Friday 4 March 2011

I Wish I Could Say You Won’t Find Ninety Thousand Mothers…

…willing to let their kids be part of this, but the sad thing is, I’m sure they will:
Ninety thousand babies and their families will be studied from the cradle to the grave in a landmark research project to measure health and happiness.

Pregnant mothers will be approached next year to enter their unborn babies in the study, which will also track ‘social mobility’ in later life.
Just the mothers? Anyone plan to ask the fathers too?

Still, if it’s non-invasive, what’s the har…

Oh:
They will also collect blood samples to examine levels of vitamins and minerals.
How frequently?

And can I just suggest that the sort of parent that would offer up their child to the government to be poked, prodded, questioned and sampled for the rest of its life is precisely the sort that shouldn’t be having kids in the first place?

Interestingly, I wonder what happens when that child comes of age and says ‘Actually, I don’t consent to this!’..?

Oh, and remember all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the budget crisis, and how hard choices have to be made?

Well, guess who’s paying?
A new giant research centre will be established to hold the data and study educational and career achievements, as well as monitor health developments.
That’s right! YOU are:
The project will cost £33.5 million to run for the first year, with £28.5 million coming from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and rest coming from the Economic and Research Council and Medical Research Council.
That’d pay for a few libraries and lollipop ladies, wouldn’t it?

6 comments:

KevinWard76 said...

Just wait until it's a hailed a 'success' and expanded… all in the name of research… not a police state… oh no.

Lynne said...

Is it me being cynical or is this just another way to enlarge the DNA database?

Smoking Hot said...

Will the babies be bar-coded, chipped or a serial number tattoed on?

Revolution please

PT said...

Anyone remember the old Moody Blue song that started "I think. I think I am. Therefore I am. I think." Then the machine chimes in: "Of course you are my bright little star. I've miles and miles of files of your forefathers' fruit, and now, to suit our great computer, you're magnetic ink.
It wasn't only Orwell who was prophetic.

Longrider said...

Sinister doesn't even come close to describing this. What sort of parent would even consider consenting? Rhetorical question, there are bound to be plenty of useful idiots out there. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear, right?

JuliaM said...

"Just wait until it's a hailed a 'success' and expanded… all in the name of research..."

Indeed! This is how normalisation starts...

"Is it me being cynical or is this just another way to enlarge the DNA database?"

I'd hope whatever they have to sign specifically excludes this. But then, if you are going to sign your kid up for this, you're probably the sort that likes the idea of a national DNA database anyway.

"Will the babies be bar-coded, chipped or a serial number tattoed on?"

The time to worry is when they install the Lifeclock!

"...there are bound to be plenty of useful idiots out there."

Sadly true.