1NC

People without disabilites and the government exclude and marginalize

people with disability.
Orentlicher 1996 (David, Professor of Law)
A more expansive interpretation of the ADA and Rehailitation Act wo!ld etter reali"e the
p!rposes of the principle of reasonale accommodations# $he principle of reasonale
accommodations reco%ni"es two important tr!ths# &irst, it reco%ni"es that disailit' is not
simpl' an intrinsic characteristic of a person !t is the res!lt of the interaction etween a
person(s intrinsic )!alities and the environment# *+ ,econd, the principle reco%ni"es that the
environment is shaped not simpl' ' nat!ral, inevitale forces !t also has een shaped to
serve the interests of some se%ments of societ' at the expense of others# $he socio-political
environment cannot ./6+0 alwa's be justified ' the operation of ne!tral or o1ective
principles or ' principles that are otherwise morall' valid# ** 2ndeed, there is nothin%
3nat!ral3 or inel!ctale ao!t the fact that most aspects of socio-political organization
respond primarily to the needs of persons without disabilities, *9 1!st as there is
nothin% inevitale ao!t the fact that the post office and man' !sinesses cease operations
on ,!nda', the 4hristian ,aath, rather than on ,at!rda', the 5ewish ,aath, or &rida',
the 6oslem ,aath# ,ocial norms develop not eca!se the' are pre-ordained, !t eca!se
the' serve the needs of social %ro!ps that are dominant either in n!mers or power# Often,
social arran%ements develop aro!nd a social norm of a person witho!t disailities eca!se
of inattention to the needs of persons with disailities# 2n addition, in some cases, societ'
p!rposef!ll' creates its instit!tions for the convenience of persons witho!t disailities while
aware of the hardship imposed on persons with disailities# &or example, it is commonl' the
case that mentall' retarded persons are perceived to e ph'sicall' !nattractive# 7et, with a
little assistance in %roomin%, man' of these individ!als can ta8e on an 3attractive3
appearance# 99 ,ome instit!tions for the mentall' retarded have intentionall' ne%lected the
%roomin% of their wards to disco!ra%e them from enterin% into romantic or sex!al
relationships# 91 $he operators find that s!ch relationships complicate their wor8: in
addition, non-retarded persons are often !nwillin% to permit sex!al or romantic activit' '
retarded persons# 9; 2n short, persons witho!t disailities ma' compromise the interests of
persons with disailities for their own convenience and ps'cholo%ical comfort# <ow a social
norm develops, then, ma' depend m!ch more on considerations of popularity or political
power than !pon alternative visions of distri!tive 1!stice that often have %reater moral
wei%ht# =eca!se socio-political forces fre)!entl' exacerate the impact of a disailit'
without sufficient moral justification, anti-discrimination law re)!ires ./6*0 modifications
of social policies to ameliorate the deleterio!s effects of socio-political forces on disailit'#
he liberal subject constituted both 2> and =7 the 1!C is necessarily abled.
