FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is reviewing mitochondria process called “mitochondrial manipulation technologies”. Say what? O.K. going for the crayon version: the stuff that a mother passes to her children could be manipulated by science. Got it? Now a certain process of doing that has some folks spooked as it now also involves having 3 parents. Yeah no shit, 3 parents. Still need a man and a woman though and another woman. It’s still not ok yet in the United States.
Links for all aspects of the FDA discussion panel
Special thanks to Phil Seagrave-(one of our contributors) for telling us about this one.
The Huffington Post has an article entitled “FDA Asked to Approve Creation of Genetically Modified Children”
The process has already approved in the U.K. by “The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority: the UK’s independent regulator overseeing the use of gametes and embryos in fertility treatment and research.”. That’s a mouthful but the link above is right to the website.
Granted this specific technology could also help certain babies who would carry specific MtDNA mutations as well as assist woman who have difficulty conceiving children. So that’s a good thing right? I know a few people who really want to have children that this would be a great option. For the religious what (if any) are the implications? It does bring up that specter of genetic manipulation again though. Is this fear unfounded? Here is another article refuting fears raised in a New York Times article.
Maybe it goes deeper than just fertility or “designer babies“……….
I just cannot shake the feeling that this has the potential to be a proverbial Trojan Horse.
Also there’s that pesky Nuremberg Code that came into being after the Nazi’s were defeated and something or other against non-consensual human experimentation. Item here
So is it time for a new look at Eugenics?
Say again? OK refresher for those that need it: Eugenics has long been a popular (well it comes and goes over the years) and has been around since around the American Civil War, yeah that’s about 150 years. But for the sticklers out there is goes back to Ancient Greece (or even earlier-think Sparta or Plato’s Republic).
The basic idea is that through selective breeding or in more later day uses “genetic manipulation”, undesirable traits in humanity can be wiped out, und zen ve can achieve the race of superior man! You know like the Nazi’s or Soviets. Sorry got a little carried away there but yeah that’s Eugenics dirty little secret (racial and or socioeconomic hygiene). Funny how some of those rich folk especially the Nouveau riche suddenly become big proponents of modern Eugenics!
Also the rich think your poor or middle class ass needs to be weeded out too.
Thing is who the hell is going to trim the hedges? Robots I guess…..
There’s a whole hockey sock full of ethical issues around this issue. For instance what about deafness or hearing impaired should we eliminate that? What about blindness? There’s a lot of folks out there with those “conditions” that contribute more than we know. If Stephen Hawking as an embryo that was screened out due to a genetic defect found…. what then?
Just another step in a trans-humanist utopia? Hard to say really as you can’t lump all trans-humanists into the same agenda. Some would go farther and see all trans-humanists as lumped into the same agenda.
I bring up the trans-humanists as they seem to get the short end of the stick in the “conspiracy world” (especially when it comes to genetic manipulation) and it’s just my gut reaction that if everyone is running in one direction I need to take a look at least in the other direction if not start walking that way!
Granted modern eugenics is all clean and neat, even “sciency”. No untidy death camps or cattle cars….those will be reserved for those who don’t like the new direction.
The debate will get down and dirty with some folks and at times will be about as fun as treating leprosy sores but needs to happen.
Some categories for Eugenics some might not be aware of include:
-genetic screening
–birth control or “planned parenthood”
-genocide. look up the stats for abortions by ethnicity.
Don’t get me wrong on some of the above, I believe in a woman’s right to choose although I’m not a fan of abortion. Margarete Sanger (the “mother” of contraception-not abortion to be fair) whom many awards are named after was a real piece of work and anyone naming any kind of award after her needs to really think about that one! I don’t wish to be all one sided. Here’s some positive or “moderate” views on this controversy. Yeah “conspiracy” buffs are inconvenient as they bring up shit that’s not always neat and tidy. As well I’m not exactly Bill Nye Science Guy but I seem to remember something about genetic diversity being an important thing.
Thanks for tuning in- Evil von Scarry