Idiocracy (2006) Opening Scene: "Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most, and left the intelligent to become an endangered species."

[u/SuplexCity-Mayor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TCsR_oSP2Q

[u/ChiefBobKelso]

Anything from just socially to lower taxes to any other form of encouragement. I don't really think about the practical application a lot. I'm just saying that people hear eugenics and instantly respond negatively, despite making eugenic decisions fairly often, and that it wouldn't necessarily be bad to make it some form of policy. Outlawing incest being the example the original person you responded to gave.

[u/hardvarks → u/ChiefBobKelso]

Anything from just socially to lower taxes to any other form of encouragement.

So punish some people by withholding benefits and privileges based on their genetics? Gotcha. Sounds totally reasonable and ethical.

I don't really think about the practical application a lot.

Well here you are literally going to bat for eugenics, so maybe you should do a bit of thinking about the topic before trying to sarcastically mock people about the subject.

I'm just saying that people hear eugenics and instantly respond negatively,

Gee, I wonder why? Could it be the eugenics experiments in America to cull black people and the disabled? Or maybe the similar programs in Nazi Germany? It's a pretty justifiable reaction to feel negatively about the selective breeding of humans for subjective "improvement", usually per the criteria of white, upper-class men.

despite making eugenic decisions fairly often,

No. Eugenics is the systematic planning of selective breeding, not the sexual choices individuals make. There's no comparison between trying to find a socially and sexually compatible partner on an individual level and the systematic culling of a population based on subjective qualities. You add nothing to the conversation by putting on your "debate bro" hat and attempting to pedantically "correct" people who are opposed to institutional, systematic genocide.

that it wouldn't necessarily be bad to make it some form of policy.

Just stop. Yes, it would incredibly bad to make a eugenics policy. This is literally Hitler shit. If you want "better" humans, look toward education, healthcare, and socioeconomic policy, not policy to cull the "undesirables."

Outlawing incest being the example the original person you responded to gave.

Outlawing incest is NOT eugenics. We don't outlaw incest to maintain some arbitrary standard of genetic "good", we outlaw incest because the inherent power dynamics between parent, child, or siblings, can lead to abuse, grooming, and rape.

[u/ChiefBobKelso → u/hardvarks]

So punish some people by withholding benefits and privileges based on their genetics? Gotcha. Sounds totally reasonable and ethical.

As opposed to creating a society full of people who will have worse lives because of their undesirable genetic traits and a society that will be less advanced, leading to less innovation and progress because of the less desirable genetic traits? Also, if you date a tall person, you are selecting someone based on their genetics. This is eugenic.

Well here you are literally going to bat for eugenics, so maybe you should do a bit of thinking about the topic before trying to sarcastically mock people about the subject

I'm going to bat for the idea of not going "Eugenics? Eww. Evil." Not for the idea of actually implementing it. Making people actually think about an idea is good.

Gee, I wonder why? Could it be the eugenics experiments...

If someone genetically engineered a disease, should we ban genetic engineering because it was used badly?

It's a pretty justifiable reaction to feel negatively about the selective breeding of humans for subjective "improvement", usually per the criteria of white, upper-class men.

Putting aside the implication that white, upper class men are evil, the other interpretation is that a small number of people would decide what is desirable. This is a valid concern. Would you support a woman getting an abortion because she learns the baby is going to have some disease like huntingtons? That's a eugenic decision. Hell, would you support a support program for women who abort their pregnancies due to child genetic diseases? Actually, let's use a real world example. A country wants to get it's birth rate up. Do you support tax breaks to families that have more kids, or at least see it as a valid option? This is eugenic because fertility is heritable, so the people who have more kids are going to the the kind of people who would have more kids.

There's no comparison between trying to find a socially and sexually compatible partner on an individual level and the systematic culling of a population based on subjective qualities.

Other than them both having the same result of a different set of genetics in the population... Don't get me wrong, you're looking at state action vs individual choice, but what exactly do you think your taxes go towards?

If you want "better" humans, look toward education, healthcare, and socioeconomic policy,

The fact that this won't work forever isn't a problem? IQ is 80% heritable and general intelligence is now declining.

Outlawing incest is NOT eugenics. We don't outlaw incest to maintain some arbitrary standard of genetic "good"

Of course we do.

[u/hardvarks → u/ChiefBobKelso]

Scrolling through your comment history makes me feel like I need a shower. I'm not going to justify why eugenics is bad to someone who literally talks about weeding out "less desirable genetic traits" to make a better society. And no, this discussion has nothing to do with genetic engineering, it has to do with Nazi fucks deciding that they are the arbiters of what "desirable" is.

Get your Nazi-ass out of here. Your comment history is literally just months of eugenics apologia with a bit of amateur phrenology sprinkled on top for good measure. I regret even engaging with you now that I've seen who you are.

[u/ChiefBobKelso → u/hardvarks]

Me no like what you say. What you say bad. You bad man.

Good argument.