=rec8enrid%e and ?ol%er ;991 (4arol Appad!rai and 4andace A, @$he 4ritical Limits of
AmodimentB Disailit'(s 4riticismC, P!lic 4!lt!re, ?ol!me 1D, >!mer D, &all ;911)
Disailit' st!dies teaches that an ass!med ale od' is cr!cial to the smooth operation of
traditional theories of democrac', citi"enship, s!1ectivit', ea!t', and capital# =' ass!min% that
the normative h!man is an ale-odied ad!lt, for example, liberal theory can conflate political
or economic interests with desires, political representation with havin% a voice in policy-
ma"ing, social or%ani"ation with vol!ntar' association, and so on# Lieral theor' nat!rali"es the
political ' ma8in% it persona l# And the @personC at the center of the traditional lieral theor' is
not simpl' an individ!al foc!s of s!1ectivit' (however ps'cholo%icall' fra%mented, incoherent,
or tro!led)# <e is an ale-odied foc!s of s!1ectivit', one whose !ns8illed laor ma' e
s!stit!ted freel' for the laor of other s!ch individ!als, one who can ima%ine himself lar%el'
self-s!fficient eca!se almost ever'thin% conspires to help him ta8e his enalin% od' for
%ranted (even when he is scramlin% for the means of s!sistence)# #owever$ the mere
possibility of a severely cognitively disabled ad!lt citizen disrupts the liberal e%uations of
representation and voice$ desire and interest. Advocac' for the severel' co%nitivel' disaled
is not a matter of voicin% their demands# 6ore %enerall', the intricate practical dialectics of
dependence and independence in the lives of man' disaled people !nsettle ideals of social
or%ani"ation as freel' chosen expressions of m!t!al desire#
!bleism privileges normative conceptions of embodiment
4owle' ;91; (Danielle, @Life Eritin%, Resistance, and the Politics of
Representation,
httpBFFm!se#1h!#ed!F1o!rnalsF1o!rnalGofGliterar'GandGc!lt!ralGdisailit'Gst!diesFv9
96F6#1#cowle'#htmlaccessed +F*F1;, sl)
4lare(s poetic narrative draws o!r attention to the c!lt!ral model of aleism (Linton 9)#
Aleism privile%es the normative od' at the same time that it misrepresents the disaled
od'# 2t is %ro!nded in notions of normalc' and center s . And Pa%e **0 the nondisaled
experience and od' while rele%atin% people with disailities to the mar%ins as dependent
and wea8# >ormalc' emer%ed in the nineteenth cent!r', coincidin% with ind!striali"ation , the
development of statistics, eliefs of scientific pro%ress, and the irth of the e!%enics
movement (Davis H)# Eith the emer%ence of normalc', variation from an ideolo%ical norm is
considered deviant or anormal (H)# As a res!lt, odies, actions, and wa's of ein% or doin%
that conform to dominant societ'(s !nderstandin% of normalc' are afforded c!lt!ral capital
and a privile%ed stat!s (Linton ;H)#
$he constr!ction of normalc' rin%s ao!t severe implications for people with disailities #
Accordin% to Lennard Davis, a he%emonic idea of the od' (*) was estalished thro!%h
normal c!rves, classification s'mols, and strict definitions of what constit!tes a normal
od'# $he normal od' is defined as an ale-od' conformin% to Eestern standards of
ea!t', fitness, stren%th, independence, and intelli%enc e (Iarland-$homson *)# 4lare
descries this mar%inali"ation of disaled odies as acts of thiever' (3,tolen =odies,3 D6D)#
$he odies of mar%inali"ed individ!als are stolen thro!%h ass!mptions, iases, pre1!dice,
media representations, film, and so on# $hiever' occ!rs thro!%h explicit acts of oppression,
s!ch as la!%hter, stares, or hatef!l remar8s# 2t also occ!rs thro!%h the s'stemic wa's in
which vario!s instit!tions, incl!din% ed!cation, the media, and % overnment fi%!rativel',
sociall', and %eo%raphicall' se%re%ate people with disailities and den' them a worth' and
competent stat!s#
he eugenic gaze cast by our relationship to disability culminates in the
genocidal impulse & the institutional spaces of exclusion epitomized
by ''!()* N+,-./.0''' legitimize state-sponsored violence.
