E-Business Commentary -- Man In The Mirror

Xianyang, China, May 1, 2022 -- General Humans Corp. (GHC) today announced the signing of its largest contract ever, a US$150 billion order to supply 1 million soldiers to an unnamed Asian nation. The unidentified government will supply uniforms and weapons to outfit the army of Class IV human clones, with final assembly taking place at GHC's cloning plants in a dozen Asian cities. The first company to successfully clone a human more than a decade ago, GHC is the world leader in manufacturing human clones for various applications. Its most popular models, in use by governments, corporations and wealthy consumers, include Class IV repetitive assignment (C4RA), dangerous environment (C4DE), and military application (C4MA). GHC also was first to develop a manufacturing process to incubate genetically engineered humans without the need for actual human placentas. The company uses its patented rapid gestation technology to speed development of the embryo in the artificial womb. Following removal from the womb device, GHC technicians administer daily doses of high-speed growth and aging hormone to bring the individual to maturity. Both processes can be completed in days, rather than months and years. With a worldwide manufacturing capacity of 120,000 cloned humans per day, and given current demand and volume of units under production, GHC figures to complete full delivery of the order by mid-summer. The company's previous biggest deal was announced last week. GHC will receive $25 billion to produce 200,000 cloned humans over three years to replace essentially the entire multi-plant global workforce of Semiconductors Inc. "Each unit will be equipped with a high-powered Class IV chipset designed to make it more versatile, capable and faster than the best-trained human worker could possibly be," says a GHC representative. Class IV human clones are capable of both thinking and adapting to their environments, although in accordance with the Basel Technology Agreement of 2012, artificially developed humans may not be equipped with natural human feelings or emotions. Other big manufacturers that have placed major orders for human clones in the last couple of years include European Motors, 200,000 units; Southeast Asian Computer Corp., 150,000 units; and Earthmovers Inc. of Japan. "Most manufacturers ordering clones are eager to get out from under the burdensome costs of real human workers, including sick time, salaries and benefits," says a spokesman for the Artificial Life Manufacturers Association (ALMA) in Singapore. "Human clone workers, because they can be worked like horses in the 19th Century, need only be provided food and shelter on the premises. When they are either used up or expire, they are discarded and can be easily replaced." Due to their high price tag -- most human clones cost upward of $100,000 at retail -- human clones remain a high-end luxury item for consumers. These two latest contracts for GHC only perpetuate the company's -- and China's -- dominance in the burgeoning worldwide market for human clones. Global sales of clones last year topped $15 trillion, far surpassing sales for any other industry, including automobiles, computers or semiconductors. With annual sales of $3.5 trillion, GHC manufactures one out of every four cloned humans in use today around the globe. China, with more than a dozen other large manufacturers of human clones, is estimated to control close to half the overall market. By comparison, the second largest producer of human clones, Canada, holds just under 10% of the market as measured by total national sales. As a bloc, the European Union nations turn out another 10%. The U.S. lags in total production, with little more than 5% by total sales, largely due to America's doubts two decades ago over the ethics of human clone development and their mass production for commercial exploitation. The reticence on the part of U.S. policymakers and industry allowed nations such as China and Canada to take the lead in developing artificial human technology (AHT). The U.S. passed a law in 1995 prohibiting federal funding for research that may harm or destroy a human embryo. Later, in 2002, the U.S. Congress passed legislation banning cloning for research, reproductive or commercial purposes.