Steven Sarafian
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Perhaps you have not seen this? http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/04/09/the-right-to-kill-brazil-infanticide/ (A 'backwoods' culture of killing handicapped children isn't just fiction, unfortunately.)
Lois McMaster Bujold
I had not seen this, but the practices it discusses are by no means unusual, especially across history. (And prehistory, though that's harder to suss out.) Look up the infanticide practices of the Romans and Greeks, if you want something closer to home. I don't know if anyone has done work on the practices of the Teutonic tribes, but I'd expect something similar, or in any culture that is periodically or routinely thrust to the edge of survival.
Selective infanticide is the historical norm. Saving such children is new, and largely a consequence of advances in technology and the economy. (As a rule of thumb, people tend to embrace the moralities they can afford.)
Ta, L.
I had not seen this, but the practices it discusses are by no means unusual, especially across history. (And prehistory, though that's harder to suss out.) Look up the infanticide practices of the Romans and Greeks, if you want something closer to home. I don't know if anyone has done work on the practices of the Teutonic tribes, but I'd expect something similar, or in any culture that is periodically or routinely thrust to the edge of survival.
Selective infanticide is the historical norm. Saving such children is new, and largely a consequence of advances in technology and the economy. (As a rule of thumb, people tend to embrace the moralities they can afford.)
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Patri Friedman
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Has someone else taken over the SoftWear authorized merchandise (http://www.softwear-tnt.com/loisbujold.html) since they seem to no longer be active? "Bharaputra Laboratories", "Koudelka All-Blonde Commando Team", "Barrayaran Imperial Military Academy", etc, I would love to purchase some of these items.
Kate Davenport
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Just finished the Assassins of Thasalon. Thank you! It made me wonder. Pen and Des are remarkably compatible, and in Prisoner of Limnos we saw that Pen can control Des at need, even over her objections. But there must be times that they are at odds. How do you think they handle the fact that they just can't get away from each other?
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