General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPresident Obama accused the Republicans of being social Darwinists. What does that mean to you?
First I will establish where President Obama did this:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/03/obama-accuses-republicans-social-darwinism-budget
"That's an average of at least $150,000 for every millionaire in this country," he said. "It is a Trojan horse disguised as deficit reduction plans. It is really an attempt to impose a radical vision on our country. It is thinly veiled social Darwinism. It is antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity."
I believe I have fully communicated my interpretation of social Darwinism and its implications for society.
Logically and emotionally speaking, how does it come across to you?
Do you think President Obama was exaggerating, or was he being careful and precise?
If he was exaggerating, what differentiates the GOP policy from true social Darwinism?
If he was being careful and precise, would you not take this as a major threat to the survival of a civilized society?
azmaximillian
(14 posts)Darwin espoused a theory known as " Survival of the fittest". President Obama is merely presenting the case that Republicans believe the natural order is to allow the fittest (wealthy) to prosper, and control our government. The middle class and poor (weak) are not as "fit" in this context. Obama believes that tax dollars should be allocated to social programs to enhance education and health care for the socially and economically disadvantaged, to make them more "fit". The GOP wants to deprive them of this to perpetuate, what they see as, their "superiority".
aikoaiko
(34,187 posts)Just an FYI.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)"The War Against the Weak" by Edwin Black. And eugenics was based on some English philosophers - can't remember which ones.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)hifiguy
(33,688 posts)virtually all of the firepower and are a tightly bound by common class interests. The rest of us are just there to be exploited, starved, or mowed down.
pansypoo53219
(21,026 posts)survive.
hlthe2b
(102,674 posts)Swede
(33,370 posts)BOG PERSON
(2,916 posts)like it ought to be about how societies reproduce + expand themselves differently in every epoch, or how the bourgeoisie and the proletariat are always shaping + tempering + developing each other, along with the intermediary classes. and so on and so on. but, no, it turns out social darwinism means something totally ahistorical and anti-darwinist.
Greybnk48
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