<!%hes, ;99; (=ill, Professor of ,ocial Polic' at the Jniversit' Ilas%ow,
Disailit' ,t!dies, p# 69-6;)
$he dominant framewor8 for !nderstandin% disailit' in the modern period has een the
medical model# &rom the earl' nineteenth cent!r' onwards, iomedicine le%itimated the
view that ioph'sical Kanormalit'L or KmaladaptationL leads to, or is the ca!se of, social
Kanormalit'L or Kmaladaptation#L 2n other words, to e defined as a Kflawed od'L is
sim!ltaneo!sl' to e defined as incapale of ade)!ate social participation # $he
corporeali"ation of disailit' meant, in practical terms, the se%re%ation of those so laeled#
$he lo%ic of the medical model r!ns from dia%nosis to social response# 2n ca!sal terms,
there seem to e three lin8ed elements in the chainB impairment leads to disailit', which in
t!rn leads to confinement or Kinstit!tionali"ationL# $he social respond to the KflawedL od'
partic!larl' in the nineteenth cent!r' M was anthropoemic# $his concept refers to the
exp!lsion or exile of alien persons# $he ?ictorian penchant for excl!din% people from social
participation on the %ro!nd of what toda' mi%ht e called KdifferenceL was s!mmed !p '
&o!ca!ltLs (1969) notion of the K%reat confinement#L $he se%re%ation associated with
confinement was not onl' e)!ivalent to a c!stodial sentence M often for life M !t was also
the sentence of a Ksocial death,L which was M in itself a sort of tacit le%itimation for the denial
of h!man ri%hts and the application of oppressive practices o f care (=arnes 1999)# hese
institutional spaces of exclusion , into which disaled people were cast, were , after all,
1civilized2 by medical jurisdiction # $he ver' a!thorit' that had o1ectified disaled people
' red!cin% them to their impairments now had the opport!nit' to define disaled peopleLs
needs and, in man' cases, act in locl parentis. .contin!es0 $he medical model of disailit' is,
and has een, stron%l' associated with the potentiall' reactionar', theme that Kiolo%' is
destin',L and is emedded in pop!lar c!lt!re ' the Knat!rali"ationL of the view that nat!ral
aptit!des determine life chances# >!rt!re is ca!sall' impotent in the social world, it is nat!ral
endowment that is the most efficacio!s variale# At its worst, in the nineteenth cent!r', the
medicali"ation of disailit' dovetailed with what &o!ca!lt called the Kracisms of the state2
(19+9B NH), with the Darwinist and e!%enicist perspectives which promised to cleanse the
social od' of imp!nit', imperfection, de%enerac' and effectiveness# .contin!es0 $he
concept of KfitnessL was !sed, in s!ch contexts, as a criterion for ma8in% Kh!manit'L M defined
in terms of aesthetic ideals of emodiment M into a relative term# 6odernit' is riddled with
s!ch e!%enic conceptions of social h'%iene# $he' are ased on the view that disaled
people are either K!nfitL to e in societ' or to reprod!ce# $he e!%enic %a"e proposes
collective sol!tions to the contaminant that disaled odies represent , !t does not propose
collectivist explanations# 2t is imprisoned in the repertoire of socio-iolo%' and social
Darwinism, and treats disailit' as an error of nat!re that sho!ld e ri%hted# Ehen wedded
to a ri%id concept of heredit', iolo%ical red!ctionism ma' at its worst translate into a
politics of genocide#
Current societal norms have led to an effective genocide against people
with disability through the pseudoscience of *ugenics & this
genocide is not merely a prediction$ but an ongoing atrocity
Eilson, ;996 (Daniel 5#, <istor' Department at 6!hlener% 4olle%e, @4!lt!ral
Locations of Disailit'C, ,ocial <istor' of 6edicine, Octoer *,
httpBFFshm#oxford1o!rnals#or%Fc%i FrapidpdfFh8l9N;v1)
2n two chapters on the e!%enics movement, ,n'der and 6itchell Kanal'"e e!%enics as the
he%emonic formation of excl!sionar' practices ased on scientific form!las of devianc'L (p#
+D)# A!%enics, the' contend, !sed the new )!antitative st!dies of normalit' to enforce Kan
aesthetic ideolo%'L (p# ++)# $his so-called science sti%mati"ed certain odil' differences and
those whose odies differed from some norm# $he' point o!t that e!%enicists were %!ilt' of
assertin% that it was individ!als who needed fixin% rather than the social and c!lt!ral
environments# $he a!thors also critici"e e!%enics for !sin% disaled odies to learn more
ao!t h!man iolo%', for patholo%i"in% difference, and for excl!din% disaled persons from
f!ll memership in the h!man comm!nit'# $he a!thors appl' a &o!ca!ldian anal'sis to the
wa's in which recent cinema has oth contri!ted to the oppression of the disaled and
challen%ed the c!lt!ral acceptance of disailit' as deviant and in need of normali"ation#
Recent doc!mentaries ' &red Eiseman, the' write, have properl' foc!sed on the Klethal
and r!tal social contextL in which people with disailities have had to live (p# 1*9)# &inall',
,n'der and 6itchell char%e scholars in disailit' st!dies with some of the oppressive
ehaviors the' associate with the e!%enicists# 2n partic!lar, the' assert that scholars
oppress people with disailities thro!%h 3people-ased research practices3 where disaled
individ!als( time, liert', and ener%ies are expended witho!t concern or ade)!ate ca!tion (
(p# 19D)# $he' concl!de with the Kheretical claim that text!all' ased anal'sis is the onl'
asol!te remed' to the exha!stion of people-ased research practicesL (p# ;91)#
*ugenics will result in genocide and the collapse of human genetic
diversity & the impact is extinction.
