I consider myself fiercely pro-choice despite the fact that I really dislike abortion. The idea that a woman should be forced to carry a child to term is far more despicable than the fact that abortion is whithering away the populations of many countries and is just plain gross.
I don't like abortion, and I don't like forcing women to carry children they don't want and have no desire (and probably no ability) to raise. So for this, as with all things, I look to technology for a way to have my cake and eat it too.
One of the best things that we could invent is an artificial womb. I'm sure somebody, somewhere, is already looking for a way to gestate a kid from conception to birth without the need of burdening some poor lady's uterus. Not only could this provide more options to women prone to miscarriages, but, if a fetus or even embryo could be extracted from a pregnant woman, that woman would retain sovereignty over her body and the child she conceived would survive.
Now I'm sure some lovey dovey conservative fruitcakes will whine about how this would violate the bond between a mother and her child, but come on, if that bond were otherwise going to be severed with a coat hanger, it couldn't have been that strong in the first place. Kids who are put up for adoption would never know who their parents are anyway, so that's really a moot point.
An artificial womb would mean a more sustainable population and an end to abortions altogether without violating a woman's right to her own body. And who could be against that?
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
China's Ace in the Hole
It isn't news that China is gaining power, wealth and influence, but few people understand the role that their huge population will play in their future standing in the world. Right now it's seen as a liability, and it it is a liability for a socialist country, committed, at least ideologically to providing basic necessities to over a billion people. Given that the native populations of most Western countries are failing to reproduce at replacement rates, however, a population that has trouble keeping itself under control could be a profound advantage.
The countries at the top of the heap right now are either declining in population like Russia, or can only keep their populations afloat by inviting in millions of immigrants into the country. If the West is lucky, and those immigrants are able to adopt the culture and way of life that has kept Europe and its colonies prosperous, then there is little to worry about. If, however, those immigrants, who largely come from less successful countries, bring cultural traditions with them that are not conducive to the continuing prosperity of the West, then East Asia and especially China will take the West's place at the top.
There is plenty of room for criticism of the political situation in China, but whether you like the country or not, its population and the pro-prosperity culture it supports enjoy a security that the West does not.
The countries at the top of the heap right now are either declining in population like Russia, or can only keep their populations afloat by inviting in millions of immigrants into the country. If the West is lucky, and those immigrants are able to adopt the culture and way of life that has kept Europe and its colonies prosperous, then there is little to worry about. If, however, those immigrants, who largely come from less successful countries, bring cultural traditions with them that are not conducive to the continuing prosperity of the West, then East Asia and especially China will take the West's place at the top.
There is plenty of room for criticism of the political situation in China, but whether you like the country or not, its population and the pro-prosperity culture it supports enjoy a security that the West does not.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
No Flab for Me!
I'm still pretty young (only 25) but already, I'm scared to death of getting older and nothing exacerbates my fears more than seeing how much the kids I went to high school have let themselves go over the years. The guys and gals with whom I graduated have only been out of high school for seven years, but they're already getting fatter. I don't think anybody I knew back then is actually thinner now.
The more I see this, the more frightened I am by each new birthday cake.
The more I see this, the more frightened I am by each new birthday cake.
YouTube Demons
Despite my avid interest in the occult, I'm a skeptical sort of guy. Since I was in high school I've been reading about Anton Lavey, Aleister Crowley and later, John Dee and the Ars Goetia. My primary interest in the stuff has always been aesthetic. I like the semiotics, poetry, and even the couture of the occult. I never really took it seriously, however, and have always had a giggle at those who do.
The Goetia, (a system developed by King Solomon to summon demons and get them to do your bidding) arouses an especially vehement skepticism in me, mainly because those who practice it claim to be able to summon visibly observable entities that they claim are absolutely not figments of their imagination. If this is the case, however, I think there would be more than just drawings of these things. If you can really see them, and they are really there, why has nobody photographed or video taped any of these things? You'd think YouTube would be loaded with Goetia videos.
The Goetia, (a system developed by King Solomon to summon demons and get them to do your bidding) arouses an especially vehement skepticism in me, mainly because those who practice it claim to be able to summon visibly observable entities that they claim are absolutely not figments of their imagination. If this is the case, however, I think there would be more than just drawings of these things. If you can really see them, and they are really there, why has nobody photographed or video taped any of these things? You'd think YouTube would be loaded with Goetia videos.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
He's a Rare Kind of Republican
Somehow a lispy libertarian is beating all the other Republicans running.
Could it be that in 2008, instead of voting for the lesser of two evils, Americans will actually get to vote for the greater of two goods?
Could it be that in 2008, instead of voting for the lesser of two evils, Americans will actually get to vote for the greater of two goods?
The Paradox of Choice
I was looking over this book, The Paradox of Choice, and I found it very interesting. It's central premise is that our assumption that having more and better options from which to choose makes us more satisfied is largely wrong. Obviously getting to choose something you clearly prefer over something you clearly don't is more satisfying than being stuck with something you don't want, but when you have a ton of options, all of which are pretty good, whatever you choose is not going to be as satisfying because you may wonder if what you did not choose would have been better.
One would think someone with fewer options would not be as happy as someone with lots of options, but when you have fewer options, you have fewer decisions to regret if they don't work out. Having more options is only beneficial to the very decisive. To everyone else, they are just distractions.
One would think someone with fewer options would not be as happy as someone with lots of options, but when you have fewer options, you have fewer decisions to regret if they don't work out. Having more options is only beneficial to the very decisive. To everyone else, they are just distractions.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
The Future of Homosexuality
Conservatives, especially the "race realists," reject the idea that social constructs can influence a person's intelligence or ability to fit into society. They believe that certain kinds of people are just stupid or criminal "by nature" and that there is no amount of social engineering that can change that. There's one exception to this, however and that is sexual preference. A person's intelligence or criminality are significantly influenced by their genetics, but their sexuality? That is somehow a choice. Conservatives believe that, unlike criminals, homosexuals can somehow be rehabilitated.
Consistency is not a strong quality of the right.
While I believe that a person's sexuality can be influenced by social constructs (Homosexuality in ancient Rome was not only more accepted, but genuinely more common), this can only be done within limits that are at least somewhat biologically determined. The possibility of technology that can grant us further knowledge and control over our biology, however, would mean that, although we may not be entirely free to choose our own sexuality, we will certainly be able to control the sexuality of our children.
Insofar as sexuality is beyond a person's control, it makes no sense hold someone morally responsible for the kind of person to whom they are or are not attracted. However, even if homosexuality becomes increasingly tolerated, will parents who have they option to manipulate their children's sexuality continue to leave it up to chance?
Consistency is not a strong quality of the right.
While I believe that a person's sexuality can be influenced by social constructs (Homosexuality in ancient Rome was not only more accepted, but genuinely more common), this can only be done within limits that are at least somewhat biologically determined. The possibility of technology that can grant us further knowledge and control over our biology, however, would mean that, although we may not be entirely free to choose our own sexuality, we will certainly be able to control the sexuality of our children.
Insofar as sexuality is beyond a person's control, it makes no sense hold someone morally responsible for the kind of person to whom they are or are not attracted. However, even if homosexuality becomes increasingly tolerated, will parents who have they option to manipulate their children's sexuality continue to leave it up to chance?
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