[extropy-chat] Stem cell breakthrough claims

[Amara Graps]

"Brett Paatsch" <bpaatsch at bigpond.net.au>
>It know that it is not your imagination, Italy IS especially
>tough with respect to its ART laws.  If I was a woman seeking to
>make use of ART

The ART laws do not only go against this small part of the
population.. I would say it is against the Italian women in general,
and in a larger sense against those in the society who wish to make
their own choices for their families and future.

>and I could leave Italy I would.

This government is against immigrants and science, the
ART laws is yet another barrier for me (there are lessons here
for the direction that the Bush administration is moving, have you
noticed?), so I'm thinking alot. The Italian government's stance
on most things of what I would consider 'normal life' is rather
extreme compared to other western countries that I know, and it
is clear (to me) how the government cripples the country. Why
can't the government change or the people change their
government? I've never met any Italian in the 2.5 years I've
lived here, who _likes_ Berlusconi and what his government is
doing. Who voted him in office?

The Referendum next month is a major undertaking by people angry
about this government;  it is unusual for so many people to work
together in a legal framework (millions of signatures were
necessary) to try to overturn a set of laws. Unfortunately, even
a large result of 'Yes (overturn the 1..4 laws)', might not be enough.
The next dirty trick of Berlusconi and his party might be to
declare the results of the next month's Referendum invalid because
it didn't garner more than 50% of the vote. You see they are
encouraging many people who are afraid to simply _not vote_,
instead of voting  'No (keep the 1..4 laws)'.

Amara

-- 

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Amara Graps, PhD          email: amara at amara.com
Computational Physics     vita:  ftp://ftp.amara.com/pub/resume.txt
Multiplex Answers         URL:   http://www.amara.com/
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"Stupidity got us into this mess, so why can't it get us out?"
  -- Will Rogers