Extended Genetics

If you follow the theory of evolution, genetics is the system by which an environment modifies a species. Some people think it's the other way around for some reason, but the truth is that genetics simply provides options for survival in an unpredictable future, an unpredictable environment, an unpredictable society. And our environment, natural or otherwise, culls who cannot survive.

And we've modified our environment. We've added other issues that cull those that cannot survive. We've created economies, and economies aren't good or evil. They just add some spin to the whole 'who gets to survive' issue. Those that are have more economic power have more healthy food available, have better shelter, and yes - better opportunities. It doesn't mean that these guarantee survival but they most certainly help with increasing the potential of survival. So, in our own way, we cull those that can't achieve a certain level of socioeconomic standing by assuring that they (or, we) don't get as good food, as good exercise, as good so on and so forth.

Some people feel bad about that and donate to make their own guilt go away. Famous people like that are sometimes called philanthropists. Maybe they grow enough to see some potential in the downtrodden, but since economic wealth flows up more than down the downtrodden are necessary for accumulating such vast amounts of wealth. The theory may be different but the practice is close to that.

Enter politics - where there is power, there is politics. And to make the political systems more fair than others based on fear of revolution, we created democracy. So politicians garner power and wealth. Democracy was supposed to be for assuring that everyone had a fair shot at getting what they wanted but never was planned to deal with how a minority might want something more than a majority doesn't want it, and vice versa. For better or worse, democracy became influenced politically. Since politics deals in power and thus socioeconomic standing, a minority with more money can change the system to their benefit and a majority can be left out in the cold.

Strangely, the triumphant minority calls most who disagree with them 'socialist' - even though the triumphant minority has bastardized the concept of democracy. But I digress.

So now, in this new world, we fear altering our own genetics - but we have no problem playing a part of the survival game that we've created within our society. Those in the top socioeconomic classes will be able to afford better modifications for their children along with the better diets, better healthcare, better education, etc.

But the basis for all of that logic is that anything that adds potential to survival can be predicted. It never really has. The top socioeconomic upper classes have better chances of increasing their potential survival - but they also increase their potential for extinction.

That's because genetics is the system by which our environment modifies a species, economics and politics are systems for modifying our own survival. These systems held in popular regard say that just because you're good at surviving an artificial system you should be good at surviving the real environment even though, intuitively, we know that premise is false.

And the dumb, who cannot follow that tragic logic, may or may not die.