• Viceversa@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    because folks that are prone to inbreeding are not necessarily equipped to make those assessments.

    Yeah, but it seems a bit eugenical.

    • Bgugi@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      You know what? I think letting racists ruin eugenics gives them one extra “fuck you” to the human race.

      If I use a revolver to play Russian roulette with a baby, they’d bury me under the prison. Why is it fine for parents with documented genetic conditions to do the same?

      • some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        documented genetic conditions

        Who’s to say what conditions qualify? And what even is a condition? Homosexuality was in the DSM not long ago.

        If the parents’ families have, say, a history of heart disease, we can all agree heart disease is bad, right? So they should be penalized for wanting children?

        What about people with red hair? If we collectively decide to pathologize having red hair, are we going to sterilize all the gingers?

        Do we try and prevent people with autism from being born? Down’s Syndrome?

        I’d rather see better detection and genetic therapies, myself. Inform the parents and let them come to their own conclusion about whether or not to have children.

        • Bgugi@lemmy.world
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          5 days ago

          It’s definitely possible to establish reasonable thresholds - you could draw parallels to abuse/neglect laws. There are things that many people may find grotesque and objectionable that aren’t considered abuse/neglect. There are definitely historical and modern examples of those laws being applied unfairly, particularly to the disadvantaged. Boundaries may flex across regions or cultures, But it’s fair to say society as a whole supports abuse/neglect laws, and that they’re generally beneficial for children.

          I’d rather see better detection and genetic therapies, myself. Inform the parents and let them come to their own conclusion about whether or not to have children.

          A perfectly reasonable take, but even that falls in-scope of eugenics.

      • Viceversa@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        Why is it fine for parents with documented genetic conditions to do the same?

        While I tend to agree, that’s a highly controversial view (see eugenics).

        • Bgugi@lemmy.world
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          5 days ago

          My brother in christ, the conversation is explicitly about eugenics, I don’t need to see shit!

    • LurkingLuddite@piefed.social
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      5 days ago

      Eugenics isn’t inherently bad. If you prefer dating humans without genetic defects, congratulations; you’re a eugenicist.

      Do you prefer blondes or brown hair? You’re preferring genes again! Don’t like people with potato bodies? There you go preferring genes…

      Find out your fetus has a genetic defect and won’t live past five even if you birth them, so you abort? Cheer on genetic therapies that could solve such issues? Congratulations, you’ve practiced eugenics!!

      Eugenics itself is not bad. It’s the racist fuck desire to want to “cleanse” the “race” of humanity that’s bad.

      • Viceversa@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        If you prefer dating humans without genetic defects, congratulations; you’re a eugenicist.

        Colloquially eugenics refers not to personal preferences, but to collective imperatives, as far as I know.

        • LurkingLuddite@piefed.social
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          4 days ago

          Nah, not necessarily imperative. An individual can still be a eugenicist without external support. The only reason the old beliefs that often get credited as “eugenics” were mostly wrong is because they were mostly just ignorance and masked racism, not actual genetic analysis.

          All it takes to be a eugenicist is to believe that certain people shouldn’t have children because you believe their genes are bad. That’s it. It’s literally just:

          Eu: Prefix meaning “good” Gene: Relating to genes ecist: Believer (not totally sure on this one as search results to verify my beliefs mostly returned “-ition” results, with no explicit statements for -ecist or similar)

          It’s just a silly thing for a common fool to believe in, since genetics is complicated! Many confirmed genetic disorders are not inheritable. Many health issues are latent. You can have two totally healthy people birth genetic defects nigh 100% of the time. On the other end, someone with certain genetic disorders can absolutely have totally fine children with little extra worry. It completely depends on what genes are messed up and why.

          Someone unfamiliar with the INSANE complexity of biology even in the basics of reproduction have zero right to hold a strong opinion on eugenics, IMO. (which of course immediately excludes 99% of conservative fuckwits who would happily call themselves eugenicists)