DNA Testing For All: The Abandonment of Freedom?

Philip K Dick

David Aaronovitch has written a striking article in The Times today that gives me pause for thought in my otherwise absolute commitment to freedom.

The visions of Philip K Dick become increasingly our reality as each day passes. This debate brings to mind in particular The Minority Report (also a Spielberg film).

This was the story in which the police arrested you before you did the crime on the basis of your predisposition to commit it.

DNA testing (together with near universal video surveillance) has brought the UK far closer to this "ideal" of detecting pre-crime than the US; and it is nowhere close to 2054 yet (when Minority Report is set).

TOPICS FOR DEBATE:

1) David Arronovitch has strong arguments in favour of a universal DNA database.

2) Philip K Dick, however, has a better "thin end of the wedge" argument.