Simple logic. The trouble with our modern social theories is that they ignore the Laws of Nature and underestimate the selfish aggressiveness of human nature. The majority of the humans who aren’t in hospital beds today battling a terminal health problem, believe that as long as they are drawing a breath, they are fit. (Call them optimistic.) Although we humans know that we aren’t going to survive this stressful life experience, we independently act as if we will and should. And we promote the destabilizing “politically correct” idea that everyone else ought to, also.
The evidence that the “fittest” are taking advantage of the “least fit” is abundant and clear. However, to spread the truth behind such evidence would be demoralizing in the strictest sense of that word. A moral society is more manageable, an ethical populace is less brutal, and a law-abiding citizenry is more likely to follow the Golden Rule and overlook Nature’s irrefutable law that the fittest are destined to survive in the material world and even prosper.
One of Nature’s laws that numerous unfit humans seem to be enthusiastically trying to disprove is that over-population will bring the downfall of any unwary species. To counter the unwanted and undesirable population explosion in the poor parts of the world, there seems to be a top secret “understanding” about how to proceed. This “understanding” (unofficially acknowledged in the intersanctum where the powerful leaders of the more wealthy states convene) determines which countries of the world are not worth protecting from their own internal ethnic cleansing. The delayed United Nations responses to circumstances that have recently eliminated thousands of helpless victims in Africa and Bosnia hints at this private “understanding.” If the good Lord doesn’t care about the unfit, who should?
Our American leaders are on the wrong track preaching democracy and capitalism as the most effective social and economic tools to unify, organize, and develop a more humane world community. These political and economic administrative systems ignore the resourcefulness of individual human nature. They are promulgated to the general public in their ideal forms using the most optimistic propaganda and the most devious political spin.
The American people are on course for a rude awakening to the ugly reality of the consequences of the convoluted forms of democracy and capitalism. The obvious signs cannot be ignored much longer: gross inequality of personal income, grandiose and ambitious political programs without sufficient funding, arrogant favoritism of special interests both here and abroad, interference with the governance of other country’s affairs, exploitation of the false credit worthiness of the American dollar, – must I go on with the specifics?
Just in case you haven’t been reading the news recently, I will. The outrageous salaries, perks, and golden handshakes for the former SEC chairman and a host of other major company CEOs; the soothing ideas 1.) that our expensive, out-of-control health care system can be extended to everyone in our society cheaper than it has been, 2.) that we have the resources to spend any amount of tax dollars on a national security system full of holes, 3.) that we can win a “war” on poverty, terrorism, and drugs, 4.) that we should be able to dominate world markets, especially the oil market and use whatever amount of petroleum we want, 5.) that we are smarter than other world leaders in solving their unique social, economic, and religious problems, 6.) that we can increase the unsound amounts of debt that our irresponsible politicians have incurred to placate the desires of our greedy citizens who have no idea what our inefficient government costs, but want more entitlements . Have you had enough examples yet?
In America it is politically incorrect to challenge time-honored institutions. One man, one worthless vote. One woman, another worthless vote. Free enterprise for the rich or those who have access to obscene amounts of credit. Both systems pay frequent lip service to the “good intentions” of “the folks” employed by the government or a large corporation in providing the public with reasonably priced, quality products and guaranteed satisfaction with their services. We’re all familiar with the glowing lies, the false promises, and the unintended consequences.
But let’s look at these two administrative systems closely. Are the boards of directors acting responsibly and heeding the desires of the smaller shareholders? Are our elected representatives aware of what the man- and woman-in-the-street need? Does any wage earner want the present income tax law except those who are granted the numerous favors? Is J. Q. Public petitioning for all the new legislation and regulation coming out of Washington and our state capitols? Does the average consumer desire all those products offered in the supermarkets, the styles on the clothes racks, the violent entertainment in the theaters, those innumerable air bags hidden in our cars, those annoying advertisements on TV, the junk mail, and the Internet spam?
These are examples of the “output” of our “wonderful” democracy who’s Republican AND Democratic Party leaders favor capitalism and merge their personal and political interests quietly with corporate interests. Just look at who is funding the political campaigns of both political parties. The poor, the unemployed, the disaffected? And look at who aren’t paying their fair share of income taxes? The corporations, the churches, and the non-profit organizations who pay their executives high salaries out of their under or untaxed income. Rugged individualism, laissez faire EPA rules, caveat emptor/caveat vendor, Gerrymandering districts, uncommon benefits for the members of Congress, disgraceful regulations covering soft money campaign donations, and “all that jazz.”
Shouldn’t we be asking ourselves why democracy and capitalism are failing us? Because both of them create rich, powerful mini-dictatorships with cowardly sycophants. Anyone who worked for the government or for a large corporation is familiar with the powerlessness of the lower level employees. Why are there unions for teachers and public employees, for factory and office workers? Why are there labor negotiators, arbitrators, and courts of last resort? Because our political/economic system won’t work without them. And why won’t it? Come on, you know.
