GITS: SAC - "Silver Oxide" - On Sports Ethics

The sixteenth episode of "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" is a standalone episode focusing on Section 9's Officer Batou. While the Major and section chief Aramaki are away on an anti-terrorism conference, Batou is transferred to a naval base to perform an undercover investigation of a world-renowned boxer. This boxer, a man by the name of Zaitsev, is suspected of illegally selling military secrets on the black market.

Because the antagonist in this episode is a boxer, this episode centers around the sport quite a bit. One of the main plot points results from Batou getting knocked out the first time he fights Zaitsev. The reason? Zaitsev uses a technique known as the "prosthetic blind spot." It is a subtle indication that those with natural bodies and those with augmented bodies both compete in the same professional sports divisions, without either side having the edge over the other.

We still struggle with this in the real world, as the true potentials of augmented bodies have not been met yet. Therefore, we cannot tell just how much better an augmented human would be athletically compared too a natural human. As it stands, there are already strict rules and regulations against augmenting the body by chemical means.

However, I really wouldn't count out the idea of allowing augmentations in professional sports. As this episode demonstrates, it comes down to more than just brawn; even the physically unmatchable can be defeated through cunning tactics. That said, it works both ways, as Batou reveals when he promptly wipes the floor with Zaitsev at the end of the episode.

Furthermore, many on the side of opposition refuse to take into account the amount of intense training required to master artificial body parts. In many ways, it takes exactly the same persistence and efforts as a natural athlete would require. This article provides insight into such an example.

In closing, my thoughts and the subject of large are still very premature, at least until augmented bodies become more mainstream. Only when we know the full extent of ability brought forth by augmentation can we deliver a verdict which is fair and just to all perspective athletes.