> This genetics shit is getting sinister in pop culture. The NYT's Amy
> Harmon has now gotten her genome done and she's looking to explain
> her life with it. This level of determinism seems almost un-American.
>
> Doug
Explaining sociostructural factors in terms of individual qualities is essentially American. The rich are rich and the poor are poor because of their individual traits. Using genetics to explain the source of the individual traits provides a nice pseudo-scientific veneer to the individualist ideology. Moreover, it effectively distracts people from the actual social factors that cause poverty, social inequality, and discrimination. If you're a capitalist, what's not to like? I think this falls under andie's "vulgar Marxism explains 90% of everything" dictum.
Miles