We already have a type of eugenics, in the form of prenatal screening for certain diseases and conditions. The main difference I see is that, today, people may be trying to prevent the unnecessary suffering of a potential child... while in times past, eugenics was an excuse to dispose of people who were already here.
Other animals do this naturally; they'll kill inferior offspring. Sure, we humans know better... but I think you could make an argument that our gene pool is in a bit of a mess because of our heightened sense of compassion.
Okay, Dave. Let's keep burning oil. I'm sure the athletes in China right now who have to wear face masks due to the pollution will be very glad you've decided this for them.
(Did anyone else notice the picture in #5? "Standrad Oil"? Heheheh...)
Hmmm... was pot-smoking part of the original Olympic Games, too?
I find it amusing that some Christians will bash the Olympics as a pagan orgy, while others will enter an event and pray to their god that they'll win. But I guess those poor souls are under the control of "the Evil One", eh AnUnSi?
Yeah! What a great untapped market for anti-depressants. You know, with all the dying babies and whatnot, I'm sure there's a lot of depression. While we're at it, let's bring them some meds for blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, insomnia... If they didn't have those problems before, they'll have them after meeting our "civilized" world. Along with all the other pathogens that they don't have any immunity for. But hey, we can pump them full of vaccines to deal with those!
That kind of condescending attitude ("our way is the BEST way and the ONLY way for these uncivilized natives") worked great in Africa, Asia, and the Americas... didn't it? Even if their mortality rates are as high as you claim, so what? It's all they know, and it probably isn't a big deal to them; it's just a part of life. Until, that is, you get some Western doctors in there, telling them that everyone should live into their 80s and babies should never die. Then they really will need some anti-depressants every time some member of the tribe dies "prematurely".
I don't know much about SSNs, but why aren't they like credit card numbers? Why can't a new one be issued if the old one is compromised? If the government issues a new number and cancels the old one, it seems to me that the problem of identity theft would become a little less of a problem.
You find some gems if you're into genealogy. One of my favourites was probably unintentional. Still, I wonder if, in the 1800s, poor little Harry Langstaff got teased a lot. He'd get teased today for sure!
I bet Zack Dunlap is glad his doctors weren't so quick with their scalpels. It's stories like those that make one question what "dead" really is. Maybe there needs to be better criteria or something. I realize that doctors want those organs while they're still "fresh", but how can they really say for sure if someone is going to recover or not? Strange things happen all the time.
Other animals do this naturally; they'll kill inferior offspring. Sure, we humans know better... but I think you could make an argument that our gene pool is in a bit of a mess because of our heightened sense of compassion.
(Did anyone else notice the picture in #5? "Standrad Oil"? Heheheh...)
I find it amusing that some Christians will bash the Olympics as a pagan orgy, while others will enter an event and pray to their god that they'll win. But I guess those poor souls are under the control of "the Evil One", eh AnUnSi?
Yeah! What a great untapped market for anti-depressants. You know, with all the dying babies and whatnot, I'm sure there's a lot of depression. While we're at it, let's bring them some meds for blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, insomnia... If they didn't have those problems before, they'll have them after meeting our "civilized" world. Along with all the other pathogens that they don't have any immunity for. But hey, we can pump them full of vaccines to deal with those!
That kind of condescending attitude ("our way is the BEST way and the ONLY way for these uncivilized natives") worked great in Africa, Asia, and the Americas... didn't it? Even if their mortality rates are as high as you claim, so what? It's all they know, and it probably isn't a big deal to them; it's just a part of life. Until, that is, you get some Western doctors in there, telling them that everyone should live into their 80s and babies should never die. Then they really will need some anti-depressants every time some member of the tribe dies "prematurely".
Or is that too simple a solution?
Kids tend to be creative, compassionate and responsible."
Therefore, kids aren't people. Or... something... :)
This is cute. And heartening.