Because most humans believe that the fittest of this species are not guided by their selfish human nature. Power tends to corrupt as anyone who bothers to read the daily newspaper already knows. Expose after expose, year in year out, corruption, misuse of funds, and other sly acts of using the law to abuse the helpless. Hubris abounds in the highest echelons of business and government. Laws that permit tax shelters for corporations registered in the West Indies. Economic policies like the recent record low interest rates that favor the bankers and financiers, not savers. Low minimum wages that favor small businessmen who don’t have to face unions. Purchasing policies that establish specifications that only certain favored suppliers can furnish. Regulating commissions (including auditors and inspectors) who are slow to respond and beholden to special interests other than the ultimate comsumer.
We shrug off these bad practices as the cost of doing business in America. We apologize for democracy and capitalism by saying “it’s the least worst of what society has come up with so far.” And we ignore the reality during all the hoopla of a presidential election that there is no plan to ameliorate the situations I have mentioned. Our presidential candidates are worried about how to end the war in Iraq, how to stop the threat of terrorism, how to hold down the high cost of petroleum, and how to get elected.
Are they doing anything about the record deficits, the flow of illegal immigrants, the loss of jobs to underpaid workers in China who work 11 hours per day, six days a week? Are they concerned about how we are going to attract young recruits to serve in our Armed Forces? They have been talking about tackling the health care “problem” for a decade now while watching the costs accelerate at more than double the inflation rate each year.
Are these the systems we want other countries to adopt who have very little experience with democracy and no borrowing facilities to sustain debt-driven capitalism? We don’t have to go along with the silver tongued politicians who promise changes and deliver few positive ones. Sooner or later, with this kind of abusive treatment in America, we will spawn our own home-grown terrorists who will infect our labor unions and influence our young and our poor.
The less than honest politicians spending far more that they collect in taxes won’t be able to do that forever. We don’t need political money managers like Alan Greenspan to tell us (when it’s convenient for him) that our leaders have no fiscal responsibility. That fiscal irresponsibility comes with the territory.
Who believed those unrealistic forecasts of billions of dollars of surplus tax revenues that Congress and the President used to justify the recent tax cuts and create the record deficit of fiscal 2004? All in the name of stimulating the economy! Yeah, right. Of China, perhaps.
In America we put drug pushers in jail because of the negative consequences derived from the products they sell. Shouldn’t we consider jail terms for those irresponsible folks who push democracy and free enterprise to the naive and inexperienced?
One presidential hopeful in this year’s race (2004) is proudly praising our efforts in bringing democracy to backward Afghanistan, while his opponent is grousing about the fact that the main cash crop produced there is still opium. The lucky people of that country now have a watered-down religious fundamentalism and a glorified freedom to beg rich foreign nations to invest in their farm and hand craft industries. Well, the world is a safer place for Americans, at least those who are not there as peace keepers and Bin Laden hunters.
Five years after our bombers ended Milosevic’s expansion dreams and a U. N. Coalition of troops “liberated” the Kosovo Albanians from Serbian oppression, the people who remain there don’t have an independent country, jobs for their youthful workers and a plan for the future. No solvent country wants to loan the Kosovars money, and no businessman wants to invest in a chaotic political/economic environment.
And what has happened to Somalia now that we have brought our freedom fighters home? The warlords and the pirates are still in charge, I guess. Does anyone who lives in the United States care? What are the leaders of the “fittest” going to do about Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Kashmir? Have those poor countries demonstrated that they are “fit” for self-determination, democracy, and capitalism? Give the oppressed who can’t escape their circumstances some humanitarian aid and hope for the best. Nature doesn’t require that the fit look after the unfit. That law is quite clear to us. We understand and obey it religiously despite the Gospel message that urges us to do otherwise.
Darwin predicted that the unfit will be gradually phased out. He contended that the behavior of the fit will assure that their progeny will have a better chance in facing adversity and surviving. However, he didn’t say anything about how much better the chances might be for those who embrace democracy and capitalism.
Freedom is an illusion. Creatures are not free from Nature’s laws. The invention of a social order that induces the public to believe that there can be a participation in running a large corporation or a government might prove successful over the short run. But, when that order morphs into the situation that we have in the United States, it is not fit for export to backward countries with little industry but the “industry” of the individuals themselves.
Wealthy countries and large corporations are not interested in developing “lesser developed” countries with their antiquated infrastructure and uneducated citizens, unless there is some hidden advantage for doing so that renders a quick return on their public or private investment. The fit will take care of themselves, not the unfit. Any act to do otherwise is suspect.
Lest you forget, most acts of the individuals working at any level of a large bureaucracy or a business enterprise are aimed at securing continued employment. It’s a different kind of jungle environment out there today. The victims of the ubiquitous high flying predators are always the first to suffer. Some educators contend that these victims can be retrained over time. In the meantime, good luck to the unfit that can’t fend for themselves!
