[lit-ideas] Re: Social Darwinism or Darwinian Socialism?
- From: JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 04:35:16 EST
<<In my case, if I didn't have the money to pay for my expensive asthma
medications, I would simply die. There would be no help for me. Social
Darwinism says that's okay. Poor asthma patients who can't afford $106 for
Serevent in Missiissippi and $150 for Pulmicort wouldn't be able to sustain
themselves on a daily basis. It would be quick and painful.>>
My youngest daughter was born with ASD -- atrial septal syndrome, otherwise
known as a "hole in the heart". When the patronizing cardiac surgeon w/ a
god complex wanted to rip her open from neck to pelvis, I refused and did
much,
much research. I found a pediatric cardiologist, from India, who was 2
hours away at a childrens' hospital. This was ...... 9 years ago. He had
created a device (now probably commonly used) which was threaded up the artery
through a very small hole in her groin, and which would seal the place that
was
not naturally closed. Medicaid paid for it, as I have lived all my life
hand-to-mouth. She also had left pulmenary arterial stenosis -- a narrowing
of
an artery which pumps blood from heart to lungs. Implanted stent. All her
life she will need check-ups, ultrasounds, CAT scans, X-rays, and at some
point
when there is plaque build-up around the stent, it will have to be
replaiced. Roughly a $50,000 procedure. Medicaid has discontinued its
coverage for
her because the ASD was "fixed". I have argued by paper and phone with
hundreds of govt. people. They don't get the "continuing care or
life-endangerment" thing. She, also, is in need of monthly asthma meds -- to
the tune of
about $300 a month. Obtaining insurance such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield is
impossible. Because of her health issues she is litteraly un-insurable.
Yes, the weak will die off, leaving more room for the fittest.
Julie Krueger
========Original Message======== Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: Social Darwinism
or Darwinian Socialism? Date: 12/29/05 7:47:47 AM Central Standard Time
From: _writeforu2@xxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:writeforu2@xxxxxxxxxxx) To:
_lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) Sent on:
Hi John -
The trouble is "social darwinism" as a piece of ideology is a perversion of
the idea of "survival of the fittest." It assumes that the fittest -- those
who make the most money -- should dominate. And those who don't -- the poor,
the unfit -- who simply can't compete should be weeded out. Any attempt to
provide welfare for them is misguided for they'd just transmit their
unfitness to their children and weaken the human stock.
When Hale Barbour, Governor of Mississippi, cuts Mississippi's share of
Medicaid so that hundreds of thousands of poor and disabled Mississippians
are shoved off healthcare, so they're not assisted with their medication or
their doctor's bills, their dialysis, their medical support eliminated, he
feels there's some science behind what he's doing.
In my case, if I didn't have the money to pay for my expensive asthma
medications, I would simply die. There would be no help for me. Social
Darwinism says that's okay. Poor asthma patients who can't afford $106 for
Serevent in Missiissippi and $150 for Pulmicort wouldn't be able to sustain
themselves on a daily basis. It would be quick and painful.
"Fitness" is not demonstrated by "growth" in this carnation but by
self-sufficiency. Banks with federal money are giving to well-to-do Katrina
victims, not to poor, though the poor have been even more devastated by that
hurricane than anyone else. The House and Senate have just passed a budget
that's made gigantic cuts in Medicaid and veterans healthcare. Republicans
consider that acceptable. Democrats see that as morally repugnant. They
tried to stop it but couldn't.
"Survival of the fittest" in America is alive and well.
Stan Spiegel
Portland, ME
----- Original Message -----
From: "John McCreery" <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 3:57 AM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Social Darwinism or Darwinian Socialism?
Hi, Stan,
No sugar-coating intended. Unless, of course, you believe that nations
invading other nations in search of lebensraum is just nature's way.
On the contrary, the point is to realize how thoroughly the idea of
"survival of the fittest" and its complement, that fitness is
demonstrated by growth, permeates contemporary culture.
John Mc
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