Are Designer Babies The New Eugenics?

[erpowers]

I am watching American Experience's documentary The Eugenics Crusade and one of the participants said something like Eugenics was mainly the quest for the best baby and the best family and race came into the picture later. That made me wonder if designer babies was another form of Eugenics. People are trying to create babies with certain traits and without other traits. Is this, designer babies, Eugenics by another name?

[Calculating]

1. I've always been conflicted on this

I'm fine with designing babies to erase genetic defects and other problems, but not to enhance or unnecessarily change features. You start rolling down a VERY steep and slippery slop if you start tampering with genetics to create custom engineered offspring. You might quickly end up with a world where the wealthy are even PHYSICALLY and MENTALLY better than everyone else, and that will then secure their advantages in life.

[LanternWaste]

2. It can be confusing and difficult to deconstruct...

...until we realize that when we are discussing eugenics and why it is dangerous, we are not discussing whether or not a person has a right to choose to end a pregnancy, but discussing the bigoted ideas that may be the reason for the decision.

The solution presented by eugenics is intangible because it ignores the realities of what disability really is. It wants to counter the problem of ableism not by eliminating the bigotry but its subject. It would be like suggesting getting rid of misogyny by killing all women. Or eliminating homophobia by killing all gay people. It’s not the people themselves that are the problem, its society’s hateful attitude. It is literally victim blaming.

[Hekate]

3. How do people who denounce ableist abortion deal with Tay-Sachs and the like?

Asking for a friend.