He called the clones a waste of money because:
"Copies are never as sharp as the original".
That's only a problem if the original already is on the blunter side.
Basically, a somewhat uncharitable interpretation is he called himself an idiot.
"If it lives it can be killed.
If it is dead it can be eaten."
Ronkong Coma "the way of the bookhunter" III Catacombium
(Walter Moers "Die Stadt der träumenden Bücher")