Comments on: The Dangers of DNA Research http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2007/11/19/the-dangers-of-dna-research/ Beating Them With Their Own Sickle And Hammer Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:22:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: kerwin http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2007/11/19/the-dangers-of-dna-research/comment-page-1/#comment-65724 kerwin Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:24:42 +0000 http://stoptheaclu.dreamhosters.com/archives/2007/11/19/the-dangers-of-dna-research/#comment-65724 The fairies would be subhuman slaves. They would probably not even be classed as people. Sci-Fiction deals with the subject quite well. The fairies would be subhuman slaves. They would probably not even be classed as people. Sci-Fiction deals with the subject quite well.

]]> By: Darren Reynolds http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2007/11/19/the-dangers-of-dna-research/comment-page-1/#comment-65723 Darren Reynolds Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:03:40 +0000 http://stoptheaclu.dreamhosters.com/archives/2007/11/19/the-dangers-of-dna-research/#comment-65723 DNA research and Transhumanists are not the same thing. This article does not so much criticise DNA research as Transhumanists. It implies Transhumanists are some kind of evil monsters wanting to create a subhuman race of sex slaves, when in fact a fairer criticism would be that in the Transhumanists' benign vision, fairies would bring you a magical breakfast in bed every day and the most wondrous truffles would sprout from every tree. If you want to warn of the dangers of technology, consider two that have been around for quite a while. The more recent of the two that I have in mind, fire, can be used for very destructive purposes. When it was first discovered, no doubt there were some people who knowledge of fire and were superior to those who did not. No doubt the clever subjugated the powerless. No doubt some people created suffering with it instead of using it for good. But it's fair to say that the technology has advanced human kind. The older technology I have in mind is water. You can drown people in water. But are we going to ban it? To demonise a technology because it has potential for harm is to have quite a pessimistic and narrow view of the future. Rich people can fly. Poor people can't. DNA research is just the same. Let us hope that our rule makers see the possibilities in technological advance to lift humanity not only out of the despair of disability and disease, but beyond the boundaries and limits that our current form imposes on us. True freedom requires a life without boundaries. DNA research and Transhumanists are not the same thing. This article does not so much criticise DNA research as Transhumanists. It implies Transhumanists are some kind of evil monsters wanting to create a subhuman race of sex slaves, when in fact a fairer criticism would be that in the Transhumanists’ benign vision, fairies would bring you a magical breakfast in bed every day and the most wondrous truffles would sprout from every tree.

If you want to warn of the dangers of technology, consider two that have been around for quite a while. The more recent of the two that I have in mind, fire, can be used for very destructive purposes. When it was first discovered, no doubt there were some people who knowledge of fire and were superior to those who did not. No doubt the clever subjugated the powerless. No doubt some people created suffering with it instead of using it for good. But it’s fair to say that the technology has advanced human kind.

The older technology I have in mind is water. You can drown people in water. But are we going to ban it? To demonise a technology because it has potential for harm is to have quite a pessimistic and narrow view of the future. Rich people can fly. Poor people can’t. DNA research is just the same. Let us hope that our rule makers see the possibilities in technological advance to lift humanity not only out of the despair of disability and disease, but beyond the boundaries and limits that our current form imposes on us. True freedom requires a life without boundaries.

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