Quote Originally Posted by TomOfSweden View Post
Who decides how children should be brought up? These kinds of conflicts will sort themselves out like they've always be done. With loud argumentation and crockery projectiles. I'm sure there will be trends just like we have with clothes today. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about.
Yes, it will start that way. A fashion statement by the rich, designer children at exorbitant cost to satisfy exorbitant egos. But as the technology becomes more prevalent and the costs start to drop it will spread slowly to the middle class. Once that happens the governments will step in.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that this will happen, whether we want it or not. If not legally, then illegally. Parents strong wishes to have a healthy child just like they've dreamed of, will trump anything any government or moral opinion could say anything about.
Healthy, yes. I'm not disputing that. But there is more involved in genetics than just healthy. The ongoing debate between "Nature or Nurture" will take on new urgency as parents, or governments, try to weed out "undesirable" elements from their offspring. And once again I must ask, who decides what is undesirable?

He he. You're still mixing up the subject of eugenics with Nazi practices. This can all be put down as paranoid ramblings that will never happen...again. Because nobody would want it. Democracy is good that way.
And that is how it WILL happen...again! Democracy is also good at allowing the worst aspects of humanity (by my definition, anyway) to flourish. But it is in the more autocratic governments that the worst abuses will probably arise. States run by ego maniacal dictators, or by religious fanatics. No, we must never assume that something cannot happen just because we don't want it to happen. We must be aware of what's happening and keep vigilant to prevent suck things. Having healthy children is one thing. Having healthy boys (or girls) because that's what the State decrees is another. And NOT having children because you are the wrong color, or religion, or because someone in a musty little office somewhere has decided that your genome is not acceptable, is something else entirely.