Originally posted by rwingett
At least Dawkins was never in the Wermacht.
But seriously...
If you look at the quotes Halitose provided, he's not talking about killing off anyone. He's talking about breeding for gain in specific attributes. Given that mankind continues to evolve, the question is whether we can actively guide the path that evolutionary process follows. Instead of h that it is feasible, but is saying that we should at least be allowed to ponder the matter.
"We should at least ponder the matter ....... "
That's how the discussions about abortion and euthanasia also started.
If we start breeding people than of course we must have the possibility to kill those who do not meet our expectations, meaning we should be able to perform abortion and euthanasia. I have always claimed that after the discussions about abortion and euthanasia, the eugenics discussion would follow. These discussions, together with the stem-cell dicussion and the use of human embryos, unborn human beings, for scientific research are all part and parcel of the same way of thinking, pointing in the same direction. Now Dawkins is suggesting we should indeed discuss the matter of eugenics.
I am proven correct in my claim.
I will also predict that those in favour of abortion and euthanasia will eventually, after much manoeuvring and "careful" discussion of course, will convert to the idea of eugenics.