Some of the problems with forced sterilization in the past have included:
- Irreversable methods. Can't undo improper sterilizations if this is the case.
- Massively biased application of the process to "unpopular" groups of people.
- Sterilization of people because of membership in a group rather than because that individual specifically showed reason to expect a problem.
- Assorted other miscarriages of justice. A number of retrospective reviews of all cases [that were turned up by investigation] showed that the vast majority of forced sterilizations were performed in violation even of the official rules for the process. And the official rules were bad enough.
I'll stop there, partly because the degree to which we botched this in the past turns my stomach, and partly because my memory is failing me w.r.t. further examples. Suffice it to say that the list of things done wrong in our real past history of this practice is truly daunting.
Now: If you propose an approach that stands a good chance of avoiding all those issues -- especially the "slippery slope" problem -- I'm all ears. Because the problems the Ricky and DG and others have pointed at are real and substantial too. Some possibilities might include reversible techniques (?perhaps implantable birth-control?), application only via court-order (and due process) and only after a
specific individual has clearly demonstrated incapacity-as-a-parent (but why don't existing laws fix this?), or ???
Really, if you have ideas I'd like to hear them.
But based on our past history, I'm inclined to be extremely dubious of calls for forced sterilization -- so it'll take quite a strong presentation to change my mind.
Xenophon