The Irony Party of Australia
Encephalatronicalogical Pamphlet
December 7th 2006
Irony
Party
pamphlet
news
in brief
newsfeed
rss
feed
author
links
Legislative Hurdle for New Humans
Supporters of the contentious legislation say existing Australians could benefit from the application of flexible undifferentiated cells in future medical technologies. But the Bill's critics and detractors, including both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader, are fundamentally opposed to the wilful exploitation of nascent human lives, even for the potential advantage of those already born.
In the wake of the Bill's passage through both Houses of Parliament, many in the science community are delighted, welcoming the opportunity to explore the potential of this exciting new for ground-breaking research, medical development and productive commercialisation
But for others the new legislation results in a kind of roulette for new Australian citizens. They may be fortunate enough to be born, as before, to a family of fully grown human beings, expected to develop themselves into child- and -adulthood. Alternately, though, in future, there is the statistical inevitability that some embyros conceived will have been conceived not for an extended life, but for purposes of research, destined for a brief existence of hapless dissection. For this percentage of the population life will prove mercifully brief, as the legislation stipulates a limit of two weeks for the probing and manipulation of the constituents of the growing human being, before the unfortunate individual is terminated.
The raising of the bar for actual and enduring existence in Australia is concurrent with nationwide resource shortages and claims from some commentators and experts that the continent's optimum population has already been exceeded. In this respect, perhaps the introduction of alternative productive avenues for some of the descendents of Australians is a prudent measure. Although this Brave New World makes strange bedfellows of scientist and feminist, humanist and theist, it suits the cultural mood of Fascist Revival that characterises this era in the nation's history.
A conscience vote in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate yesterday meant that a majority carried the legislation, despite the feelings of both the Prime Minister John Howard, Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd, and many other Senators and MPs that eugenic manipulation of the variety proposed is deeply, sickeningly, and profoundly inhumane. A deep sense of unease at the creation of a new variety of second-class Australian has unsettled even some of those Antipodean politicos famous for being alive to the potential benefits of the exploitation of one or another minority.
Now that the legislation has been passed, however, there is little those opposed to the co-opting of conception for scientific advancement can do to halt the advance towards an inhuman world. But some have begun calling for the institution of an Ombudsman, in order that those who feel unfairly treated or brutalised by the scientific procedures have at least the semblance of an avenue of complaint.
