The Icelandic Solution- Part 2: The Slippery Slope

I used to do a series of college lectures in the social sciences, one of which was named Designing the Perfect Society- a two-parter, each three hours long. Since the dawn of civilization mankind has strived tirelessly to accomplish this goal.

The primary purpose behind Hitler's ambitious eugenics program was racial purity. One method of accomplishing this was by eliminating anyone that didn't fit into the Aryan (whatever that is) paradigm- including, but not limited to, Jews, Poles, Slavs, Gypsies, homosexuals and anyone with disabilities, both physical and mental. What's going on in Iceland in the present day is merely a natural extension of what the Nazi's began- the only difference being the method of extermination.

Let's examine the natural progression of eradicating these "undesirable traits." First, we must begin by determining what these traits are. As I wrote in the previous post, I coached in Special Olympics in college and as far as I can see, people with Down Syndrome have just as much right to live as anyone else... in fact, we can all learn a great deal from these wonderful folks. The benefits of having them as members of society vastly outweigh any inconvenience. So then, the impetus behind eliminating these people must be financial. That being the case then, what other traits can we bookmark for elimination? Because, once this starts, it won't stop with Down Syndrome.

The test used to determine whether or not a fetus is prone to have a predisposition for Down Syndrome, besides being imperfect, can also be used for other things as well. It tests genetic markers to determine if there is a familial genetic probability passed from one parent to the infant. If present, it's important to note that there's no guarantee that the infant will have the condition- only that the possibility exists. Moreover, the same test can be used to find a genetic predisposition for other ailments as well, such as cancer, as well as mental conditions such as depression or alcoholism. If the right gene is present, then the possibility exists.

As discussed, the impetus for eliminating these undesirable traits is primarily financial, particularly in treating something like cancer. When we take into consideration the social costs, as well as financial, in terms of time, anguish to loved ones, etc. that could be avoided simply by eliminating fetuses prone to this terrible disease- the benefits are phenomenal- especially if we apply it to all other diseases combined. Think about it- using the Icelandic Solution, we could eliminate disease altogether- simple by aborting all fetuses. But wait, do we really want to go that far? Wouldn't it be preferable to simply exist as the imperfect beings that we all are- Down Syndrome and all?

GIF by @papa-pepper