The world of Gattica came a step nearer this weekend as the Australian Government rejected a residency application from a German doctor, who had answered the Country's desperate plea for foreign GPs to come and solve their medical personnel crisis. Despite being the only doctor in his town, he has been denied permanent residency because he has a son with Downs Syndrome. This translates to: We want your professional skills to assist our Country but we will refuse to support you unless you and your family appear to be perfect.
This is no less than cultural rejection of the disabled; a reductionist, depersonalized, callous appraisal of an individual based purely on their 'economic burden'. That a strong, caring, loving, dedicated family who are contributing immeasurably to the mental, physical and emotional health of a community are being rejected on the basis of a cold, fiscal analysis is nothing less than evil. So while the Camerons, Browns and 17m other Brits with long term conditions know that they need not apply to Oz, what are we going to do in the UK to counteract the creeping culture of 'Perfection', where anything less than gorgeous is becoming less valid and valued?