?a8nin ;996 (,hm!el, Ph#D# in the Philosoph' of Ph'sics, @Racin% DownB
A!%enics and the &!t!re of the <!man ,peciesC, Last 6od >ovemer 16,
samva8#tripod#com Fe!%enics#html)
Does the evol!tionar' process c!lminate in a ein% that transcends its %enetic a%%a%e,
that pro%rams and charts its f!t!re, and that allows its wea8est and sic8est to s!rviveO
,!pplantin% the imperative of the s!rvival of the fittest with a c!lt!rall'-sensitive principle
ma' e the hallmar8 of a s!ccessf!l evol!tion, rather than the e%innin% of an inexorale
decline# $he e!%enics movement t!rns this ar%!ment on its head# $he' accept the premise
that the contri!tion of nat!ral selection to the ma8e!p of f!t!re h!man %enerations is
%lacial and ne%li%ile# =!t the' re1ect the concl!sion that, havin% ridden o!rselves of its
t'rann', we can now let the wea8 and sic8 amon% !s s!rvive and m!ltipl'# Rather, the'
propose to replace nat!ral selection with e!%enics# =!t who, ' which a!thorit', and
accordin% to what %!idelines will administer this man-made c!llin% and decide who is to live
and who is to die, who is to reed and who ma' notO Eh' select ' intelli%ence and not '
co!rtes' or altr!ism or ch!rch-%oin% - or al of them to%etherO 2t is here that e!%enics fails
miseral'# ,ho!ld the criterion e ph'sical, li8e in ancient ,partaO ,ho!ld it e mentalO
,ho!ld 2P determine one(s fate - or social stat!s or wealthO Different answers 'ield
disparate e!%enic pro%rams and tar%et dissimilar %ro!ps in the pop!lation# Aren(t e!%enic
criteria liale to e !nd!l' infl!enced ' fashion and c!lt!ral ias O 4an we a%ree on a
!niversal e!%enic a%enda in a world as ethnicall' and c!lt!rall' diverse as o!rsO 2f we do
%et it wron% - and the chances are overwhelmin% - will we not dama%e o!r %ene pool
irreparal' and, with it, the f!t!re of o!r speciesO And even if man' will avoid a slipper'
slope leadin% from e!%enics to active extermination of 3inferior3 %ro!ps in the %eneral
pop!latio n - can we %!arantee that ever'one will O <ow to prevent e!%enics from ein%
appropriated ' an intr!sive, a!thoritarian, or even m!rdero!s stateO 6odern e!%enicists
distance themselves from the cr!de methods adopted at the e%innin% of the last cent!r' '
;9 co!ntries, incl!din% Ierman', $he Jnited ,tates, 4anada, ,wit"erland, A!stria,
?ene"!ela, Astonia, Ar%entina, >orwa', Denmar8, ,weden (!ntil 19+6), =ra"il, 2tal',
Ireece, and ,pain# $he' tal8 ao!t free contraceptives for low-2P women, vasectomies or
t!al li%ations for criminals, sperm an8s with contri!tions from hi%h achievers, and
incentives for colle%e st!dents to procreate# 6odern %enetic en%ineerin% and iotechnolo%'
are readil' applicale to e!%enic pro1ects# 4lonin% can serve to preserve the %enes of the
fittest# Amr'o selection and prenatal dia%nosis of %eneticall' diseased emr'os can red!ce
the n!mer of the !nfit# =!t even these innoc!o!s variants of e!%enics fl' in the face of
lieralism# 2ne)!alit', claim the proponents of hereditar' amelioration, is %enetic, not
environmental# All men are created !ne)!al and as m!ch s!1ect to the nat!ral laws of
heredit' as are cows and ees# 2nferior people %ive irth to inferior offsprin% and, th!s,
propa%ate their inferiorit'# Aven if this were tr!e - which is at est deatale - the )!estion is
whether the inferior specimen of o!r species possess the inalienale ri%ht to reprod!ceO 2f
societ' is to ear the costs of over-pop!lation - social welfare, medical care, da'care
