[lit-ideas] Re: Social Darwinism or Darwinian Socialism? (answers)

HI,
I'll try to answer a bit...
 
May have to come back to this later--it's getting late for me,  though!  
In a message dated 12/30/2005 12:23:16 A.M. Central Standard Time, 

What do you think of the fact (not my opinion, a fact) that  the rainforests 
will be wiped off the face of the earth in 40  years,
I think of the people who are doing what they can to raise awareness.
 
Who do you think has focused on this--why, people who are not watching  
television or hiding in their safe little home--but people who are researching  
and 
studying and calling *CALLING* attention to it.  the ones who are DOING  
SOMETHING about it.
 
THEY are the reason I do not think that they will be wiped off the face of  
the earth.
 
Yes, follow the 80/20 rule here-but the story is not done yet--the last  
chapter and all that.
 
I put my heart and mind and energy SIDE BY SIDE with those who will call  
attention and then DO SOMETHING about making things change in our society, our  
companies, public policy, etc.
 
Why--you could go back to school, get a master's degree in public  
administration and begin to work on legislation with and for some of the  
organizations 
working on this issue!!
 
GET BUSY!  DO SOMETHING!  Join in with those who WILL make the  changes 
necessary to stop the disappearance!  
 
(hey--even my son wants to buy land so that the deer who are over-running  
the roads and wrecking cars, etc. can have a place to be ...<g>   There are 
LOTS 
of these boys and girls coming up in this GEN Y group that you  seem to think 
are all messed up...and they are practical [like Gen X] and great  managers 
[like the older boomers and WWII generation] and can fuse their  idealism [like 
the boomers] with those other qualities--and they WILL save the  rainforest.
 
If you really are not going to help the rest of us, then at least do what  
Mikey said--go to sleep and wait for his wake-up call.  Just stop the  whining 
and complaining--it creates darkness.
 

that mankind with its big brain is exterminating 50,000  species a year, and 
so on and so  on? 
Again--yes. It IS a problem.  People are trying to help, but are often  
clueless in how and what they are doing. The League of Women Voters (another  
group 
you could very easily be involved with--and you wouldn't even have to hang  
out with kids <g> who you claim to care about but want nothing to do  
with...still find that a bit odd, but okay...) here once sponsored a very  
interesting 
discussion with some of the people who are involved in things like  genetic 
engineered food as well as work overseas and some of the  people/organizations 
who were upset with them. It was very clear that the people  who work for the 
corps who are involved even inadvertently with the destruction  of things like 
the pure forms of plants (they have a specific name which is  escaping me--) 
were doing so in a rather clueless but well-meaning manner.   If that is 
so--and I do believe that while the TipTop people may know exactly  what they 
are 
doing and the 'whys' are not benign--the majority of the rank and  file in the 
companies are not 'big picture' people and once they understand the  bit 
picture (and are assured that they do not have to lose their jobs if things  
change 
<g>--you, of all of us, should understand the need for security  since you 
have high need to be safe and hidden in your cute almost mc-mansion of  a home--
 
So--yes.  It's sad that it has take so long for that sort of awareness  to 
begin to develop--but it has.  BUT, I do think that there are so many  focused 
on that now--and even in the little ways here (what IS the name of the  types 
of plants that are the original?  It's going to be bothering me all  night 
long!), you could DO SOMETHING about the situation by purchasing those  types 
of 
seeds and GIVING THEM TO PEOPLE AS A DONATION!!!
 
Put your money where your complaining mouth is--buy some of those and plant  
them and harvest the seeds and then give them to OTHERS.  
 
I guarantee you that you will be part of the solution, then.   
But--complaining without action creates DARKNESS.  Gloom. Despair.   THAT is 
what you are 
creating when you don't help the rest of us...
 

Why do you think Israel is  necessary? 
Oh, Irene.  Why is any nation necessary?  (oops sorry everyone.  Did I really 
want to ask her that? <G>)  Forget that--some of it  comes (I think) from the 
concepts developed during the French Revolution and  nationalistic 
concepts...but that is not really the reason, in my brain  anyway!
 
