SciFi Musing #4: Competition Between Nation States Will Result In Genetic Tyranny

A Chinese scientist recently announced that he had genetically modified two embryos, implanted them and gave birth to two healthy babies. The scientist has apparently used CRISPR to make them immune to HIV. Whether or not this is true someday it will be true.

This government is quite authoritative and imposes great control over its people. They have virtually no rights, no privacy and no ownership of property or land. But this article is not about that.

The Chinese government has publicly banned the scientist from future work. But how long will that last? A government that has the ambition to control fertility is already managing the gene pool of the population. Is it much of a stretch to conclude that (once the technology matures) they will modify the gene pool BY FORCE of their poppulation to be more competitive, more healthy than their international opponents?

In turn this could force other nation states to compete by modifying the gene pool of their own populations. Nations without the means to develop this technology (which would almost certainly be protected against export) would be left behind.

The consequences could be:

1. Longer life
2. A better, healthier population
3. Better QoL due to better decision making
4. A more sustainable population and planet

- OR -

1. An infertile population
2. A mentally unstable population
3. Loss of rights and physical integrity
4. Genetic discrimination