Ending "Natural" Reproduction
Quick Overview
Here's the situation: your species, under directive of your friendly world government, has been informed that all "natural" (aka reproducing like your normally would and having a child that way) birth is now going to be "phased out" (made progressively illegal/impossible) in favor of mandatory genetic engineering. Why? To eliminate any and all genetic defects, select for only beneficial genes ala GATTACA, and secretly control reproductive freedoms under the guise of progress. The end goal is to have all future children born in government gene clinics only, meaning it should be effectively impossible or inconceivable to have a child outside this method.
Some sci-fi tech is available to this species and government, gene modification being the obvious one. Identification microchips are widespread in first-world countries, cybernetics are as common as smartphones, and general AI is being used by the WG (world Government) to maintain its otherwise byzantine bureaucracy, design its laws, and automate federal industries so logistics and budget are not as serious of an issue here.
Assume global mass surveillance tech is feasible via drones and recognition software, but that it would take some time to implement and scale to that level.
However, there are a few serious problems that this civilization will have to overcome that are immediately apparent to me.
Paging Dr. Bureaucratic Nightmare
There are approximately seven billion people on this planet, a vast majority of whom not genetically modified or modified in small ways. Genetic modification was entirely up to the individual before this measure, though very expensive.
Despite there being a "world government" it does not hold total sway over all nations in terms of sovereignty due to a wide variety of politics, cultures, development, and religions influencing members (which makes mandatory genetic modification a difficult sell, especially in religious areas). However, some utilities companies (water, electricity, etc) around the globe are directly WG-owned and provide necessary and life-saving assistance for millions, especially in undeveloped regions. There is a gene-modded secret police branch in almost every developed country, but undeveloped ones do not have one.
There exist many, many ways of life for families, especially in undeveloped countries that lack modern infrastructure to connect distant villages and other rural areas.
The internet is still a thing and access to information is not as limited as it could be. Dissenters will be an issue, and protests are inevitable if this operation is too overt.
The Question
If this government is going to succeed in its end goal, how would it go about doing so? I'm open to any answers, though I'd prefer ones based on relevant science concerning reproduction, childbirth, etc. If there is anything I'm missing or should clarify, let me know!
This post was sourced from https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/176646. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
0 comment threads