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I'll tell you what everyone is worried about.

People with any brains at all would have noticed a scary trend when genes are fiddle around with. We have been manipulating genes for centuries, just not in a high tech way.

Mankinds greatest acheivement so far in the realm of genetic manipulation has been the domestication of plants and animals. The extreme cases of these being those that are coveted as pets. Now, I ask you this. Do you really want selfish short sighted arrogant morons F*ing around with our gene pool like they've F* up the genes of these worthless pathetic little mutants we call lap doggies and lap kitties? Sure their cute cuddly and fluffy, but they are inbred, retarded, and basically genetically diseased and should all be ground up and fed to something that is a little more fit for survival.

I personally don't ever want to live to see the creation of the human equivalent of a fluffy cuddly little lap doggie. And that is exactly what will be done with this technology if allowed to progress. People are just way to selfish and immature for this to not happen.

I'm sure you will try to respond with something about brain power and athleticism. Well that's bull too. Look at what We've done to race horses. They are so screwed up they couldn't even mate without the assistance of a trained human proffessional let alone actually give birth. As for intelligence, no one is smart enough to figure out what intelligence even is, let alone design a smarter brain. IF they try, they'll just screw it up and create something horrible.

I guess you missed my earlier response to betty boop, Post #46, where I said the following at the end of my post:

I hope you don't think anything I posted was in support of what the transhumanists are promoting. I don't think they know what human beings are now, much less do they have any idea how to improve them.

Nevertheless, some of what you posted I think needs examination.

People with any brains at all would have noticed a scary trend...

I know you meant the part about, "people with any brains at all," metphorically, because people without brains do not survive, so even transhuminists have brains, or they would not be alive. But that is, nevertheless significant, because transhumists do have brains, and they do not consider genetic manipulation the least bit scary.

This, at least, is to their credit. They are very mistaken about what is possible and what human nature is, but at least they do not entertain irrational fears of knowledge and its application to human endeavors.

I am very sympathetic to your views about the pathetic nature of many pets and other animals. I personally would not want a dog that my kitty could eat for lunch. Where I strongly disagree with you is, just because we do not like some of the products of that technology that enables humans to produce plants and animals they find useful and enjoyable, we ought to prevent others from producing or enjoying them.

There is one point you have made that you may not, yourself, understand the significance of. You described some of the results of breeding as, "worthless pathetic little mutants ... inbred, retarded, and basically genetically diseased and should all be ground up and fed to something that is a little more fit for survival.

If the efforts of those dreamers that believe humans can be improved by genetic manipualtion produce the kinds of undesireable creatures you imagine, they will be just like the animals you detest, essentially innocuous and of no threat to anyone. The one thing the genetic engineers cannot do is change you, or anyone that is normally produced.

If the human race is so terrible it can produce things that will result in its own annhilation, and then use them, it ought to be annhilated. If the human race is so noble that it ought not to be annhilated, it will not do so.

The problem with being a luddite is, being one inflicts, through emotional stress, the very kinds of personal unahppiness and misery the luddites fear will be inflicted on them by technology.

Hank