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by 236dev 2144 days ago
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/sunday-review/blood-plasm...

Somewhat related, but blood made up 2% of total US exports in 2016. We are the only developed country that allows people to sell their blood. It's depressing to know that the rich will literally be living off the poor's blood.

3 comments

Most every advanced material good and service that is cheap today was once rare and expensive. Prices fell as the methods for producing those goods and services became more efficient. If the rich are paying for something as exotic as YouthBlood™ this should delight you, as it is only a matter of time before producers of said product will find ways to scale and cheapen it.
Maybe I'm not autistically analyzing this like other people in this thread. I just wanted to point out that the article mentioned taking young people's and putting it in old mice for better living. Currently the poor are exploited for cheap blood because many have no other option.
I see where you are coming from. From my perspective, your view of poor people as being without agency such that their voluntary decisions in perhaps the most well-off country on earth, in the most well-off time in earth's history, the idea that said trade constitute "exploitation" is very telling of your internal beliefs about the poor. Perhaps you think they are too dumb to make informed choices. Perhaps you think there are droves of poor with no skills, no useful utility to provide to society, other than to sell their blood. I think this belief is ignorant at best (you ever been poor? I have) and morally abhorrent and classist at worst.

But hey, maybe I'm just autistic.

> "autistically"

I think many of us would appreciate it if you did not use autism as a negative label.

Why not? Autistic people have a certain way of doing things, so it seems like a valid comparison to me
> *the rich will literally be living off the poor's blood

The entire article is about that not being helpful.

I don't see how? The article talks about taking young mice blood and putting it in old ones. Young poor people will be much more exploited.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16EL-ZexH5A&feature=youtu.be...

You should watch part of this documentary to see what I'm talking about.

Read the article again. It's not about that.
To the contrary, those who want to remain healthy will be donating blood instead.
The vast majority of blood comes from poor people with no other choice selling it. If you don't see something wrong with that, I don't know what to tell you. The poor should not have to literally sell their blood to survive. The article literally says that they take blood from young mice and put it in old ones.
> The article literally says that they take blood from young mice and put it in old ones.

That's the study from 2005. The news here is that you don't need to do that. They found that "a special solution made of basic ingredients in saline and the protein albumin" also works.