Interested in the philosophical implications. What if, in 150 years, you can choose every element of your child? What kind of custom-made children will we choose? Or will humans do the honorable thing and, with the exception of disease, let nature do as it chooses?

DevilYouKnow · 2012-05-23T00:16:35.200801+00:00

I'm pessimistic. I'm afraid that, understanding the orientation of wealth and success in the world, everyone will order their children blonde, blue eyed uber-muscular, disease-free, ultra-intelligent, hetero.

VulcanDeathGrip · 2012-05-23T00:07:21.331947+00:00

Aside from the normal line of discussion, I will posit a slightly different thought. What if, in 150 years, you can choose every element of your child? From their hair color to their muscle mass to their disease risk to their sexuality?

What kind of custom-made children will we choose?

Or will humans do the honorable thing and, with the exception of disease, let nature do as it chooses?

ccmotels · 2012-05-22T23:51:34.173316+00:00

Does anyone think these worn-out tactics actually affect change? In Egypt you could see the protests working because the average joe was absolutely fed up. The average American doesn't care about legalization. Protests won't change that.

Convince the over-40 crowd...your parents, teachers, ministers, etc.
Elect pro-marijuana politicians and actively target anti-marijuana politicians in the primary process.
Push the "responsible" reasons for legalization: medical usage, industrial use, etc. Pick poster children for the cause and put these people in front of every American. You shouldn't be able to blink without seeing someone with cancer that just can't get relief because of 70+ years of failed drug policy.

hurryupbrett · 4 days

and vice versa...spotify is the best way to sample, if you don't have it already

hurryupbrett · 4 days

Hmmm...Mumford and Avett Brothers are a given...also Richard Shindell...Madeline Adams...Pearl and the Beard...Gillian Welch...Jolie Holland/Be Good Tanyas...Spirit Family Reunion

hurryupbrett · 4 days

Hymn #101 and I Do My Father's Drugs are my other favorite Pug songs. Worth checking out.

What other indie folky bands do you like?

annietheturtle · 4 days

She was great in American Pie.

hurryupbrett · 4 days

I love this song and I wish everyone on earth knew who Joe Pug was. He's my second favorite, next to Langhorne Slim.

jousen · 4 days

Anyone that is adament about anything isn't in touch with Tao.

WhiskeyCup · 5 days

It's like the difference between tacos and taco salad.

evomax01 · 5 days

I think the mission of ELI5 is to simplify difficult topics and not make the OP feel stupid for asking.

r/Answers should be a total open forum for whatever you have a specific question about

ReligiousFreedomDude · 6 days

For 60 years, tax brackets in the US were very high on high income earners. But instead of trying to "conserve" that, Conservatives rolled back tax rates to levels not seen since the 30s.

There are three mainstream ideologies in the United States: the progressives (most Democrats), the conservative/progressives (more liberal Republicans and more conservative Democrats), and reactionary/regressives (the Tea Party nuts).

Now, you'd say that Conservative/Progressive is an oxymoron, and you're probablly right. But I think there are a lot of people who are totally fine with social and economic progress, but it has to be on an incredibly slow basis.

NegativeFriction · 6 days

When I was 6 or so my mother caught a preying mantis and put it in a modified shoebox so we could see into it and it had plenty of airflow. She added some nice sticks and grass and whatnot to make it seem natural. We figured we'd watch it for a day and let it go.

The next day we found ANOTHER one and I suggested we catch it and put it in the same box and let them both go the following morning.

When I woke the next morning I looked into the box and there were both torn limb from limb. They annihilated each other. But the torso and head of one were still attached and it was still twitching and trying to jump.

I think Mom dumped the entire contents in the woods behind the house. And I told everyone at school about it.

nexmillonaire · 15 days

I'm encouraged that you're not a sadist in the short term in anticipation of utopia in the long-term. If my choice in the political process was between a German-style social democracy or more of a Scandanavian-style social democracy and all human beings enjoyed the freedoms and benefits those governments provide/ensure, I'd be happy but not satisfied. But my choices are Obama and Romney. So we still have a lot of work to do.

nexmillonaire · 15 days

So it's better to have an era similar to the industrial revolution - with long hours, unsafe conditions, and extreme inequality so that workers will recognize their plight and embrace fundamental reform?

I can't endorse that. Every tiny victory for the welfare of the common person is worthwhile because it means a better life here, now. Simultaneously if others want to advocate bigger, immediate change - and we recognize we share the same ultimate goal - all the better.

DevilYouKnow · 15 days

You're right - the philosophy should be, "don't mess with success."

DevilYouKnow · 15 days

I'm not sure if you could construct a system akin to what I'm describing or if it would cause the entire system to collapse. I was looking for some input from the folks on reddit.

If, every time I asked a question, it was automatically assumed I was advocating one position, I'd be more two-faced than Mitt Romney.

DevilYouKnow · 15 days

I think I think you don't really understand what Communism is and you're using it as a pejorative. In my mind, Communism is a fairly radical ideology..."radical" in terms of the degree in which it varies from our current system. I'm not a radical. Never claimed to be, never cared to be. But if I'm going to be associated with radicals, whether fairly or unfairly, at least you lumped me in with the right kind. I'd really be pissed if you were so dumb as to confuse me for a Nazi or an Anarcho-Capitalist or whatever those nuts call themselves.

grumpybadmanners · 15 days

Sounds like Taoism to me.

nexmillonaire · 15 days

I think it's possible to believe in social democracy as the immediate remedy for the problems of society. Once you have a functional social democracy, then you can discuss the next step.

Hollande is an aspirational socialist...but a functional social democrat.

DevilYouKnow

TROPHY CASE

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