The Stampede of the Cloning Herd

Score another big victory for Big Biotech’s disingenuous and obfuscating propaganda campaign in favor of human cloning. Iowa has revoked its complete ban in order to permit research into SCNT in the state. And, as happened in Missouri, California, and ever other state that has debated the issue, the argument often was swayed by the scientifically false assertion that human cloning does not create a cloned human embryo.

Interestingly, in countries such as the UK where human SCNT is less controversial, scientists readily acknowledge that SCNT creates an embryo. (Maybe its a different SCNT than the American version.) But what do facts matter when the bovines are being stampeding off an ethical cliff?

Tens of billions are going to be spent worldwide trying to learn how to clone human life. Whichever way the science goes, there seems no way for this to end well. If it “works,” we will move quickly toward creating human life like an Iowa corn crop, and harvesting it for processing, just as corn is turned into ethanol. Cloning success will also move into genetic engineering, fetal farming (for which we will hear the same junk biological arguments of purported non humanity and the potential for CURES! CURES! CURES!), and finally, cloning to birth.

If it doesn’t work—which is certainly a distinct possibility—there will be a financial loss of epic proportions, akin to the dot com bust. Only this time most of the losses will be tallied in the public’s money. But by then, we will be on to the next stampede.

But what the heck. The great god science (as a perceived end, not the method) must receive its sacrifices. Full speed ahead to the brave new world!