Cloning
is in the news again lately. Human embryos have been created for “research
purposes.” The gathering of “custom stem cells” is
the stated purpose.
Like
it or not, cloning is out of the bag or out of the box, if you prefer
the pandora analogy. History shows that the existence of the technology
guarantees that every possible use for it will be attempted. If you
have any doubts about this, think about gunpowder, nuclear energy
and chemical/biological/genetic engineering.
Cloning
poses many more questions and dilemmas than any of these examples.
There are, of course, the religious and moral arguments. Is it good
for men to play the role of creator of humans? Is cloning anything
more than scientifically justified incest? Does a human exist at conception
or not until human characteristics take physical shape? Can anyone
really answer these questions? Instead of trying to answer them, this
article will combine a meager knowledge of history, more experience
with human nature than desired and an attempt to combine these with
human cloning to paint a possible picture of the future.
We
will begin with history’s lesson that it will be done if it can
be done. Human clones will be produced. The present trend is that
the first ones will be used to produce organs and other body repair
parts for the people whose DNA was their seed. Later or at the same
time, childless single people will find scientists to make copies
of themselves, American or not. The scientists involved will dismiss
the mutations and disfigurements as necessary and harmless. Eventually
people will choose sides over the issue which will match the intensity
of the abortion war.
This
kind of conflict will increase the drive of the people who believe
in and/or profit from cloning. Eventually, wether it is years, decades
or longer or shorter, cloned servants will be offered for sale, possibly
“intelligence adjusted” for servitude or a particular job
or function. The only question is wether cloned armies will come before
or after.
One
of the many social consequences of mass produced humans will be a
new class of prejudice. The possibility of the people producing them
viewing them as children is rather low. They will more likely be viewed
as akin to farm animals. Of course, they will really be slaves.
This
will set the stage for the next societal conflict on the issue. Do
industrially produced clones have human rights? Are they entitled
to legal protection? Will human clones be banned from certain places
and countries on moral and/or religious grounds? Will killing a clone
be considered murder? Do clones have souls? As obvious as some of
these seem, there WILL be arguments about it. Some of the most anti
clone sentiments will come from religious fundamentalists who will
claim that clones are too unnatural to have souls, rights or anything
else.
I’m
feeling nauseous writing this and I haven’t even covered human
genetic engineering. I don’t think that mankind is responsible
enough for this to have a happy ending. I think that cloning is already
started and will continue. I also think that the majority of clones
will have miserable, sad, unhappy lives. I’m not going to try
to answer the moral questions, but I will say that each person needs
to decide what they think before it is too late. The only action that
can be taken is for each individual to decide on what action, attitude
and other position they will take and live their lives that way.