centers - then societ' has the ri%ht to re%!late procreation# =!t does it have the ri%ht to act
discriminatel' in doin% soO Another dilemma is whether we have the moral ri%ht - let alone
the necessar' 8nowled%e - to interfere with nat!ral as well as social and demo%raphic
trends# A!%enicists co!nter that contraception and indiscriminate medicine alread' do 1!st
that# 7et, st!dies show that the more affl!ent and ed!cated a pop!lation ecomes - the less
fec!nd it is# =irth rates thro!%ho!t the world have dropped dramaticall' alread'# 2nstead of
c!llin% the %reat !nwashed and the !nworth' - wo!ldn(t it e a etter idea to ed!cate them
(or their off-sprin%) and provide them with economic opport!nities (e!thenics rather than
e!%enics)O <!man pop!lations seem to self-re%!late# A %entle and persistent n!d%e in the
ri%ht direction - of increased affl!ence and etter schoolin% - mi%ht achieve more than a
h!ndred e!%enic pro%rams, vol!ntar' or comp!lsor'# $hat e!%enics presents itself not
merel' as a iolo%ical-social a%enda, !t as a panacea, o!%ht to aro!se s!spicion# $he
t'pical e!%enics text reads more li8e a catechism than a reasoned ar%!ment# Previo!s all-
encompassin% and omnicompetent plans tended to end tra!maticall' - especiall' when the'
contrasted a h!man elite with a dispensale !nderclass of persons# Aove all, e!%enics is
ao!t h!man h!ris# $o pres!me to 8now etter than the lotter' of life is ha!%ht'# 6odern
medicine lar%el' oviates the need for e!%enics in that it allows even %eneticall' defective
people to lead prett' normal lives# Of co!rse, 6an himself - ein% part of >at!re - ma' e
re%arded as nothin% more than an a%ent of nat!ral selection# ,till, man' of the ar%!ments
advanced in favor of e!%enics can e t!rned a%ainst it with emarrassin% ease# 4onsider
sic8 children# $r!e, the' are a !rden to societ' and a proale menace to the %ene pool of
the species# =!t the' also inhiit f!rther reprod!ction in their famil' ' cons!min% the
financial and mental reso!rces of the parents# $heir %enes - however flawed - contri!te to
%enetic diversit'# Aven a adl' m!tated phenot'pe sometimes 'ields precio!s scientific
8nowled%e and an interestin% %enot'pe# $he implicit Eeltild of e!%enics is static - !t the
real world is d'namic# $here is no s!ch thin% as a 3correct3 %enetic ma8e!p towards which
we m!st all strive# A comination of %enes ma' e perfectl' adaptale to one environment -
!t woef!ll' inade)!ate in another# 2t is therefore pr!dent to enco!ra%e %enetic diversit' or
pol'morphism# $he more rapidl' the world chan%es, the %reater the val!e of m!tations of all
sorts# One never 8nows whether toda'(s maladaptation will not prove to e tomorrow(s
winner# Acos'stems are invarial' comprised of niches and different %enes - even m!tated
ones - ma' fit different niches# 2n the 1*th cent!r' most peppered moths in =ritain were
silver' %ra', indistin%!ishale from lichen-covered tr!n8s of silver irches - their haitat#
Dar8er moths were %oled !p ' rapacio!s irds# $heir m!tated %enes proved to e lethal#
As soot from spro!tin% factories lac8ened these tr!n8s - the ver' same %enes, hitherto
fatal, ecame an !nmiti%ated lessin%# $he lac8er specimen s!rvived while their hitherto
perfectl' adapted fairer rethren perished (3ind!strial melanism3)# $his mode of nat!ral
selection is called directional# 6oreover, 3ad3 %enes are often connected to 3desirale
