[lit-ideas] Re: Social Darwinism or Darwinian Socialism?
- From: "Stan Spiegel" <writeforu2@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 08:45:25 -0500
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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