So this is a thought that I've had for quite a few years now... liberals are the first to make fun of religious folks for not believing in science or evolution (myself included), but then turn around and disregard one of Darwin's main tenets...
Survival of the Fittest.
(I'm in a contrarian mood today so if I come across wrong please forgive, or troll rate... your choice)
What does
Survival of the Fittest mean in nature? Well, it means if you can't feed yourself you die. If you don't see the car headlights & understand you need to get the fuck out of the way you get run over and die. If you can't adapt to changing circumstances you die. Etc. Etc.
It's nature and happens all the time and we (okay, me) can feel pain about it and wish it were different, but we're not changing the laws of nature. Hell, I can't even watch the Discovery Channel because I always start to cry. But...
As liberals we can be all about reversing the laws of nature. About helping those who can't help themselves. About making corporations accountable for not putting warning labels on cups of coffee (as a superficial example).
So where is our belief in Darwin's theories? Why should I give a shit about some person who can't quite understand that if they run with scissors and fall they could die? Why should I spend my hard earned money to make life better for a person who wouldn't have survived by themselves 200 years ago? A perfect example of this IMO is the peanut butter rule in schools... why should my kid not be allowed to eat a peanut butter sandwich because other kids may be allergic? If they know they are allergic and could die and eat the sandwich anyway, how is that my problem?
Isn't that what evolution is all about? Culling the gene pool of the stupider members thereby making the group as a whole stronger?
I have mixed feelings about this whole thing, but it is something I think about on a regular basis. I am all for providing health care for all members of society and employment assistance, etc. (I live in Canada, how the hell could I not be), but there is a point in time when we need to say - okay, that was stupid and your own fault -- deal with it, I'm not cleaning up your mess.
Republicans talk about personal responsibility too much and Liberals not enough. We can't solve every problem by legislating it, but we can level the playing field in terms of opportunity and basic human necessities (food, shelter, education & health care) and then let nature sort out the rest.
What do you think Darwin's point of view would be... I have no idea, but it's interesting to think about.