Ok, I'm slow. For some reason today this just hit me.

[FlyingSquirrel]

So excuse me if I'm saying something that you've gotten for a long time.

The Republicans are the party that acts all Fundamental Christian. They're the ones that are against Darwin and for Creationism, supposedly.

So why is it that they admire the concept of "survival of the fittest" when it comes to the people of our country and the world?

It's kind of backwards. Democrats are more likely to believe the theory of evolution, and yet are also more likely to believe that this is a cruel way for a civilized society to continue to operate.

Am I wrong?

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. VERY interesting observation

And very fitting.

[jeff30997]

2. No you're absolutely right.

Those vultures are total hypocrites.

[Oldtimeralso]

4. Just like their Anti Abortion and Pro Death Penalty Beliefs. n/t

[jeff30997]

7. Yes!

Another great example.

[jerryme1]

32. And the Midwest farmers who live off government subsidies but

decry those tax and spend liberals.

[napoleon_in_rags]

18. ARE they hypocrites???

Or is religion another form of "survival of the fittest" practiced at an intellectual level? I just read some stuff on neocon philosopher Leon Strauss, and it strongly supports the idea that they see religion as a form of mind control.

[murielm99]

3. The next time one of your republican friends

(or enemies) shows that kind of attitude or uses that phrase, ask them how they can support the contradiction of being all fundie Christian and still admiring the survival of the fittest.

Republicans are full of contradictions. The party of family values has had so many of their members enmeshed in sex scandals or arrested for sex crimes that it is hard to keep track.

[elleng]

5. No, you are NOT wrong;

they just don't add 1 + 1 = 2; logic is NOT a part of their belief.

[Bucky]

6. Don't equate Darwinism with Social Darwinism.

Darwin's theories were about survival of a species. Social Darwinism is about the economic and political elevation of persons within a species based on their talents. They don't think poor people should die off (somebody has to clean the mansion, after all). They only contend that those who, by light of their natural talents, ought to be poor & miserable should also learn to be content with their poverty and misery. Social Darwinism is justification for not helping one's fellow man, and at its roots is really about justifying racism. Darwinism is science and is based on observations, not rationalizations.

[Silver Gaia]

19. Thank you, Bucky. n/t

[pnorman]

21. You beat me to that!

Although your explanation of the two "Darwinism", is a lot better than what I might have written. And as I recall, the phrase: "Survival of the Fittest", was coined by Herbert Spencer, an exponent of what is now termed "Social Darwinism". I don't believe Darwin ever used that term; and the concept itself would have no doubt been alien to his outlook. He always regarded himself as a Christian.

But evolution didn't always involve fights to the death, or constant struggles for dominance. Mutual aid (cooperation) was sometimes of greater value to the survival of the species than tooth or claw. Here's a work by a noted anarchist, who was also a respected scientist, "Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_Aid:_A_Factor_of_Evolution The book itself can be downloaded from Gutenberg Press.

pnorman

[trotsky]

28. Perfectly stated.

Thank you.

[liberalmuse]

8. Because they're assholes?

They believe what they want to believe, cherry-picking what fits their small-minded view of the world, and throwing out the rest, which is usually The Truth. They're M. Scott Peck's "People of the Lie". I honestly believe people who consider themselves Republicans are what we anthropomorphically call "evil".

[Double T]

9. When there are too many creatures competing for the same 'ANYTHING'..........

it becomes a dog EAT dog world. Welcome to the OVERPOPULATED planet Earth; there is NOTHING civil about it ANYMORE! rethugs are PROFESSIONAL frauds and liars; the ONLY reason they pretend to be religious is to save their own miserable asses from ALL the evil bad stuff they do.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

10. They hate welfare for the poor but love it for corporations too.

Which kinda undercuts both the Social Darwinism and their supposed Free Market stance.

[Echo In Light]

25. Also rely on hierarchical structures that are ideologically anti-woman

[calimary]

11. A most interesting observation!

I've wondered that myself.

[teacher gal]

12. Yes, and similarly...

They are outraged by abortion but hardly raise a sniffle about how greatly we neglect our nation's poor children...those already born. And what about the lives of those soldiers in Iraq?

[Rex]

13. Very good point.

I must be slower. Never thought about it like that.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Historical datum

the conservatives in the UK railed against Darwin as well, but embraced the concerp of social darwinism from word go.... so did the robber barons

This has quite the history

[zeos3]

15. This has been going on for a long time.

You might want to take a look at "The Age of American Unreason" by Susan Jacoby. She addresses this in chapter three of her book.
I've argued with friends about this before. If they really believe in survival of the fittest, then they should have no problem if I beat them up and take their stuff (I know that's immature, but I accept me for who I am). They then say that they could call the police and/or sue me, at which point I point out that they have no problem elevating man from the wild to file a lawsuit yet they don't hold man above social darwinism when it suits their needs.
When I lived in Texas there was a guy on public access cable (I was bored) that would go on about how all the wealthiest people and countries were christian and God had ordained them with their wealth and power. This is basically the same silly argument to me.

