NationStates Jolt Archive

Like consumers from China and Australia do!

Want to make sure your baby is a boy or a girl? Stymied by laws in your country after you thought that only the backwards US had?

Surprise! The US is pretty lax on what you can do to a fetus (provided it's going to live to term).

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-614babysex,0,6133219.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Jeez,talk about playing God.

My sister had both of her kids in the UK. In both instances, they weren't allowed to tell her the sex. The law was passed because of some cultures' tendancies to abort girls.

Yay for the first steps toward designer babies.

Umm...I'm pro-choice and all...but maybe this is a little extreme...

Interesting. Personally, I pity any child who is born to the kind of parents who care that much about the sex of their offspring.

According to the article, Canadians prefer girls. Go figure. I had no idea we had cultural preferences in this regard.

Having a child has become equivalent to buying a show dog.

Pitiful.

According to the article, Canadians prefer girls. Go figure. I had no idea we had cultural preferences in this regard.

I prefer girls too.

According to the article, Canadians prefer girls. Go figure. I had no idea we had cultural preferences in this regard.
Probably because we whine less about weather! :D

Having a child has become equivalent to buying a show dog.

Pitiful.
exactly

:( What a world.

Probably because we whine less about weather! :D


Nah, I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that you have boobs. :p

Probably because we whine less about weather! :D
Men do not whine. Weather is a safe neutral topic for our discussions.


As for gender selection, who cares? If they want the problems associated with it, let 'em. It's only a matter of time before China meets serious problems due to the fact 65% of their populace is male.

As for gender selection, who cares? If they want the problems associated with it, let 'em. It's only a matter of time before China meets serious problems due to the fact 65% of their populace is male.
AHA! Obviously we dastardly Canadians want to marry our daughters to prosperous desperate male Chinese!

<twirls virtual moustache>

Personally, I've got no objection to gender selection. It's far more efficient (and less cruel) than fucking and fucking and fucking ...and ending up with 12 girls when you wanted one boy.

Personally, I've got no objection to gender selection. It's far more efficient (and less cruel) than fucking and fucking and fucking ...and ending up with 12 girls when you wanted one boy.
I dare say Henry VIII would have agreed with you;) . Though the "fucking and fucking and fucking" part doesn't sound to bad:)

I dare say Henry VIII would have agreed with you;) . Though the "fucking and fucking and fucking" part doesn't sound to bad:)
*laughs* And his wives...

I dare say Henry VIII would have agreed with you;) . Though the "fucking and fucking and fucking" part doesn't sound to bad:)
His wives too. Ironically, there's much suspicion in my family (and a good bit of proof) that I'm a distant cousin of Catherine Howard.

Wouldn't it be nice if he hadn't killed/divorced so many women?

AHA! Obviously we dastardly Canadians want to marry our daughters to prosperous desperate male Chinese!

<twirls virtual moustache>

Of course! It's so stupid only a genius could think of it!

...Wait, wait. What is the inherent evil in "designer babies" that I'm missing?

...Wait, wait. What is the inherent evil in "designer babies" that I'm missing?

Don't ask me. I'm kinda clueless too. I guess people have seen Gattaca one too many times.

Interesting. Personally, I pity any child who is born to the kind of parents who care that much about the sex of their offspring.


Then you must be really in shock about all the cultures in the world like China were a premium is put on boy babies and females are often sold or killed outright .

Don't ask me. I'm kinda clueless too. I guess people have seen Gattaca one too many times.

Gattaca was good.

Can't say the scenario is impossible, though.

I wonder how long it'll be before having a kid the regular way becomes the vogue way to go again? If my girlfriend and I decide to have kids (and we've been talking about it), we'll have to get some fancy doctoring, mainly because I had a vasectomy 13 years ago, but I guarantee you, we won't be looking to determine sex or anything like that.

did someone explain why the canadians want girls?

I understand the whole china and boy thing, but what's the deal with girls? aren't they pretty much useless?

is there something weird going on in canada that I don't know about....?

...Wait, wait. What is the inherent evil in "designer babies" that I'm missing?

The ethical question is: Have (for example) female babies less right to exist than male babies? Have dark haired babies less right than blondes? Have any deemed different offspring less right to exist than a standard one?

We do it all the time with plants and animals, but now even that is under suspicion.

And now we begin to do it with, guess who? our theoretically most beloved beings in the world, our own children.

There is no inherent evil (you use the word too much in these forums). But there is an inherent doubt.

The ethical question is: Have (for example) female babies less right to exist than male babies? Have dark haired babies less right than blondes? Have any deemed different offspring less right to exist than a standard one?

We do it all the time with plants and animals, but now even that is under suspicion.

And now we begin to do it with, guess who? our theoretically most beloved beings in the world, our own children.

There is no inherent evil (you use the word too much in these forums). But there is an inherent doubt.
There is a danger, however, that we could find ourselves selecting for so many of the same traits that we weaken our overall genetic diversity and leave ourselves open to a virus that mutates and attacks that single vulnerability. That's why ranchers, for instance, think that cloning cows and the like is a waste of time--they know that genetic diversity will save their asses in the event of a major illness.

did someone explain why the canadians want girls?

I understand the whole china and boy thing, but what's the deal with girls? aren't they pretty much useless?

is there something weird going on in canada that I don't know about....?
The Emperor of Canada needs many courtesans.

There is a danger, however, that we could find ourselves selecting for so many of the same traits that we weaken our overall genetic diversity and leave ourselves open to a virus that mutates and attacks that single vulnerability. That's why ranchers, for instance, think that cloning cows and the like is a waste of time--they know that genetic diversity will save their asses in the event of a major illness.

Like what? Near as I can tell, this isn't cheap, not everyone will do it.