%enes3 (pleitrop')# ,ic8le cell anemia protects certain African tries a%ainst malaria# $his is
called 3diversif'in% or disr!ptive nat!ral selection 3# Artificial selection can th!s fast
deteriorate into adverse selection d!e to i%norance# 6odern e!%enics relies on statistics# 2t
is no lon%er concerned with ca!ses - !t with phenomena and the li8el' effects of
intervention# 2f the adverse traits of off-sprin% and parents are stron%l' correlated - then
preventin% parents with certain !ndesirale )!alities from m!ltipl'in% will s!rel' red!ce the
incidence of said dispositions in the %eneral pop!lation# 7et, correlation does not necessaril'
impl' ca!sation# $he manip!lation of one parameter of the correlation does not inevital'
alter it - or the incidence of the o!tcome# A!%enicists often har8 ac8 to wisdom %arnered '
%enerations of reeders and farmers# =!t the !ne)!ivocal lesson of tho!sands of 'ears of
artificial selection is that cross-reedin% (h'ridi"ation) - even of two lines of inferior %enetic
stoc8 - 'ields val!ale %enot'pes# 2nter-marria%e etween races, %ro!ps in the pop!lation,
ethnic %ro!ps, and clans is th!s o!nd to improve the species( chances of s!rvival more
than an' e!%enic scheme#
he alternative is to celebrate collective solidarity. his new form of ethics
causes new forms of activism and is "ey to recognizing violence
against people with disablity in our everyday lives.
Ioodle' 11 (Dan and Qatherine, no f!ll date %iven, ,ociolo%' of <ealth and
2llness, 3$he violence of disalism,3 DDBH, p# 61H-61N, A=,4Ohost <ealth ,o!rce
>!rsin% Academic Adition)
O!r anal'sis has tra%icall' revealed a propensit' for violence a%ainst disaled children
in%rained in the relationships, instit!tions and c!lt!ral acts of o!r time# Ee worr' that as
contemporar' economic conditions increase feelin%s of stress, disempowerment and
povert' then these socio-economic conditions ma' well increase the violence of disalism#
$o tac8le this violence means not simpl' tar%etin% those few Kevil so!lsL responsile for hate
crimes a%ainst disaled peopl e !t deconstr!ctin% and reformin% the ver' c!lt!ral norms
that le%itimise violence a%ainst disaled people in the first place # RS i"S e8 (;99*) offers !s
some hope for s!vertin% this c!lt!re of violence# A 8e' contri!tion lies in exposin% the
emptiness of a c!lt!re in which disaled children and their families contin!e to e
disavowed# RS i"S e8 calls for a new ethics , followin% Levinas, of K abandoning the claim to
sameness that underlies universality$ and replacing it with a respect for otherness 2 (RS
i"S e8 ;99*B H+)# 2nstead, we needB T to celebrate collective solidarity$ connection$
responsibility for dependent others $ duty to respect the customs of one2s community M
instead of Eestern 4apitalist c!lt!reLs val!in% of a!tonom' and lieral freedom (RS i"S e8
;99*B 1;D hese ethics can feed directly into disability activism , forms of ed!cation,
health and social welfare and professional practice, which collectivel' wor8 to%ether to
reduce violence against disabled people# $his vision resonates with an ideal proposed '
&in8elstein (1999a, 1999) in his notion of the profession allied to the comm!nit' (PA4)# 2n
contrast to professions allied to medicine, PA4s refer to services and professionals that
respond to and are led ' the aspirations of disaled people and their representative
or%anisations# Developin% a PA4 co!ld rin% into a prod!ction a Kvir%in field of theor' and
