XPost: alt.fan.heinlein   
   From: bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com   
      
   On 2/15/26 11:14, quadi wrote:   
   > On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:42:22 -0800, Paul S Person wrote:   
   >   
   >> 3. The article reports that "Although the exact number of children with   
   >> consanguineous parents across England is unclear, the data clearly shows   
   >> their overrepresentation within mortality statistics and requires   
   >> “urgent action”, according to researchers."   
   >> but no data is provided to prove "overrepresentation". Suppose 10% of   
   >> /all/ children have consanguineous parents: then the statistic that 7%   
   >> of those who died during period did would reflect /underrepresentation/.   
   >> Of course, the point here is that, as far as the article is concerned,   
   >> nobody has any idea what that percentage is.   
   >   
   > You have just remminded me of another science-fiction story, not by   
   > Heinlein.   
   >   
   > Its title was "If all men were brothers, would you let one marry your   
   > sister?".   
   >   
   > When the advocate of a society in which incest is completely normalized is   
   > confronted by the viewpoint character from somewhere conventional about   
   > the genetic risks of inbreeding, he replies simply something to the   
   > effect: "What? This is the first thing you think about?" and apparently he   
   > feels this has sufficiently refuted the point.   
   >   
   > If the story was meant to open our minds to considering a different world   
   > view, I felt that its advocate using such sloppy argumentative tactics   
   > would cause it to fail in that end.   
   >   
   > John Savard   
      
   	All men and women are cousins at the most distant relationships.   
        Definitely in the USA.  And there are no other people to marry.   
      
   	DNA evaluations should be done on everyone considering marriage,   
       because the bad genes crop up all over the place.   
      
   	One of Heinlein's early stories has two populations, those subjected   
       to genetic modifications and one of people who have chosen to remain   
       unmodified and who are given aid to compete against the modified.   
   	This story has restored the code duello for the modified but the   
       unmodified are excluded because they have unenhanced reaction times.   
   	I believe I used to have this in hardcover.   
      
   	bliss   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)