There is a danger, however, that we could find ourselves selecting for so many of the same traits that we weaken our overall genetic diversity and leave ourselves open to a virus that mutates and attacks that single vulnerability. That's why ranchers, for instance, think that cloning cows and the like is a waste of time--they know that genetic diversity will save their asses in the event of a major illness.

Exactly. It's bad enough when some parent names their kid after some sitcom character, with a half million others following suit.. Imagine if they all looked the same..

did someone explain why the canadians want girls?
is there something weird going on in canada that I don't know about....?
Apparently there's something going on here that the Canadians don't know about either.

I suspect they got 1 or 2 Canadian couples to their clinic, and they both happened to ask for girls, and suddenly it's written up as "Chinese prefer boys and Canadians prefer girls".

:rolleyes:

Ah, the US, the pinnacle of biomedical technology. I am extremely pleased to here this story. In fact, it has brightened my day. The neo-cons haven’t managed to fuck up the future quite yet.

As for the designer babies question: What’s the big fucking deal?. I mean, if people like a certain heir color better, that kid is only going to have a better life. If such technology existed, it would be cruel not to ensure that your daughter will someday have natural double D breasts and your son will be naturally inclined to build muscle mass.

Exactly. It's bad enough when some parent names their kid after some sitcom character, with a half million others following suit.. Imagine if they all looked the same..
Reminds me of a John Varley story, "The Barbie Murders"

Jeez,talk about playing God.
It's OK, American Protestants have a direct line to God.

but what's the deal with girls? aren't they pretty much useless?

Young man, wait until you hit the age of 15 - you'll see things a whole different way!

Filthy savages.

Filthy savages.
Heh, I'm sick and tired of you calling great men, like these brilliant scientists, savages.
You know who the savages are, the ones following a religion that was written by power-hungry and deluded men two thousand years ago who now oppose progress and comfort for no coherent reason.

There is a danger, however, that we could find ourselves selecting for so many of the same traits that we weaken our overall genetic diversity and leave ourselves open to a virus that mutates and attacks that single vulnerability. That's why ranchers, for instance, think that cloning cows and the like is a waste of time--they know that genetic diversity will save their asses in the event of a major illness.

Folks, look closely, because this is the only time you will ever see me utter these words to The Nazz...












+1 I agree

Like consumers from China and Australia do!

Want to make sure your baby is a boy or a girl? Stymied by laws in your country after you thought that only the backwards US had?

Surprise! The US is pretty lax on what you can do to a fetus (provided it's going to live to term).

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-614babysex,0,6133219.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

India used to not have laws prohibiting doctors from telling parents the sex of their baby. Guess what happened? A great many female fetus's were aborted, resulting in some very wierded out demographic fluctuations with very high male to female ratios.

Sometimes, these kinds of laws are neccessary for some very simple reasons. To maintain a population balance.

Young man, wait until you hit the age of 15 - you'll see things a whole different way!
ROFLMAO

that's funny. :D

Like what? Near as I can tell, this isn't cheap, not everyone will do it.
It's not cheap now, but like most any technology, it'll get cheaper. Hell, in twenty years there'll probably be a do-it-yourself kit available at Walgreen's.

It's not cheap now, but like most any technology, it'll get cheaper. Hell, in twenty years there'll probably be a do-it-yourself kit available at Walgreen's.

Technically, if you had the do-it-yourself sex detection kit, it might even come with an RU-486 pill, in case the baby isn't the gender you were hoping for.

Young man, wait until you hit the age of 15 - you'll see things a whole different way!
Smunkeeville is a woman with daughters. She is employing what we know and love as 'sarcasm'.

Jeez,talk about playing God.
I 2nd that!

First you choose the sex, then you choose the eye colour, hair colour, then yo choose to abort all disables children.It makes me a teeny bit annoyed when people abort a child just because they have a cleft pallet!what message does that give to disabled people-that they are of less worth or something.
fine ,have an abortion,but not for that!If you are going to have an abortion have it for a good reason-like if you are 14 or ill or have been raped, but not for the foetus having a cleft pallet.
anyway, my little rant is over now, sorry about that,I went completly off topic.
what im trying to say is that the idea of designer babies is a slippery slope, it is an important area of scientific research-im not calling it blasphamous, but if you allow one trait to be selected-what next?

Furthermore, there is the possibilty of discriminating against those children who have not been geneticallyu modified to have a high iq, or been made to look prittier.Anyone seen gattaca?I know its a film but it is not beyond the realm of possibility.Of course, things may not happen in this way, but we should tread very carefull as far as modifying childern is concerned.

Furthermore, there is the possibilty of discriminating against those children who have not been geneticallyu modified to have a high iq, or been made to look prittier.Anyone seen gattaca?I know its a film but it is not beyond the realm of possibility.Of course, things may not happen in this way, but we should tread very carefull as far as modifying childern is concerned.

Well, first we'd have to develop the sort of technology where we could do thousands of genetic scans a day cheaply.

P.S. It's not modification, it's selection.

First you choose the sex, then you choose the eye colour, hair colour, then yo choose to abort all disables children.It makes me a teeny bit annoyed when people abort a child just because they have a cleft pallet!what message does that give to disabled people-that they are of less worth or something.
fine ,have an abortion,but not for that!If you are going to have an abortion have it for a good reason-like if you are 14 or ill or have been raped, but not for the foetus having a cleft pallet.
anyway, my little rant is over now, sorry about that,I went completly off topic.
what im trying to say is that the idea of designer babies is a slippery slope, it is an important area of scientific research-im not calling it blasphamous, but if you allow one trait to be selected-what next?

What exactly is it about "designer babies" that's a slippery slope? Not everyone wants the same kind of kid, I don't see how it's going to ruin diversity, and not every parent would even care.