"Replicants".
In my mine, the story (in the original) was always about how the politics/science/marketing had tricket people into thinking clones were robots... but worse still, that clones were not people (a clone is just a twin, and a twin is just a normal person/baby).
I watched it as you would 1984... to me it's not a science fiction story... it's a social engineering story. Trick people into thinking there is an "other" group we can mistreat. Take some things away from them (physically or legalities) assume those changes are real/significant, then you have an excuse for your behaviour.
They asked/presented this problem in the modern sequel/reboot... however, the biggest fear is not what may be, but what is, for decades how many people actually stood up and said "but he was not killing clones, he was killing people". No, everyone is "but were they clones or people"... see, you trick them into doubt, and then can attack their morals/facts/whatever to get your own agenda done.
It worked in the film, showing, amazingly well and terrifyingly realised, that people can be tricked into their position of thought and action!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
