Gene therapy for genetic disorders and plastic surgery for disfigurement should obviously be free.

However, even in a socialist world, discrimination based on attractiveness (lookism/pretty privilege) and height (heightism) would still be genuine concerns, as they are due to base human instincts around health and strength. Research shows that people who are considered ‘unattractive’ or ‘short’ face genuine disadvantages in society.

How should this be dealt with? If plastic surgery and designer babies were made free as a possible solution, the state would certainly be overwhelmed with requests, so that can’t be a good option.

Also, how should plastic surgery and designer babies be handled in general? For instance, intelligence has a significant genetic component, and making genetic intelligence enhancement open to all would greatly benefit any nation with the resources to do so.

Edit: To those downvoting, I’m not trying to suggest that these are good solutions. These are simply the only solutions I could come up with if we do remain in a capitalist world. I want to hear suggestions for how we should solve the problems I mentioned in a socialist world without needing everyone to undergo invasive surgery.

  • pigginz@lemmygrad.ml
    2·
    1 year ago

    I challenge the idea that “discrimination based on attractiveness and height” would necessarily be a thing in a socialist society. Is the socialist state going to be rigorously maintaining and pushing western beauty standards once the profit motives and corporations that currently do so are gone? Why would it do so? What does the proletariat have to gain by dividing and fracturing itself according to arbitrary standards of appearance?

    Standards of beauty are a cultural thing, and culture is malleable. If the material motivations for classifying and discriminating against groups of people are gone, then any remaining remnants of dangerous and discriminatory ideology should be substantially easier to isolate and combat.

    • Ronin_5@lemmygrad.ml
      2·
      1 year ago

      Any society will have vestigial elements of the past societies even after revolution.

      Beauty standards in a future socialist society will be from leftovers of our current society. This is something that will exist and its contrary elements will need to be resolved. It won’t go away by itself.

      Similar to how Castro made racism illegal and thought it was resolved, but then years later he had to admit its a lot harder to deal with than that.

      • pigginz@lemmygrad.ml
        2·
        1 year ago

        Yes, but my point is more that it can be dealt with, it’s a relic of the old world that doesn’t have to survive. A demand for excessive plastic surgery and genetically pure babies are not likely to be a thing, long-term, in a socialist society.

        Maybe I misunderstood the OP, but I guess I’m trying to say that socialism itself - insofar as it abolishes the old systems of capitalism and inequality - already is the solution for most of those problems, I don’t think outlandish medical procedures and genetic engineering for the masses need to be part of the conversation.

        Like you said, reconciliation and understanding.

        Edit: to be clear I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment, I think I probably should have replied to the thread instead of to your comment.