[housewolf]

16. I'm not sure this line is correct:they admire the concept of "survival of the fittest" when it comes

"they admire the concept of "survival of the fittest" when it comes to the people of our country and the world"

What I get from them, although they are not real open about saying this but it -is- documented as part of conservative philosophy - they believe that if you are a good, god-loving, moral, upstanding person that god has rewarded you with material blessings. And if you don't have those material blessings, that lack speaks to your moral character and worthiness.

Think about it. It really does underlie all of their more-public commentary on the state of the poor and under-classes.

[Sadie4629]

23. Not necessarily "god-loving"

but simple common sense regarding the "moral" part of your post. This is also documented: If you delay childbearing until you have completed your education, are in a stable relationship (whether married or not,) have a reliable source of income, (all integral parts of what Christians would call 'morality') then you are far less likely to live, and raise your children, in poverty. And will have a lot of material blessings. And God has nothing to do with that.

The same would hold for other aspects of 'morality,' drug addiction, alcoholism, crime.

Common sense--not religious beliefs.

What I get from them, although they are not real open about saying this but it -is- documented as part of conservative philosophy - they believe that if you are a good, god-loving, moral, upstanding person that god has rewarded you with material blessings. And if you don't have those material blessings, that lack speaks to your moral character and worthiness.

[housewolf]

29. To clarify what I was trying to say...

The OP put opined that "they admire the concept of "survival of the fittest" and my post was to re-but that statement.

What I tried to say is that in terms of classical conservate philosophy, 'survival of the fittest' is not a credible rule of how the world works. Rather, in classical conservatie philosophy, the "blessings of (god's) prosperity" fall upon those who are good, moral and upstanding (god-loving) citizens and if someone is not "rich in the blessings of god's prosperity", then they are a person of low moral standing and bad character.

I take issue with that conservative belief, as you do. Nontheless, it does exist as and continues to exist in underlying conservative thought and policy. Classical liberal philosophy disagrees with this tenent.

I was not talking about my own personal philosophy and beliefs. I was talking about classical conservative philosophy,

[lligrd]

17. Not The Fittest, The Richest. And They Believe God Decreed

that the should be rich and by that very right, powerful.

[FlyingSquirrel]

33. Guess they missed the part where Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel

to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven."

[PetraPooh]

20. And they supposedly belief the gov't doesn't belong in our private lives, but then

they spy on us, tell women what they can and cannot do with their bodies. . . There are so many of these contradictions.

[Sadie4629]

22. *sigh*

So excuse me if I'm saying something that you've gotten for a long time.

The Republicans are the party that acts all Fundamental Christian. They're the ones that are against Darwin and for Creationism, supposedly.

Not all Republicans are fundamentalist Christians. They don't even all "act all Fundamental Christian."

And, of the ones that actually are fundamentalist Christians, they are not all "against Darwin and for Creationism."

Some are, some aren't. Don't presume to know how any group of people thinks.

So why is it that they admire the concept of "survival of the fittest" when it comes to the people of our country and the world?

Most people have reserves of strength they don't even realize they have, until they need them. There are an awful lot of people out there relying on government programs who could actually do much better--if they had to. Republicans see "nanny state government" (their term--not mine) as ENABLING people to continue in dysfunctional behavior. Much as a spouse who continues to purchase alcohol, or make excuses, and in any other way contributes to a problem.

It's kind of backwards. Democrats are more likely to believe the theory of evolution, and yet are also more likely to believe that this is a cruel way for a civilized society to continue to operate.

Again, don't make assumptions about other people's thoughts or motivations.

Am I wrong?

Yes.

[Echo In Light]

24. The "Christian" Right is neither; it's values are antithetical to Christ's tenets

[lazyriver]

26. Republicans and especially fundies are one thing before

all other things...hypocrites. Frame all that they do and say with that notion and it all makes sense.

[Echo In Light]

27. They're often highly projective: impute to others that which they harbor and embody

And are therefore fearful of. They fear and loathe the unconscious other within, and find that particular 'enemy' in those they assail.

[karynnj]

30. Interesting - it might be that they do not see it through a Darwin frame

They may see it in a Calvinist/Puritan light - that the people doing well are the people favored by God, rewarded on this earn because they are the redeemed. (Caveat - I may have this totally wrong - I am not even close to knowledgeable on this.)

[Johonny]

31. Their view of the world

can be justified based on their Christian beliefs in their opinions. Thus there is no contradiction in their eyes.

[Zynx]

34. It comes from their worship of the free market.

They love seeing firms and people succeed and fail at the whims of the market. They believe that is the best way to order society.