244 Chapter 10
Interestingly,Watsonwasproudlysocialistbackwhenhe co-discoveredthe double
helix.But he presentlystatesthat the scurrilousequivocationbetweengovernisteugenics
andLockeanreprogenetics—as wellas the PC activistssmears’ againstE. O. Wilsonfor
writingSociobiology—haveultimately“turnedme awayfromthe left.”^69 Moreover,Wat-
son hadpubliclydescribedhimselfas a libertarian,^70 thoughhis continuedadvocacyof
tax fundingfor scientificresearchbeliesthat label.^71
EdwinBlackis correctin one aspect.Inasmuchas the free marketis permittedto exist
in it, a futureAmericamaybe populatedby entrepreneurialfertilitydoctorswho—for a
price—willprovidecouplesthe serviceof applyingin-vitrofertilizationtechniquesand
bioengineeringto modifytheirchildren’s DNAat the prenatalstage.The prenatalmodifi-
cationswillrenderthe childrenstronger,quicker-witted,andhealthierthantheyother-
wisewouldturnout.Regrettably,Blackflubsin his assumptionthatsuchserviceswill
exacerbatesocialstratificationby fosteringa wealthy,geneticallyenhancedover-classthat
towersabovea low-income,geneticallyinferiorunderclass.An entrepreneurcan increase
his profitsby wideninghis customerbase,whichusuallyrequiresthat he sell his product
or serviceto variedeconomicclasses,ratherthanexclusivelyto the rich.WhenHenry
Fordintroducedthe ModelT in 1908,the averagepriceof an automobilewas greaterthan
that of the averagehousebeingsoldin the UnitedKingdom—threethousandU.S.dollars.
Onlythe well-heeledcouldaffordmotorcars.But withineightyearsFordreducedthe
averagepriceof an autoby morethanhalf.^72 An automobilecouldbe boughtin the USA
in 1915for 850 dollars^73 andthenfor 350 dollarsin 1924.^74 Fordbecamea billionaireby
adoptingeconomiesof scaleto crafta productcheapenoughfor the middleclassto
afford.“Doesanyone,” writesAndrewW. Mellon,“questionthatMr.Fordhas made
moremoneyby reducingthe priceof his car and increasinghis salesthanhe wouldhave
madeby maintaininga highpriceanda greaterprofitper car,” but by sellingfewer
cars?^75
Thisruleappliesto casesof modernmedicine.At one pointin history,no one but the
wealthycouldaffordplasticsurgeryandLASIKeye surgery.Recently,technological
innovationshaveloweredcostsfor surgeonsto suchan extentthat thesesurgeriesbecame
affordableto the middleclass.^76 Themajorreasonfor the dropin priceis thathealth
insuranceplansseldompay for thesesurgeries.Thatgivescost-consciouspatientsmore
of an impetusto shopaccordingto price,andalsomoreincentivefor surgeonsto slash
theirpriceswhilemaintainingqualityservice.In 1999,a fewyearssubsequentto the
adventof LASIKeye surgery,the procedurewaspricedat 2,100dollarsper eye.Soon
afterwardthe priceloweredto 1,600dollarseach.From 2001 to 2007,the priceof the
procedureper eye fell 20 percent.^77 Alsoof note,the inflation-and quality-adjustedprice
of treatmentsfor heartattackshas droppedat a rate of 1 percenteveryyearfrom 1983 to
1994.^78 A similarpricingtrendhas beenfoundwithrespectto cataractsurgery.^79
Mostlikely,reprogeneticserviceswill be expensivein the beginning.Wheneconomies
of scaleandtechnologicalimprovementslowerthe costof conferringreprogeneticser-
vices,moreandmoremiddle-classpersonswillbe ableto procuresuchservices.This
especiallyappliesif thisindustryis left alonein a freemarket,not tax-subsidizedby
socializedhealthinsurance.Thus,the increasedsocialstratificationBlackpronounces
inevitablewouldbe improbablein a nightwatchmanstate.Therewouldnot be a single
wealthyGenRichMasterRacefar abovea geneticallyinferior,low-incomeGenPoor.
Therewouldbe a widespectrumof differentstrataof incomelevelsand geneticenhance-
mentlevels,just as contemporaryAmericacurrentlyhas varyingincomebrackets.Com-
mensuratewiththe USA’s statusas hometo a burgeoningfinancialmiddleclass,the
futureholdsbotha giganticfinancialmiddleclassand a largergeneticmiddleclass.
An attitudetowardgeneticengineeringmuchhealthierthanEdwinBlack’s wasdis-
playedby the actorChristopherReeve(1952–2004)in the finalyearsof his life.Upon