“A tiny parasitic wasp had invaded several ChickieNobs installations, carrying a modified form of chicken pox, specific to the ChickieNob and fatal to it. The installations had had to be incinerated before the epidemic could be brought under control” (p. 216).
The events in the book occur in a world controlled by giant corporations and struggling for power and dominance. From this perspective, all actions and decisions that might guarantee income and stable revenues are considered appropriate and are viewed by corporations as the possible way to improve their current position. The creation of a parasitic wasp invading ChickieNobes installations and fatal to it can lead to the generation of benefits for corporations which might provide the method to resolve the problem or which might become stronger because of the failure of another one, controlling the creation of this product.
“A new form of the common house mouse addicted to the insulation on electric wiring had overrun Cleveland, causing an unprecedented number of house fires. Control measures were still being tested” (p. 216).
Giant corporations have their compounds which can be described as areas with the infrastructure needed for people to survive, while other individuals, who do not work for these corporations, have to live outside these regions. Creation of a house mouse with unique features and causing fires might result in growing safety concerns and people’s desire to move to such compounds to feel safer, which will bring additional power to corporations.
“Happicuppa coffee bean crops were menaced by a new bean weevil thought to be resistant to all known pesticides” (p. 216).
The story shows that corporations employ various insecurities and weaknesses to sell medicines, various tools, and means to resist new dangers. From the given perspective, the emergence of a new threat such as bean weevil resistant to pesticides will lead to the need for a method to struggle with it, which is motivating for corporations as they can acquire benefits. Moreover, it will lead to the emergence of a competitive advantage if a firm manages to struggle with it.
“A miniature rodent containing elements of both porcupine and beaver had appeared in the northwest, creeping under the hoods of parked vehicles and devastating their fan belts and transmission systems” (p. 216).
The central motivation is to cause the reduction of the population to solve the problem of overpopulation. Corporations might struggle with the growing number of people by causing new accidents and new deaths as people will use broken and unsafe cars. This genetic experiment might also show how to use new opportunities to improve control over populations and attain global dominance. Another motivation is the destruction of comfort and infrastructure peculiar to the existing society.
“A microbe that ate the tar in asphalt had turned several interstate highways to sand. All interstates were on alert and a quarantine belt was now in place” (p. 216).
The motivation for creating this microbe can be the creation of new barriers for free movement between various regions and binding people to specific areas or compounds ruled by corporations. It will lead to better control and help to ensure that the most powerful groups are capable of monitoring the movement of their employees. Additionally, the chance for escape can also be minimized due to the introduction of such measures.
Do you see any similarities in these scenarios?
All these scenarios seem similar because of several aspects. First, they are characterized by interference in the natural processes. Using gene engineering, people interfere with the way animals and other species live. It triggers the development and emergence of dramatic results, such as mass extinction deaths and alterations in the environment. Second, all these actions are made to pursue some personal or corporate goals and increase the power of various corporations or companies. Under these conditions, all these scenarios are similar and are related to the same issue.
Who do you think might be responsible for them?
People possessed by the lust for power and ideas of their supremacy can be considered responsible for all these actions. Trying to make the corporations stronger, and following the idea that they can solve some problems, such as overpopulation, by experimenting with nature, they violate the major ethical concepts and promote the critical deterioration of the environment, destruction of the balance, and the mass extinction of species. The story shows the risky nature of gene engineering and unwise decisions made by corporations with too much influence.