Here's a thought--and, sure--maybe a different place might have been  better. 
Maybe Germany should have been cleared out and Israel have been created  on 
top of Germany. Maybe that would have been more fitting of the concept of  'let 
the punishment fit the crime' or some such thing.  
 
But--for various reasons, Palestine was chosen. Sure, I might have done it  
differently.  (Probably would have <g>)
 
And, I do NOT think that the Wall that is there is doing what it was  
conjectured to do (ie keep terrorists out) mostly because the peaceful  
let-us-just-raise-our-family types are placed in situations which I would not  
like to be 
in [as a regular let-me-just-raise-my-family type]  I thin  of that when I have 
to hit a detour on the road and end up miles out of the  way--which has been 
one of outcomes of that wall. (based on what I have heard  from some who have 
'been there' and traveled through and around it...)
 
BUT--here is why I do think that "Israel" needs to exist. There IS  prejudice 
and that prejudice, for various reasons I suppose, has often taken a  
horribly violent manner...not just the sneers that your gas station guy was  
given to 
doing towards Russians.
 
"Jews were 10 per cent of the population of the Roman Empire. If today they  
were the same proportion of the world's population that they were then, they  
would number 200 million. They number 13 million."  That was stated during  a 
discussion in the Washington Post (I think--would have to double-check  the 
exact reference) during Israel's 50 year anniversary of its  existence.
 
Go ahead and argue that maybe it should have been in Germany (punishment  
fitting the crime--maybe should have moved all the Germans to Palestine then ?  
<g>  There's a story to imagine!)  
 
BUT--to me, there is a definite need and reason for the existence of  Israel. 
I think it has 'validated' the concept of being "Jewish" as a national  
identity and that may be more of the French Revolution thing, but it still has  
had 
the result that Jews are still a People. (Kind of like how even though  
reservations for the Native Americans here in the USA are not what they should  
have been created to be and do--but it is true that without them, they would 
not  
have, still, their tribal heritage and the sense that they are A People...and 
 while one can discuss [as we have] the merits of learning about various  
cultures--and I do think it is healthy even if you are a potpourri of races  
<g>--I do think that knowing and having 'roots' and a 'place' is important  and 
healthy and Constructive.
 
 
Why do you think Napoleon is synonymous with victory  instead of murder?  
 
Hm  Is he?  I am not sure that *for everyone* that this is  true.  Most 
people that I know of when asked (as in the game where you hear  a term and 
then 
name the first thing that comes to mind) about Napoleon will  think of his 
dying 
alone on an island--bereft of friends and family.   Lonely and Alone--those 
are the terms that are synonymous in my world with  Napoleon.  Neither 
'victory' nor 'murder'.  
 
Interesting, no?  Remember--you don't hang out with People much  <g> so maybe 
on television he is synonymous with victory and that bothers  you... but 
perhaps if you actually talked to PEOPLE instead of imagining what  they are 
thinking, you'd have some very interesting discussions.
 
(Still think you need to attend a Unitarian Church...full of discussion  
there and though most are doers--they are definitely thinkers, too!)  
 
What do you think of my analogy that if a dog had as much  food as would fit 
into a McMansion and still needed to take other dogs' daily  rations, we'd 
think he was sick, but when people do it, we bow down to  greatness. 
 
Hey--YOU are the one in (to use your term) an 'almost McMansion, not  me!  
 
But--I DO know some people who are in homes that are close to McMansions  
(probably in homes like yours, maybe?)  <g>  as well, I know  some extremely 
wealthy people (just found out about one set of those the other  day--would 
NEVER 
have guessed...though it explains their incredible  generousity...)
 
Most of the people that *I* know who are in awesome homes are also very  
giving and caring people.
 
Now--granted, you don't much like people or kids--and you don't like to get  
out much, so you don't really have any way of knowing what LOTS of people are  
like who have lots of money.
 
It's all relative, isn't it?  I mean--there you are with a nice home  and 
yet, when I suggested that you use some of that room to help some others who  
would be ever so grateful for that assistance--you backed away pretty  fast.
 
