From BBC NEWS | Europe | Schroeder urges stem cell easing

A Voice from Eden links to this BBC story about more reasonableness on embryonic stem-cell research.

Refusing to face the facts, the beseiged Chancellor Schroeder says:

his country cannot afford to fall behind other nations.

His comments came after Italy's failed referendum on relaxing strict fertility and bioethics laws. Not enough people voted after Vatican calls to stay away.

Germany bans the creation of embryo cells purely for research, but allows human embryo stem cells to be imported.

Apparently he didn't get the memo from Italy in time. Meanwhile, it's a toss-up as to whether his countrymen agree with him or not:

A survey cited by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle says just over 40% of Germans are in favour of easing restrictions on stem cell research.

Almost a third told the Wahlen research group they opposed loosening the legislation, while the rest were undecided.

Is he trying to siphon off those centrists that may favor ESTR but are more inclined to support the opposition Christian Democrats? Probably. Of course, he wouldn't see it that way. No, he would insist that Germany keep pace with the progress of research in order to have a voice in "control of the procedures":

"Research would continue elsewhere - possibly in a way that would take practically no account of ethical considerations."

He's so concerned about ethical procedures that he's willing to throw embryonic children under the knife so that the needy might live. In a country where eugenics and euthanasia achieved nightmarish heights under the Nazis, Mr. Schroeder plays politics as ahistorically as one could imagine.

All the while, he runs around saying, "the sky is falling! We're falling behind!" The fact is no one falls behind because no one--with the possible exception of South Korea--races ahead.

Meanwhile, the morally acceptable and more promising Adult Stem Cell Research continues to languish from the silence of Reasonable leaders such as the Chancellor. When will they wake up?