How do you outlaw research globally?

[Silverhair]

The focus of this thread is on whether or not something is possible, NOT on the desirability or lack thereof of said item.

United States law, for the most part, stops at the borders of the U.S. Let us say that a particular line of research, (Human cloning to take a high profile example, or stem cell research, or any other type of research.) and suppose you are able to get it outlawed int he U.S. Have you actually stopped the research?

So a tiny island that nobody ever heard of decides to make some real money. They let the reseachers know that they are in favor of the same research. Two years later that tiny country becomes the international leader in a new scientific field, the same discoveries are still made. What have you accomplished by getting the research banned in the U.S.?

[LoneStarLiberal]

1. Power of Trade

The simple though inelegant answer to your question is that while we outlaw it here, we can't outlaw it anywhere outside of our borders.

However, if we really get our tails in a knot over this or any other particular subject, we simply play hard-to-get when it comes to international trade.

At least for the time being our economic influence means we can effectively get away with "globally outlawing" something like stem cell research or human cloning.

[Zeke]

4. $$$$$$$$$$$$$

CONTRIBUTE TO THE DU FUND DRIVE! :

[Maple]

2. That's exactly the problem

Many times in history, books have been burned and people imprisioned or killed, in an effort to stifle knowledge.

We've been thru several Dark Ages because of it.

Ultimately the knowledge surfaces again.

Because you can't put the genie back in the bottle.

It's time we stopped trying to do so.

[jokerman93]

3. Good Question

Are you asuming a small enclave somewhere in the world might have access to scientific resources (e.g. technology, human talent, and funding)without being susceptible to leverage from international standards setting organizations, corporations, and big political money?

Maybe Aldous Huxley could envision such a thing, but at this point in the progress of globalization, it might be possible to do the research, but I doubt any sufficiently developed country could get as far as successfully distributing the technology once developed.

My thinking is that research is outlawed usually not for ethical reasons, but as a part of large corporate mission plans.

This is a very complex and interesting discussion topic!

Let's continue it for awhile I have some ideas and would like to hear the thinking that went into your question.

Kick!

:kick:

[jokerman93]

6. Clarification

I guess I'm thinking here in terms of advanced renewable energy technolgy.

I think biotech research is being hamstrung in America merely to captivate the extremist Christian vote. IMO, once this demographic has been sufficiently exploited by the current power class, they will likely be abandoned, and so will the ban on lucrative biotech research.

Or...

why not outlaw promising technological research and allow DARPA or the energy department to continue that research as a matter of National Security?

Make weapons rather than medicines. Sounds a like an option consistent with our current political ethos here in Amerika.

[Silverhair]

9. I would like to see more being done with...

Thermal Depolymerization Plants

And if I thought a bit I could come up with a long list, but I have a headache right now.

[Silverhair]

7. I first got upset on this topic when W banned stem cell research.

Much modern research doesn't require the type of equipment that on needs for a particle physics lab. I used the tiny island example as a bit of hyperbole to point out the difficulty of outlawing research.

I have difficulty with a political approach to this as many of the parties have other goals besides the stated ones, or mere idealogical reasons.

I regret that I don't really have an answer, but banning isn't the answer either.

[Cocoa]

5. the U.S. can do very little by itself

but once we get a normal president back in the White House, we can rejoin the international community and cooperate with the rest of the world on ethical issues like this, and similar ones like weapons proliferation and global warming.

[ShimokitaJer]

8. By exerting pressure through multi-national organizations like WTO

Threaten to impose trade sanctions on countries that don't toe the line, and extend that threat to its biggest trading partners. Threats are a tried and true method of a big country getting its way.

[Silverhair]

11. Problem

Private commercial outfit, makes huge, important discovery. Trade barriers are always erected with todays products in mind. Internet is global. Knowledge gained from the research goes to the multinational conglomerates' other branches which then start to use it.

[ShimokitaJer]

12. I'm not talking about restricting only those "banned" products

I'm talking about unrelated sanctions imposed for the sole purpose of curbing a certain type of activity.

Example: Bush's threat to cut aid to any country which allows abortion

If the US, at the behest of the religious right, decides that cloning, stem-cell research, etc. should be stopped, they can impose sanctions that have nothing at all to do with those technologies in an attempt to pressure the government into imposing a ban

I doubt it would be very effective right now (look at cloning), but as more countries accept the WTO, it could become a force for far more than simply managing trade.

[JHB]

10. Diplomatic pressure, economic pressure...

Does your little island have the resources to create the sort of high-tech labs needed to be on the cutting edge of research? Can it draw the top people in the field?


And then there's always old-fashioned guboat diplomacy. How capable is this little island you mention in holding off a military intervention?

Little islands find it far more lucrative to have offshore banks and act as modern-day pirate's coves' than to make the sort of infrastructure investments top research requires.

[Silverhair]

13. Some answers.

Resources. All it needs is some space. It tells the appropriate multinational conglomerates that it has space availaable. They have to do the investing & recruiting. Oh, Yes, they have to pay a nice lease payment to the island's gov't. To keep the population happy the conglomerate has to make some public service investment in the island too, and provide some local jobs and training. Good PR & doesn't cost that much. Plants are research only, no production facilities, except maybe prototypes.

Conglomerates will take the knowledge gained and use it in production facilites located wherever local laws & politicians are most favorable.

It doesn't need to be a little island. That's a bit of hyperbole on my part to make a point. One could easily imagine dictator somewhere going this route.