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A comment on Giant tortoises show surprising cognitive powers. Parent comment

Re:Giant tortoises show surprising cognitive powers by AnIdiotOnTheNet on Saturday November 30, 2019 @11:16AM (#21670542)
I'm more intelligent than someone with Downs Syndrome, but that doesn't mean their life is less valuable does it? Let me guess: they get a pass because they are human. That's what it comes down to really: things that are like me deserve rights and respect and things that aren't don't. That all humans happen to fit into the "like me" category is a relatively recent concept.
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Re:Giant tortoises show surprising cognitive powers by username90 on Saturday November 30, 2019 @12:07PM (#21670910)
They get a pass because it makes our rules simpler and they are so few. You'd see us quickly value their lives less if there were billions of people with Downs Syndrome, but currently they aren't a problem so it is fine.
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Re:Giant tortoises show surprising cognitive powers by Scipio_Afri on Saturday November 30, 2019 @12:42PM (#21671119)
>I'd see us quickly value their lives less if there were billions of people with Downs Syndrome, but currently they aren't a problem so it is fine.

Oh you mean like many of those who are homeless, who also happen to have mental health issues, yet we don't provide shelter, health care or food for?

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Re:Giant tortoises show surprising cognitive powers by imgabe on Saturday November 30, 2019 @02:33PM (#21671742)
Valuable in what sense? People talk about value like there is some absolute objective value. There's not. Things hold different values to different people and even the same people in different circumstances.
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Re:Giant tortoises show surprising cognitive powers by Consultant32452 on Saturday November 30, 2019 @02:30PM (#21671724)
It's a mentality of abundance. In times when resources are extremely limited, we see exactly whose lives are "more valuable."
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Re:Giant tortoises show surprising cognitive powers by larnmar on Saturday November 30, 2019 @03:57PM (#21672100)
> I'm more intelligent than someone with Downs Syndrome, but that doesn't mean their life is less valuable does it?

Doesn’t it? It’s something we don’t say, because it’s horrendously impolite, and I wouldn’t say it myself outside the context of this conversation, but yes, the life of an intelligent person is worth less than that of a person with Down’s syndrome.

Don’t take my word for it though, look at revealed preferences. How many parents abort their unborn Down’s Syndrome babies?

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Re:Giant tortoises show surprising cognitive powers by bobajeff on Saturday November 30, 2019 @07:00PM (#21672860)
>It’s something we don’t say, because it’s horrendously impolite, and I wouldn’t say it myself outside the context of this conversation, but yes, the life of an intelligent person is worth less than that of a person with Down’s syndrome.

That is controversial but probably not in the way that you originally meant.

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