RE: Cash for vasectomy....
October 22, 2010 at 6:34 am
(This post was last modified: October 22, 2010 at 6:34 am by The Omnissiunt One.)
(October 22, 2010 at 3:24 am)Existentialist Wrote: You might be convinced that it is not intended to select against a genetic defect. I think the social engineering aspect, plus the bribe, plus the invasive surgery bring it within ethical territory occupied by eugenics. It suppresses the freedom of the victim to decide to have children. It is an oppressive, manipulative, corrupt, bullying, right-wing, shabby and sordid practice. The Nazis would have taken to this procedure rather well.
Reductio ad Hitlerum, I'm afraid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductio_ad_Hitlerum
The Nazis were also opposed to smoking. Does that mean that anti-smoking campaigns are bad? No. This guilt by association tactic isn't conducive to rational ethical debate.
Freedom is not an absolute, and is often contingent upon responsibilities: in this case, the responsibility of properly caring for one's child. Besides, no-one's freedom is at stake, as the procedure is voluntary. To say that it takes advantage of the people in question is quite paternalistic in itself: we must go on the basis that they know what's best for them.
'We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.' H.L. Mencken
'False religion' is the ultimate tautology.
'It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.' Mark Twain
'I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.' Abraham Lincoln
'False religion' is the ultimate tautology.
'It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.' Mark Twain
'I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.' Abraham Lincoln