practice thro!%h which professionals are re-en%a%ed with the aspirations of disaled peopleL
(&in8elstein 1999B D)# $his vir%in field incorporates ideas from critical disailit' st!dies and
demands professionals invest less time in patholo%ical views of impairment (s!ch as
nat!rall' associatin% challen%in% ehavio!r with intellect!al disailities), and more time in
challen%in% the conditions of disalism (incl!din% violence)# $his field wo!ld re)!ire
professionals, for example, to address their own acts of ps'choemotional disalism and
disavowal which !nderpin the !nderstandin%s the' hold of the people the' are paid to
enale# $he PA4 t!rns the %a"e ac8 at the potential or pitfalls of relational, s'stemic and
c!lt!ral responses to disailit'#T $he real prolem of disalism is, li8e most forms of ideolo%',
that the s!1ective positions of c!lt!ral actors remain !nto!ched (RS i"S e8 ;99*B *N)#
Attendin% to the c!lt!ral, s'stemic, ps'choemotional and real elements of the violence of
disalism ens!res that we ecome more in t!ne with the ever'da' conditions of excl!sion
that lead, time and time a%ain, to the ontolo%ical, c!lt!ral, comm!nit' and ph'sical excl!sion
of disaled children and their families# $his mi%ht lead !s to connect, respect and show
solidarit' with disaled c hildren as we all fi%ht for a non-violent life #
!lt is a prere%uisite to the aff2s impact & +nly interrogating ableism can
solve all their impacts
Eolrin% + (Ire%or, memer of the 4enter for >anotechnolo%' and ,ociet' at
Ari"ona ,tate Jniversit', 2nnovation Eatch, @>=24,, Other 4onver%ences,
Aleism and the 4!lt!re of Peace,C April 1N, ;99+, httpBFFwww#innovationwatch-
archive#comFchoiceis'o!rsFchoiceis'o!rs-;99+-9H-1N#htm, accessed +F9F1;)
Eill the report and lan%!a%e of the c!lt!re of peace move people to intervene in the
nanoscale science and technolo%' arms and militar' prod!cts race that is alread'
developin%O (H) ,o far, policies aro!nd new and emer%in% technolo%ies have failed to
estalish a c!lt!re of peace, povert' red!ction, s!stainale development, and dialo%!e
amon% civili"ations# Eh' is thatOT 2 thin8 aleism is at the root of or at least is a ma1or
contri!tin% factor to wh' we do not ma8e m!ch pro%ress in these domains# 6an' KismsL
conver%e in the concept of aleism, and one has to deal with aleism if one wants to
achieve amon% other thin% s a c!lt!re of peace , povert' red!ction, a etter sit!ation in low
income co!ntries, e)!it' and e)!alit' for women and other mar%inali"ed %ro!ps, s!stainale
development , and a dialo%!e amon% civili"ations #T $he 4onver%ence 4oncept of AleismT
Aleism is a set of eliefs, processes and practices that prod!ce -- ased on o!r ailities --
a partic!lar !nderstandin% of o!rselves, o!r od', and o!r relationship with others of o!r
species, other species, and o!r environment# 2t incl!des ein% 1!d%ed ' others# Aleism
exhiits a favo!ritism for certain ailities that are pro1ected as essential while laellin% real
or perceived deviations from (or lac8 of) these KessentialL ailities as a diminished state# $his
leads or contri!tes to the 1!stification of a variet' of other isms (N-+)#T Aver' ism has two
componentsB somethin% we cherish and somethin% we do not# $he first, second or oth
parts ma' e emphasi"ed#T A leism reflects the sentiment of certain social %ro!ps and social
str!ct!res to cherish and promote certain ailities s!ch as prod!ctivit' and competitiveness
