So, technology has become available to enhance human abilities, legislators and the public want to make sure people cannot use this to their advantage. If someone applies these enhancements later in life, the difference between them and normal people is like the difference between a normal person and someone who has been crippled, at the upper limit of technology. If they were a genetically enhanced baby, the difference between them and a normal person is like the difference between a normal person and someone who suffers from Down's syndrome, at the upper limit of technology.
The laws vary by country, but here is some of the general details:
- Nearly all the laws have an exception for enhancements that reduce the risk of disease, although there is usually an exception to that exceptions for diseases that happen with near certainty, like aging. Enhancements to allow humans to preform tasks that would normally be fatal to regular humans, like the ability to work directly with radioactive waste without a risk for cancer, are an exception.
- Many countries have laws preventing employers from favoring enhanced humans, a kind of reversed disability protection.
- Most countries have laws preventing insurance companies from favoring enhanced humans.
- Some countries impose higher taxes on enhanced humans, similar to how rich people pay higher taxes.
- Nearly all countries outright outlaw certain enhancements, particularly ones that give immense advantages, such as increasing IQ by 15 points, doubling strength, or improving senses enough to hear and see through most walls.
However, these laws are causing problems for the countries that implement them.
- There a couple of "enhancement haven" countries, which have virtually no laws regarding enhancements. Enhanced humans or humans who want to be enhanced migrate in large numbers to these havens. This in turn gives those havens a strong economic and military advantage. This is especially true of intelligence enhancements, since many services having to with intelligence can be done over the internet. Strength and sensory enhancements help in military situations, as well as the intelligence ones. Luckily, 99% of politicians and people are officially opposed to these havens, and 85% are actually opposed. However, reality is not democratic, so wishing them away is not a solution.
- Some countries tried imposing import controls or tariffs on goods and services produced by foreign enhanced humans. However, this caused them some economic harm and strained foreign relations. Even worse, it often causes a black market for these goods and services. Additionally, enhanced humans will often try shifting the goods and services between multiple countries and jurisdictions, to either hid their origin, or exploit a loop hole in the laws.
- Some countries also tried imposing sanctions on the enhancement havens, but these led to the countries to just start hiding the enhanced human activities. They would pass laws banning enhancement advantages, but then not enforce them.
- Even within their borders, black markets for enhanced human labor have sprung up, with companies and the enhanced humans secretly breaking the laws for the purposes of profit. Sometimes enhanced humans would even try to hide their enhancements.
This obviously is a large burden and problem for the countries that want to ban the enhancement advantages. Being economically and militarily weakened is obviously a problem, one that can compound over time. Moreover, enforcement is proving to be a challenge, and a burden on the police.
What can these countries do to keep to successfully achieve this ban, and not fall behind by doing so?