On 2003-01-19 15:44, braincell wrote:
It strikes me as odd that you have to take a test before you can drive a car yet anyone is allowed to reproduce, even criminals and stupid people.
That be eugenics and it's been rather out of favour since WWII. But in essence I think it's fine: you try to improve the average health and intelligence of the population through mild incentives and disincentives for various people to breed.
That's at work in our society anyway, but in a very poor form IMHO. It's the disspirited, hopeless and generally less intellectual portion of the the population which is breeding the most.
There are also extremely few penalties against irresponsible males who simply sire children in one women after another but refuse to support them. Why should those types be the most successful breeders ?
And at the same time there's an outcry if IVF particpants want the sperm of healthy, intelligent people.
Rich and successful people - at least a portion of whom got where they are through hard work and intelligence - have no incentive to breed. But stupid people can sometimes see it as their only viable "job" and a ticket to 16 years of welfare payments.
Reversible sterilisation is the first thing I'd do to serious criminal offenders, especially since there's some evidence to suggest that there are genes for "crime" and anti-social behaviour.
I honestly see all this as quite reasonable, yet sometimes I get accused of having "nazi" views on this matter. If you think so too then please enlighten me

I can't see the harm in it . . .