I was reading an article on genetic testing. Yes, my curiosity knows few bounds. Some and not many.
Anyway, genetic testing exists today and will no doubt become much more specific in the future. Currently it can determine predispositions for a great number of illnesses ranging from ulcers to cancer to diabetes to mental illness to gender to hair color.
Yep, it's Brave New World, Gattaca and Beggars in Spain time.
There are any number of great reasons to have genetic screening. We do the macro-genetic form of it all the time on the farm. It's called animal husbandry. We want better milkers, better beef (dollars on the hoof, it's called), higher yield porkers, better layers (chickens, folks), better this and that. Forget Animal Farm. Now you have to worry about Animal Pharm.
Have a pedigree dog or cat or whatever? Same thing, not at the genetic level. Race horse? That, too.
Anybody ever read stories about the colonial America slave markets? There you go.
Many countries won't allow the import of GM foods. You didn't think that General Motors was diversifying, did you?
It's eugenics, now available at the genetic level and coming soon to an apothecary near you.
And there are excellent reasons to learn someone's genetic predisposition to things because what we know is coming we can plan for. If I know I have a predisposition to presbyopia then I can purchase reading glasses to save my eyes. Or I can become a Methodist.
There's the rub, me thinks. If I know what's in my genetically determined future, I can become proactive in determining my future quality of life.
But what if that information is available to ....
Insurance companies: Be prepared for different medical and health plans. You thought "that procedure isn't covered under your current plan" was a killer? Laws will be passed so that everyone can be insured, of course, and the price of some of those plans will make them exclusive to a select few. Or the government will finally install universal health care because that's the only way the numbers will work out. And if they do, be prepared for a health bureaucracy the likes of which you've never known. Ever have to deal with the IRS on a personal level? Imagine that juggernaut determining your health benefits.Law Enforcement: If the government can detect years in advance that someone will be a sociopath, do they have the right to act now to promote the public good? Now we're into Minority Report and Deja Vu territory.
Government Policies: Forget insurance and law enforcement. Think of dwindling supplies of...well, everything. Whether or not this planet can support the amount of life currently and projected to be on it remains to be seen, all I recognize is that consumable, non-replenishable resources have an interesting cap to them. It's along the lines of "The planet earth is of fixed size. Therefore there's only so much oil in it. Oil is consumable and non-replenishable. Therefore when it's gone, it's gone." You been to the gas pumps lately? Then perhaps you're getting the idea of consumable, non-replenishable resources. But apply that to things that we currently take for granted much like we took gas for granted, things like water, air, bread.
But now all these things are in short supply. And genetic screens indicate that any children you have will tax the system more than their share ("their share"? You know that's going to be a government mandate, like sugar and coffee during WWI and WWII). Part of America's cultural ethos stems from an interpretation of the Judeo-Christian Bible that makes people think they have the right to have lots of children. Will see how far that goes when genetic screening comes along in full. And, of course, when supplies get critically low you know euthanasia will be a sacrament. If for no other reason than for organ harvesting. Because a side aspect to genetic screening will be the ability to determine amazingly close to near perfect genetic matches of hearts, lungs, kidneys, livers, eyes, limbs, hearts, stomachs.
Don't worry about people creating clone farms for organ harvesting. Those will cost money and take up space. There's probably going to be close to 10 billion people walking the globe in another 20-50 years. You'll be wise to hope you're not genetically close to any of them.
Identity Theft: Imagine having to bring your own utensils to restaurants because that drop of saliva you left on your fork can now be used to mimic your genetic sequence enough to leave your DNA at a crime scene. Or did a drop of your sweat land on the StairMasterTM at the gym? What about the coffee cup you used during that client presentation the other day? Did you use the public restroom when you went to that ballgame?
And you're worried about somebody knowing who you are on the web?
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