Re: The Education Function

Zenarchy (jr@shasta.com)
Mon, 7 Dec 1998 22:32:47 -0800

From: my inner geek <geek@ifeden.com>
>How do you feel about a genetically engineered labor force?

Hmmm.... Do you have one?
Whooops! Silly me. You mean how do I feel about a *hypothetical* genetically engineered labor force, of course.

I've sat here for two minutes (honest), and my feelings swing from revulsion to mild paranoid anxiety to ennui to resignation and back to revulsion.

I think genetic engineering will probably happen. I think initially the impetus of genetic engineering will center on creating exceptional talent, high IQ, improved immune systems, increased longevity and the like. All aimed at the betterment of the whole human race.

But then, naturally, the question will arise, "Who will do the dirty work?" This prompts me to recall Bob Black's book _The Abolition of Work_. Rather than engineer intellectually challenged workers, I think scientists will study ways to eliminate the need for labor.

Sincerely, I feel very negative about a genetically engineered *labor force*. Instead of producing more workers, I think we should eliminate work. If we can't figure out how to eliminate work, then we should genetically engineer super-intelligent brains to figure it out for us.

Would these super smarties constitute a labor force? No, no... they'd join the staff, they'd become part of the faculty, they'd rule rather than labor.

I don't object at all to genetic engineering, Ken. But I think we ought to do all we can to eliminate the need for a labor force by eliminating labor.

"Workers of the world, relax."
--Bob Black

With successful genetic engineering the world might raise itself to such a level that no one would any longer have the stupid desire to govern others. So genetic engineering could help to eliminate government as well as labor.

Like the man said, "First kill all the lawyers." Then I'd feel much better about it, because then genetic engineering wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, namely government's. If politicians control the direction of genetic engineering, then we'll have robots coming out of the labs. If reasonable scientists have control, then we can expect sanity to reign.

-zen

PS: How do you feel about a genetically engineered illuminati?