RoR: Forum

Another gem by Savulescu (at minute 26:30) is this:

Liberal democracy is around 200 years old. It arose at around the time of the Industrial Revolution, as we were able to produce more and own more. It's characterized by empowering individuals, bestowing the maximum range of freedoms possible, tolerance and liberal neutrality between different conceptions of the good life and different value systems, multiculturalism, and tolerance to minorities. However, in a world of radical technological advance, it enables violent minorities to access the means of destruction. It also provides a poor basis for cooperation and coordination at a global level.

Of note is that this is a guy who openly argues (see my related blog) for genetically engineering people to be carriers of his morality.

Ed

Post 1

Sunday, September 4, 2011 - 9:35pm

And, from part 2 of this video (see links below), at minute 21:20 and during the Q & A section, Savulescu responds to a questioner who asked if we should alter peoples' genes/biology against their will:

But the public interest exception to that, I think, will kick in more this century. And, as you say, if it's the case that administering 'something' [mass pharmaco-genetic manipulation] will promote more prosocial behaviors, and that behavior is necessary for the survival of society, then it may be that we need to do that. ... It may be that we need to adopt strategies that target our biology, and those may need to be done for the whole population.

Link to Part 1:
http://vimeo.com/7515623

Link to Part 2
http://vimeo.com/7681585

Reminds me of the movie Equilibrium where folks were forced to take a mind-altering drug in order to make them compliant with the authorities.

Ed

Post 2

Sunday, September 4, 2011 - 10:54pm

One of Obama's current czars - the science czar, John Holden - is Obama's advisor for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President�s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

He is on record with co-author Paul Ehrlich, in the textbook, "Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment" where he says we may need to take extraordinary measures for depopulation by mass sterilization through drugs in water supplies and forced sterilization of women who have already had a specified number of children.

Post 3

Monday, September 5, 2011 - 4:23am

SW wrote:

... he says we may need to take extraordinary measures for depopulation by mass sterilization through drugs in water supplies and forced sterilization of women who have already had a specified number of children.

We definitely need to take extraordinary measures for depopulation of the federal government by mass reform through grassroots activism at the electorate level and forced term limits on politicians and their appointees who have already served a specified number of terms.

I do not see how Savulescu's arguments differ in principle from those of Hitler and the Aryan race premise. Other than the "window dressing" of hair, skin, and eye color, did not the idealized Aryans share traits with Savulescu's idealized "genetically cooperative and altruistic" people? I think the Soviets had this notion, too.

I think Savulescu wants to transform the human race into one giant bee hive populated with worker bees and drones while appointing himself as the queen bee!

(Edited by Luke Setzer on 9/05, 5:59am)

Post 4

Monday, September 5, 2011 - 8:52am