Eugenics without the Nazis?

Anyone interested in that might want to look at the research on North Carolina's sterilization program (which lasted into the '70s basically, actually I think the last sterilization was 1980) or what happened in Minnesota during the New Deal.

Thanks for the information about North Carolina. Planned Parenthood also administered a sterilization program in Maryland that also ended in the early 1980s. "Problematic" / high welfare cost mothers (black in particular) were encouraged and in some cases, coerced to get sterilized. About 250 black women "volunteered" for sterilization. Amazingly, only 4 whites were sterilized through the program.

So with no nazis to put a bad name to the eugenics theme, it might stay in fashion much longer, and used more widespread in that fashion?

I think so. The nazi tag made eugneics unacceptable in any but the most crazed neo nazi circles. Prior to that, the concept had a far wider appeal. For example, a many of the eugenics advocates were educated academics and wealthy businessmen supported the concept.
 
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For example, a many of the eugenics advocates were educated academics and wealthy businessmen supported the concept.

Because the only Nazi's were white trash thugs. Don't make the mistake of projecting the sort of people who are modern neo-Nazi's back onto the original version.

As for the OP this could very easily run and run without such a bad example to scare everyone off. EdT touches on it in Fight and Be Right, actually when you look at the opponents of eugenics you see some very odd alliances including pro-sterilization liberal left-wing feminists (via the pro-choice lobby) arguing with other liberal left-wing feminists (also via the pro-choice lobby) allied with the Catholic Church!
 
actually when you look at the opponents of eugenics you see some very odd alliances including pro-sterilization liberal left-wing feminists (via the pro-choice lobby) arguing with other liberal left-wing feminists (also via the pro-choice lobby) allied with the Catholic Church!

Then factor in that some rabidly right wing groups (secular) would be allied with the pro eugenics left wingers...

Even with out the Nazis, however, I think that open institutional support for eugenics (either leftwing or rightwing based) would disappear by the 1980s. To paraphrase another forum member: "many were advocating the concept, but none were quit willing to implement it"
 
From what i read it was very popular in the 30s the world over. The Nazis were not that far in advance on the rest of the world's attitudes, but the Nazis destroyed much of the support for it.

Absent the Nazi victory in Germany, I think Eugenics in the US and the rest of Europe would wind up very near what the Germans had going by 1938. I don't believe we would have mass gassings, but sterilizations and mandatory abortions would be a lot more common. And I do feel that euthanizing would occur for the very badly disabled.

I think that Mendelian genetics would have made the problem a great deal worse. It explains how we have issues. It would have led to justifications for worse behavior.
 
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