We just did a Marketplace radio piece on “The Year in Repugnant Ideas,” and tomorrow we’ll release a podcast on a similar theme. We plan to revisit this theme in future radio shows and on the blog — as long as we don’t run out of repugnant ideas to talk about.
That’s where you come in. Please use the comments section below to tell us about ideas that you (or others) may find repugnant even though they might have a lot of value. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about:
In the Marketplace piece, we discuss the use of human wastewater for crop irrigation; the so-called “death panels”; and new solutions to the shortage in human organs for transplantation.
The podcast mainly focuses on the organ question, but also delves into repugnances past and present. For instance, take a look at this graphic from SuperFreakonomics Illustrated:
Thanks in advance for your great ideas.
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I can’t help thinking that smoking should be encouraged. Although this may lead to higher healthcare costs in some instances, those costs are probably off-set by 1) increase in tax revenue for the state, 2) support for farmers and 3) shortened life expectancies and therefore saving in Social Security and Medicare payments.
This is truly repugnant, but I think the math may bear it out. This is not an original idea; I seem to remember some talk about it years ago.
This is actually explored on the latest blog post on Amoebas and Social Loafing. The question really is, what causes the accepted/repugnant shift? Technological innovation, economic trends, cultural transitions? Check out Amoebas and Social Loafing for an in depth analysis.
High school football is ingrained in American culture, yet it causes tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of serious injuries each year such as concussions. In a society that is so over-protective of our citizens and especially our young, it is only because of the immense popularity of football that we haven’t banned football or taken real steps to protect the brains of our young.
Only taxpaying citizens vote for candidates in elections.
Only property owners vote for issues that raise or lower property taxes.
Is that repugnant enough?
I would not say that “Mercenary Soldiers” is an idea now considered repugnant. PED’s in sports is questionable as well, since technically a lot of things that are accepted enhance performance in one way or another. Also, the athletes – the actual people partaking in the sports – generally don’t have a problem with PED’s at the highest level of competition, at least in my limited experience.
Possible future discussion topics:
Insects as a source of food
Genetic alteration to enhance “good” qualities or eliminate “bad” ones.
Children education by the State. Take the children away from the parents and give it to professionals to raise. (It is not quite mine, it is at Fabulous New World)
Flushing less often to conserve water.
For something considered repugnant we sure do use a lot of Mercenary soldier these days