A couple months back, I mentioned the real scandal of embryonic stem cell research: its supporters oppose effective, non-controversial stem cell research in favor of the immoral and unproven embryonic research. Now, that circle can welcome at their latest charter member. Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has recently signed into law a bill making his $15 million in unauthorized grants for embryonic stem cell research, well, authorized. It also sets up an institute to award future grants and (of course) to encourage therapeutic cloning (an essential part of the embryonic research package).
All in all, a great victory for the destruction of human life in the service of nebulous and distant goals. And what an ally the movement has gained in Gov. Blagojevich! Already renowned for his rampant cronyism, absentee governorship, and fiscal irresponsibility, he’s recently added petty partisan sniping against his own party leadership in the legislature. “Blago” as he’s affectionately known to his many detractors, is such a paragon of empty-headed, plastic haired stupidity that he seems utterly unreal. You think he must be a fictional character, at first, until you see all the evidence. Surely, you think, anyone who makes George W. Bush look like the president of MENSA can’t be real.
But, he is, and now he’s a proud member of the illustrious political supporters of embryonic stem cell research. Well, he does join a proud pantheon of idiots. And, of course, some clearly smart people who just hate human life. And, even, a few misguided souls who actually think they’re doing the right thing.
Most importantly, he joins a growing effort to defund research making leaps and bounds for a blind leap of faith. Using human beings for research purposes is, of course, a time-honored tradition—but planning to deliberately produce, grow, and kill them for the sole purpose of research is new. And supporters shouldn’t think they’re fooling anyone with lame protestations about how funding for this research doesn’t reduce funding for other stem cell research. Of course it does. There’s a (really) limited pool of money out there, and it’s obviously pretty tight. If it weren’t, you wouldn’t need Blago’s paltry $15 million, as the embryonic guys would be swimming in cash.
In reality, of course, money is tight, and every million thrown down the homicidal maw of embryonic stem cell and “therapeutic” cloning research is one less million to spend on stem cell research that actually produces results. But that’s by design, because embryonic stem cell research isn’t about achieving short-term results, it’s about research unhindered by current moral or ethical limits. It’s about redefining “medical ethics” and humanity to allow the full range of experimentation on human beings—provided that those human beings are killed before they get too obviously human for our comfort.
Of course, as our comfort zone expands, I’m sure the bounds of “therapeutic” cloning will slide right along with it. All perfectly simple and reasonable once we’ve set ourselves up as the arbiters of which lives are really human. Nice to see all the old ways coming back again, I suppose. “Life unworthy of life” does, after all, have such a fine pedigree in so very many places. But, really, we’re going one better: our mantra won’t be unfit life, it’ll be fully commoditized and packaged life—designed, mass-produced, packaged, and ready for sale on the open market.
Once in our past, we berated the Romans for cruelly exposing their unwanted infants and the Spartans for discarding deformed children deemed unworthy of life. Now, we boldly march into a future where we will calmly grind up our deliberately produced offspring in the service of those lucky enough to get to the magic moment of birth when they somehow suddenly become worthy of life.
And, right there in front, capering in front with the other pied pipers, the empty, empty head of Blago—not a hair out of place.
UPDATED: Belatedly added link to insightful post about Blago from a fellow Angry Man. Let the shameless site-promotion grow from more to more, and so blogger life be enriched!
August 29, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Surely I deserve at least a link to my FU Blogo rant of a few months back:
https://12angrymen.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/blogo-and-shrub-faux-populism-from-frat-boys-in-the-tv-era/
🙂
August 29, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Argh! But of course! I shall update my post post-haste!
(My the ghost of Glasgow be appeased!)
August 29, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Angry? Yes. Overeducated? That’s debatable.
August 30, 2007 at 6:23 am
As I read this, I was hoping against all hope that you’d cap the ‘every million thrown down the homicidal maw of embryonic stem cell and “therapeutic” cloning research is one less million to spend on…’ “Bombs and other devices used to kill the thousands of innocent living around the world daily.” But alas, you are focusing on the morality of stem cell research. Priorities huh?
August 30, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Angry Outraged Californian said:
Angry? Yes. Overeducated? That’s debatable.
Care to debate it? Or are you here just to prove that Californians are just uneducated trolls?
August 30, 2007 at 7:09 pm
“Overeducated” is kind of an odd word, IMO, and one that’s (a) awfully hard to define and (b) nearly impossible to debate.
What I’ve always wondered is what AOC was trying to say by picking it…. For instance, I easily qualify as way more “overeducated” than AOC, though I don’t think I’m particularly overeducated for my position (college professor at a research institution).
So, AOC, overeducated means what, exactly? 🙂
August 30, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Interesting points.
August 30, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Dear Angry Midwesterner:
I wonder what you have against people from California..
What upset me most about this blog was the way the author seemed to blame the governor of Illinois for embryonic stem cell research. His actions regarding funding for research merely reflect the opinions and priorities of the good people of Illinois. If he must direct his anger, let it be towards the American citizens who do not share his beliefs (over fifty percent!).
August 31, 2007 at 8:42 am
MPA: Well, there you have it. “Overeducated” is relative to current position or occupation. You would be overeducated for, oh say, 99.99% of all occupations. But, as you say, not for your actual one. I, on the other hand, have entire skill sets utterly unnecessary for my current profession. Mind you, I enjoy them, but they’re still superfluous.
AOC(W): For what it’s worth, overeducated wasn’t intended as necessarily a good thing. In any event, Blago deserves all the blame (or credit) we can give him for this ESC stuff since he is not just reflecting the people but is a leading booster himself. He is also, independently of his stand, a moron, and so is an easier target than the majority. He also has both authority and access to detailed info—two things most people in the US lack with regard to ESC.
Finally, he spouts the same nonsense most other ESC boosters spout, not saying correctly that this is untried and untested and will take 10-30 years to really show results but pretending that ESC is on par with other stem cell research in providing cures and results now. So, he is helping to divert money away from research which may well save lives in the next 5 years to research which won’t help anyone for some time (if ever).
Moral issues with ESC aside, you can make a case that such a division of resources is reasonable, but that’s not the argument made. Instead the issue is obscured and packaged to mislead people into thinking that ESC would cure people tomorrow if the evil conservatives would let it.
[I’ve dubbed you “AOC(W)” due to your proclaimed allegiance to the Left Coast, and to allow abbreviation in this comment. Hope you don’t mind!]
August 31, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Sadly, at least Blago is consistent towards his treatment of all [future] tiny corpses. This is merely an extension of his executive order forcing pharmacies to distribute “morning after” aborticants.
As to the issue of bombs killing living innocent people daily, yes, this is a terrible thing. But, as has been stated earlier in this string, a finite amount of resources must be distributed to areas of greater need first, and, as I’m sure angry overeducated catholic will agree, ensuring the universal rights of all people*, not just the recongnized or convinent ones, is an area of the greatest need.
*At the moment of fertilization, a genetically distinct human being begins. All human beings are to be gaurenteed universal rights, one of which, is life.
August 31, 2007 at 1:56 pm
ADE says:
This is merely an extension of his executive order forcing pharmacies to distribute “morning after” aborticants.
To be fair, he only forces pharmacists to do so. Pharmacies are free to carry, or refuse to carry, any drug they wish.