Well, the genetic variation arguments are only valid if clones ever make up a large percentage of population, and they are the same clone, which is not going to happen. Nor do I think that clones are going to hurt the population problem at all, since it is even more difficult to make a clone than a regular kid.

I agree that there are ethical considerations to consider when cloning for ulterior motives, but a lot of those considerations are already there for non-clone births as well. Parents have already been known to have a second kid in the hope it will be a donor for their first kid. And kids already live in the shadow of their parents.

I certainly agree that these fruitcakes did not actually create a clone though. That crazy doctor in Italy is a bit more likely to be on his way to doing it though. But it is certainly too early to be cloning humans, the risk is too great. But it will happen, and soon.