That’s true that it could set a bad precedent. But it also could set a bad precedent to normalize letting millions of people die horribly just to avoid setting a bad precedent. It’s not immediately clear to me which is worse in the very-long-run.
I think there is a rather large gap between saying it’s wrong to force your solution on others to save them from themselves and normalizing letting millions of people die (for whatever reasons).
Work to offer the solutions and let them make their own, informed choice.
As has been noted by some already, it is not even clear that such forced actions are even required. Rushing to act without even bothering to try working with those being helped. That type of heavy-handed help seems completely uncalled for at this stage.
Work to offer the solutions and let them make their own, informed choice.
The problem is that the bureaucrats who make the decision of whether gene drives are allowed aren’t the same people as the ones who are dying from malaria. Every day that you postpone the eradication of malaria by trying to convince bureaucrats, over a thousand people will die from the disease in question. Most of them, many of whom are infants, had no ability to meaningfully affect their political situation.
That’s true that it could set a bad precedent. But it also could set a bad precedent to normalize letting millions of people die horribly just to avoid setting a bad precedent. It’s not immediately clear to me which is worse in the very-long-run.
I think there is a rather large gap between saying it’s wrong to force your solution on others to save them from themselves and normalizing letting millions of people die (for whatever reasons).
Work to offer the solutions and let them make their own, informed choice.
As has been noted by some already, it is not even clear that such forced actions are even required. Rushing to act without even bothering to try working with those being helped. That type of heavy-handed help seems completely uncalled for at this stage.
The problem is that the bureaucrats who make the decision of whether gene drives are allowed aren’t the same people as the ones who are dying from malaria. Every day that you postpone the eradication of malaria by trying to convince bureaucrats, over a thousand people will die from the disease in question. Most of them, many of whom are infants, had no ability to meaningfully affect their political situation.