/; 4:26 pm

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D: "What, Captain Hollister?"
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**********

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"That's an age-old question; it's perfect food for thought on a bright midsummer's night. Hey, you said it best, Will: "Love looks not with eyes but with the mind, And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind." Yeah....."

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The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really. At the age of twelve I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking- I highly suggest you try it.

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Love comes when manipulation stops. When you think more about the other person than about his or her reaction to you. When you dare to reveal yourself fully. When you dare to be vulnerable.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

A Question of Ethics

8Comments:

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