over others s!ch as empath', compassion and 8indness (favo!ritism of ailities) (N-+)#
Aleism and favo!ritism of certain ailities is rampant toda' and thro!%ho!t histor'# A leism
shaped and contin!es to shape areas s!ch as h!man sec!rit' (D) and social cohesion (*),
social policies, relationships amon% social %ro!ps and etween individ!als and co!ntries ,
and relationships etween h!mans and non-h!mans, and h!mans and their environment #(6)
Aleism is one of the most societall' entrenched and accepted isms and one of the i%%est
enalers for other isms (e#%# nationalism, speciesism, sexism, racism, anti-
environmentalism, cons!merism, IDPism, s!periorit'-ismU#)# Aleism related to
prod!ctivit' and economic competitiveness is the asis !pon which man' societies are
1!d%ed, and it is often seen as a prere)!isite for pro%ress#T $he direction and %overnance of
science and technolo%' and different forms of aleism have alwa's een inter-related#T
Aleism will ecome more prevalent and severe with the anticipated ailit' of new and
emer%in% sciences and technolo%iesBT to %enerate h!man odil' enhancements in man'
shapes and forms with an accompan'in% ailit' divide and the appearance of the external
and internal techno poor disaled: (N)T to %enerate, modif' and enhance non-h!man life
forms:T to separate co%nitive f!nctionin% from the h!man od': andT to modif' h!mans to
deal with the aftermath of anti-environmentalism#T Ee can alread' oserve a chan%in%
perception of o!rselves, o!r od', and o!r relationships with others of o!r species, other
species and o!r environment# >ew forms of aleism are now appearin% which are often
presented as a sol!tion to the conse)!ences of other aleism ased isms
(transh!mani"ation of aleism, for example) (N:6)# $he co%nitive enhancement of animals is
now seen ' some as a wa' to eliminate certain forms of speciesism# (;) $ransh!mani"ation
of the h!man od' ma' e seen as a sol!tion for copin% with the climate chan%e# $his co!ld
ecome pop!lar if we reach a point where the severe conse)!ences of climate chan%e can
no lon%er e prevented#T $he 4hoice is 7o!rsT 5!d%ment ased on ailities is so in%rained in
ever' c!lt!re that its !se for excl!sionar' or otherwise ne%ative p!rposes is seldom
)!estioned or even reco%ni"ed# 2n fact, %ro!ps who are mar%inali"ed d!e to some form of
aleism often !se that ver' sentiment to demand a chan%e in stat!s (we are as ale as 'o!
are: we can e as ale as 'o! are with accommodations)#T Dealin% with aleism is essential
if we want to diminish, reverse, or preven t the conflict that ma' res!lt from the disr!ptive
potential of man' nanoscale science and technolo%' prod!cts# Eitho!t dealin% with the
tenets of aleism one can not achieve povert' red!ction: peace: etter livin% standards
(especiall' for traditionall' excl!ded se%ments of the pop!lation): empowerment of people:
dialo%!e amon% civili"ations: dialo%!e and inte%ration of mainstream science with
traditional, local and indi%eno!s sciences of diverse c!lt!res: diversit': s!stainailit': and
distri!tive 1!stice# Eitho!t tac8lin% aleism, no real and d!rale s!stainale e)!it' and
e)!alit' for an' co!ntr', %ro!p, or individ!al will e achieved#
he judge should prefer ableism first. .t is marginalized and not recognized
in the spheres of policyma"ing and everyday life. People do not care
about the disabled other. /ote neg as a first step people to no longer
marginalize and otherize people who are bodily different then the
majority.