New at Reason

March 9, 2007

Ronald Bailey sits in on one of Francis Fukuyama's "fix biotechnology!" sessions, and comes away unimpressed.

Comments

jimmydageek|3.9.07 @ 12:34PM|#

"fuku"yama LOL. I am not sure that I could even interview someone with such a name and keep a straight face, much less make sense of anything he's saying.

|3.9.07 @ 12:35PM|#

What is this? Fascination with the "Spectacularly wrong on all accounts" Friday? First it was Bill Kristol, and now it's Francis Fukuyama. Who the fuck cares? Why should anybody give a rats ass about anything expelled from his sphincter-like mouth ever again?

|3.9.07 @ 12:39PM|#

Whoda thunk a neocon would ever endorse bigger government for a nonexistent problem?

|3.9.07 @ 12:50PM|#

Warren,

He said he was sorry. What else do ya want?

|3.9.07 @ 12:58PM|#

Why is he worried? Hasn't history ended already?

mediageek|3.9.07 @ 1:05PM|#

"Why should anybody give a rats ass about anything expelled from his sphincter-like mouth ever again?"

Because he seems to have the ear of more than one beltway mover and shaker.

Bhh|3.9.07 @ 1:14PM|#

You know what?

Salt the PNAC earth. Burn their dwellings. Make their fields a habitation of owls and thistles. Their name a curse echoing in the wind.

mediageek|3.9.07 @ 1:31PM|#

OFF TOPIC:

The Washington DC circuit panel has ruled that the gun control laws in DC violate the 2nd Amendment rights of its citizens:

More info here.

Eugene Volokh has more info at his blog.

|3.9.07 @ 1:41PM|#

The Giuliani dictatorship would probably be a lot like our current dictatorship, only competent.

mediageek|3.9.07 @ 1:44PM|#

Lamar, that's even scarier.

Given the choice between a dictatorship run by a stumblefuck with Keystone Kops underlings, and a dictatorship run by someone who's competent, I have to say, I'd rather live under an evil doofus than an evil genius.

|3.9.07 @ 1:50PM|#

If I had my druthers, I'd rather live under evalongoria

worried|3.9.07 @ 2:08PM|#

Some possible techniques are objectionable and should be banned, e.g., any attempt to create a half-human half-chimp baby.

Because he might become president someday??

Dave B.|3.9.07 @ 2:32PM|#

Given the choice between a dictatorship run by a stumblefuck with Keystone Kops underlings, and a dictatorship run by someone who's competent, I have to say, I'd rather live under an evil doofus than an evil genius.

The genius of the Bush administration is that even as he siezes power and destroys liberty, he keeps everyone convinced that he doesn't know what he's doing. Bush is an evil genius. At least with Giuliani, people might realize he knows what he's doing and fight back.

Guy Montag|3.9.07 @ 3:39PM|#

mediageek,

So how soon can I carry concealed on that side of the river?

Also, you made my journal.

|3.9.07 @ 3:49PM|#

Some possible techniques are objectionable and should be banned, e.g., any attempt to create a half-human half-chimp baby.

Alright, I'll bite:

Why?

And "Because I think its icky" isn't a reason.

|3.9.07 @ 4:09PM|#

Well, there goes yet another possible bit of better science and technology that will be outsourced to being developed in China.

I'd be more amendable to Fukuyama's ideas were not the area of bioethics seemingly populated by people terrified by biotechnology and using the argument of "ethics" to try to ban it completely. 150 years ago they would have been screaming about the use of anesthesia in childbirth to be "unethical" to the mother because it relieved her from pain, and the Bible says differently.

Guy Montag|3.9.07 @ 4:12PM|#

And "Because I think its icky" isn't a reason.

It certainly does not sound tasty.

|3.9.07 @ 4:18PM|#

"What is this? Fascination with the "Spectacularly wrong on all accounts" Friday? First it was Bill Kristol, and now it's Francis Fukuyama."

Next up, James K. Glassman of TCS Daily. Even after publishing a book titled "Dow 30,000" in 1999, his predictions about what would happen in the Middle East once we invaded Iraq, and his dismissal of opposing opinions, were as supermely arrogant as any pundit on the 'net.

tros|3.9.07 @ 4:46PM|#

Have fun in that brave new world of government controlled human modification. I'll be on the reservation. Contrary to what you might have heard, the biological caste system will be the place in which everyone is miserable, because the reservation has all the good soma.

Also, who the fuck is this guy, and why the hell should we give a shit what he thinks about biotechnology? These academics are almost worse parasites than the politicians sometimes. Disgusting.

Why don't they just pick up an anthology of fairly recent science fiction and see what the people who actually know something think? O yes, because they are all retards. How tragic. It is so tiresome to deconstruct all of these people who don't even know they are retarded, I've really got to congratulate all of the Reason staff for not shoting themselves in the face.

mediageek|3.9.07 @ 4:48PM|#

"So how soon can I carry concealed on that side of the river?"

No idea. My guess would be that it would probably not be any time soon. However, Volokh is thinking that this might lead to a 2nd Amendment case being heard in the Supreme Court, which would be interesting.

"Also, you made my journal."

Cool! Thanks. :)

mediageek|3.9.07 @ 4:49PM|#

Tros, did you pick that user name because it's the sound that Pinky makes on Pinky and the Brain?

VM|3.9.07 @ 4:58PM|#

Media - that's great news!

|3.9.07 @ 5:10PM|#

Question for VM:
Which is great news?

The Washington DC circuit panel has ruled that the gun control laws in DC violate the 2nd Amendment rights of its citizens

or

Also, you made my journal.

VM|3.9.07 @ 5:24PM|#

The former. hrumph.

/shewts pebble. trods off.

|3.9.07 @ 7:17PM|#

Damn! I owe joe $20.

Guy Montag|3.9.07 @ 9:53PM|#

highnumber,

The Washington DC circuit panel has ruled that the gun control laws in DC violate the 2nd Amendment rights of its citizens would be what I intended to be the great news.

|3.10.07 @ 1:44AM|#

Some possible techniques are objectionable and should be banned, e.g., any attempt to create a half-human half-chimp baby.

I'm against banning any attempt to create a half-human, half-chimp baby. I'm also against banning the murder of anyone attempting to create a half-human, half-chimp baby.

So, go for it, all you budding, mad/evil scientists. Just remember that you will likely suffer the consequences of your evil actions. Improving the species is one thing (and a good one at that), but playing God with sentient beings for your own curiosity is despicable.

|3.10.07 @ 3:54AM|#

Breaking news:
Guy Montag wins again!
This time Guy won for being the last one to get the joke, and it was on him - double whammy!
Guy couldn't be here tonight to accept his award (we locked the door when he went out to start his supercharger), so to accept in his place we have Captain America. Oh my god! Ladies & Gentlemen, I have some tragic news for you...Guy Montag has found his way back into the building.

Guy Montag|3.10.07 @ 9:34AM|#

R C Dean,

A cross between swine and deer might be tasty! Was discussing this last night with some of the guys.

Once that one passes the chimp/human thing should be easy.

VM|3.10.07 @ 10:05AM|#

"but playing God with sentient beings for your own curiosity is despicable."

manbearpig?

Guy Montag|3.10.07 @ 11:02PM|#

Wait, I saw a documentry about this. They are making pigmen in New York. A fellow named Kramer discovered it and he has been kept from working ever since.