Nerd party.

William Saletan covered the President's Council on Bioethics in Slate last week.

Saletan's coverage offers an interesting perspect on the Council generally, their recent stem cell discussion, as well as Frank Fukuyama's newest proposal.

What Saletan gets exactly right is that the Council is often pondering really earth-shaking monumental ideas and developments that will change the world as we know it. What is missing from the discussion is the fact that we have had several prior panels--as thoughtful as this one, dealing with issues just as paradigm-changing as this one, and ultimately, none of them have had any substantial effect on policy. The unanswered question is--how do bodies like this one affect change and thus, have a real policy effect?

Disclaimer: The Malcontent works in the policy world, and often in the same areas of interest as those addressed by the Council. Rarely, if ever, do our positions align.