So, what do I think?  I think that you think you are a nice person  simply 
because you are not taking more than what you already have... (well, but  we 
really don't know, do we? After all...didn't know your name, either! <wry  
look>)
 
BUT--you certainly could have purchased a smaller home so you wouldn't be  
using up so much land, right?  (I only say that since you are the one  
screaming 
about the environment...)
 
You could have bought a lot and then built a teeny tiny house just big  
enough for you and your husband to stay in and then set aside the rest of the  
lot 
for wildlife and such.   [does not sound like you have too many  houseguests 
so one bedroom should be plenty--maybe a teeeny tiny den...just  big enough for 
a computer since you say you need one...though a laptop should be  
sufficient, no?)  
 
BUT--that is just to say that you do seem to be describing yourself!
 
I am not sure, if you were/are a giving sort, that living in a home that is  
teeny tiny is necessarily what is best.
 
One of the most breath-taking homes I have ever been in is "North of the  
River" in my area--and each floor (there are, I think, four) is about 10,000 sq 
 
ft.  It was built by one of the wealthiest and giving families in our  area.  
It was built that way because, when it was built, there was NO PLACE  in that 
part of the Northland (which has two counties)  for a large  gathering of 
people for any charitable organization to come together.   There is now--a very 
nice community college and some other spots--but for  years upon years, they 
would open their home (except for a few rooms)  and organizations could use 
their 
home for events. 
 
In addition, sometimes it is exactly what is needed for people who are  
walking up a Path to see what is possible.  Or, as one of my  friends said--he 
didn't mind working hard to help someone else succeed as long  as he got a part 
of 
it so that he could take care of his family.
 
I had that discussion with my two acquaintances today -- the single  moms -- 
who are going through rough times right now.  They were  trying to figure out 
how the new year could get better--saw no hope.  So, I  gave them some--and 
shared a couple of things that I have happening which may  create some 
good...and, as they know, I'll share...and they are on my share/care  list...
 
My siblings, a couple have a lot of money, are extremely generous.   
Extremely.  (kind of hard for one of the spouses, but hey--personal growth  
means 
learning to trust, too...)  Love going to their  homes--beautiful.  One is like 
walking into a museum...but it is SO great  to be in a home like that--and that 
family shares.
 
Why not want ALL of us, every single person, to live in a charming  home?  
It's one reason Habitat for Humanity is so important with what they  do. And, I 
sure wish you'd help them out!
 
I think I know lots of different sorts of people than you do...but since  you 
don't get out much in your world, I would suspect that you have no  idea who 
in your area and are living in the McMansions are the  sharing/caring/DOING 
sorts...  For all you know, they are the ones funding  the local Habitat for 
Humanity in your area...
 
I grant you, though--the ones who do not DO and who see the  need--well, I 
don't call them great.  I don't even call them 'sick'.   If I were into 
judging, 
I suppose I'd use Selfish.  Mean.  But I'd  prefer to just hope that they are 
in a mode whereby they will awaken and begin  DOING and SHARING--and simply 
need to know that it is 'okay' to do so!
 
Like you, in a way...hmmm? <g>
  
 Essentially, Marlena, humans pat themselves on the back  for being 
barbarians and priding themselves on acting like  dogs. 
 
If all people were like my Sparky, they would be DOING <g> (for  sure!) and 
FRIENDLY and LOVING and CARING (and not really empathetic, but  definitely 
sympathetic in a DOING say--he ALWAYS is there to comfort if any are  upset!)
 
 Humans are so proud to be a species that lights an  occasional candle in the 
darkness, and it never occurs to them that maybe  if they'd stop creating the 
darkness they could have a lot more  light.
 
Or, maybe...if the humans who whine about the darkness would join in the  
rest of us, the darkness WOULD disappear--for *I* am (hopefully) not creating  
darkness--and I know that if you lit a candle that your corner of the world  
would be much brighter.
 
If you would transmute your energy for complaining into action to DO  
something about it!  Wow!
 
I'm telling you, Irene, your energy is strong stuff.  Your candle  would not 
be little.  It would be BRIGHT.
 
LIGHT IT!!
 
hoping to hear about those seeds Irene will be giving away...(what IS  their 
name...?)
Best,
Marlena in Missouri

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