Go Fix All The Other Problems First

I just read a great article on the Guardian about the ethics of contacting isolated tribes in the Amazon. Scientists must let world’s most isolated tribes make own decisions.

There’s a very compelling progressive argument to be made to the contrary. I know because I’ve made it. This idea is, these isolated tribes are not capable of informed consent. Isolated, by definition, means they are ignorant and not informed. They are refusing education, medical care, and food, without anything that could possibly be considered enough information to make that decision. And worse, they are making that decision on behalf of their children as well.

There’s a big flaw with that argument, though, and it’s based on the imperfection of the society we’ve built that they might seek to join. We still have desert compounds without education and urban ghettos without medical care and northern outposts without food.

Instead of asking how much we COULD offer isolated tribes, we need to ask how much we WOULD offer them. Not much, I’d guess.

In the end I guess this follows the same philosophy as my solution to the Kennewick Man and Mauna Loa Telescope issues. Go fix all the other problems, and then circle back around and see if this issue is still as difficult. If it’s still a problem at all, at least the ethical issues will be much more clear cut.

That’s my preferred approach to drug policy, as well. Go fix poverty and mental health care, then see if there are any problems left that can only be blamed on drugs.

Sometimes procrastination might be the best choice.