I have to give credit where credit is due... The guy makes me think in ways I'd sometimes rather not... All part of the super villain job, I suppose...
His recent post about wanting to argue "pro-racism," while seemingly a most gross and disturbing idea, has made me actually be brave enough to put onto this post some things that have run through my mind lately (much like Journey Woman gave me the gumption to post honestly about race in the U.S. with her post here)... I'm not saying these thoughts are concrete in any way (i.e., these are not active beliefs as such, merely speculations in the most general of senses...), so please keep this in mind before hopping on your high horse and using wood for martyrdom that someone else might need to keep warm tonight...
I've been wondering how many of our medical advances, such as vaccines and other medical "miracles," are harming our evolution as a species...
It wasn't until marvels such as antibiotics appeared that the human population has exploded, to the point where some could make a valid argument about not only how much we strain the limits of what we can do as a society, but what our planet can sustain and still be an equitable environment for most...
Granted, life and death decisions are never easy, but have we reached a point where "living," and trying to make sure everyone has the best possible odds of living, been actually retroactive in allowing the human race to achieve even greater levels of technology, life quality, and overall success?
Then we must ask, what is the goal of humanity? What is it we are trying to achieve, and why? Is it simply a better life for all? Is it just trying to reach a point where we can all "just get along"? Is it to attain some type of nirvana, in which we "ascend" to such a high level of "being" that we exceed physical and bodily constraints?
I suppose everyone has their own goals and dreams about life in general, both individually and societally--in fact, it pretty much lays the foundation for the "culture wars" we in the U.S. find ourselves in...
But at the risk of sounding "Scroogish," and openly advocating the "depletion of the excess population," while we can applaud the merits of helping the poor get on their feet, the sick get well, and the mentally and physically challenged be able to contribute both to their own well-being as well as contribute in greater numbers to society (in whatever type of scenario you can fathom), how much helping is too much helping? In other words, when does being a "nanny society" actually hinder human advancement rather than promote it?
Where is the line?
I know some of you will find this thought-process dangerous, "slippery slopish," and all around perhaps a waste of neuron activity. But I ask you, with all the bitching about health care costs (brought on by a society that wants everyone to live a GREAT life, let alone survive), the welfare system (in a society where everyone NEEDS to have more than they need), and an out-of-control youth culture (in a society in which 90% would rather blame the system than themselves for their children's behavior problems [whether that be in the form of allowing prayer and bible readings, or in refusing to let teachers do their job as they see fit]), where do you draw the line? When do we say, "I'm sorry, but these resources could be better spent on such-and-such [the smarter child, the healthier baby, the kid who didn't sleep around and destroy her chances at living a life free from herpes...] rather than on such-and-such [the retarded kid, the near-death child, the kid who slept her way through high school]."
When does trying to care for EVERYONE become a burden rather than a blessing?
As I said, these aren't concrete beliefs, in that, this isn't something I'll be advocating anytime soon on your local New York street corner... But they *are* questions that I feel merit a look-at, and was wondering what you think, dear reader?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
hello jason, your mother was a busy person this morning. i wrote comments on 2 other blogs!! i am getting out in this world! well, i have to say i feel the goverment does take on to much and i feel our churches should take up so much more. i am disappointed in the churches since i feel we should be reaching out more than they do. and we should be careful on how much you should help others since some people will not just take your hand out but your whole arm. we had family members that did this if you remember. :) i always say we have to help where we can and we won't ever have all the answers to everything but we should keep trying to do what we can to help and not expect goverment to foot the bill on everything. i feel very strongly that we all are here for a reason good and bad. we should try to do what we can and we should keep trying to help where we can. we will never have anything that is just right and so try to enjoy what life we do have and give back where we can. when i finally kick the bucket i want the few people that will remember me afterwards that i always tried to give them smiles and not frowns. also, good coutry music and the most important thing i leave behind is how to join me in heaven! :) i guess i will also leave behind a very clean house. i think i ran the sweeper at least 50 times since sat. well, i am starting to go off again. i do that often. :) well, love and prayers ps i love this not doing letters thing!
"while we can applaud the merits of helping the poor get on their feet, the sick get well"
THAT'S SO NOT TRUE! I'm going through some stuff right now, that I only wish people would help me get through. I don't mean, "Hey Sylvia, we're here for ya" crap either. I mean, good 'ole fashioned help from the government, or maybe my state....But, sigh - I've been there, done that.
Anyway, hi Jason!
And, mom this whole not having to type in letters is nice, isn't it???
Love ya!
hello jason, this is for sylvia since after reading her comment i want to make it clear to her the churches should do more and not just with words but with actions some how. we have churches that can afford to do so much more and they don't. in your case sylvia i feel you should get some help some place and i don't understand why you keep running into the walls you do. after looking at the cnn thing i feel some of these pastors of big churches should not worry so much about getting into goverment and take the money they seem to have for rallies and help out the people that need the help in medical problems, fires, and etc. thats what i meant by churches should help more. love and prayers to you both! :)
"I've been wondering how many of our medical advances, such as vaccines and other medical "miracles," are harming our evolution as a species..."
"It wasn't until marvels such as antibiotics appeared that the human population has exploded, to the point where some could make a valid argument about not only how much we strain the limits of what we can do as a society, but what our planet can sustain and still be an equitable environment for most..."
Hi Jason, one is always walking on thin ice if one speaks out against 'medicine' interfering with natural selection.
The truth is we can sustain the population explosion, but clearly if people don't die thru natural causes - you can bet someone will come up with a plan for humane culling of humans.
Funnily enough in the past, those who thought themselves superior or 'aristocrats' would drag others (the masses) into senseless wars. We were supposed to believe that WWII was going to be the last time two sides were going to cull vast numbers of their male population in trencgh warfare, so that those remaining - the survivors - could have more.
Yep fighting for democracy or freedom, or queen & country, has featured large in history - to make the rich richer.
But oddly enough there has been one country that has been at war continuously since world war ii, repeatedly culled ither races in their hundreds of thousands (and millions) and continued to grow fat living off the fat of the land and the profits of war.
But hey, c'est la vie.
Mever mind Iran. I've heard some US neocons think the best way to save the planet is to nuke China.
The problem with finding answers is....there IS no easy answer. And we might think we find a nice pat solution, until the solution applies to US or to those we love. Regarding controlling the population explosion: It would be easy to say, "we don't need the sick, the elderly, the mentally retarded, the blacks, the asians, the mexicans. I could go on and on. We'd run into a wall, and try to make exceptions and loopholes for SOMEBODY because they FIT the solution and we don't want to lose them. I hope I'm making sense here. I don't believe it's a human's place to make decisions that belong to God...but that opens up another whole can of worms! ;)
Good to know that I am so inspiring! BWA HA HA HA!! I must admit, I never thought I'd see the day when someone ELSE agreed with my "mass murder=good thing" idea, even in the slightest sense.
But let me get something strait here. I am not all about killing one type of person over another. There are plenty of 'retarded kids' as you put it that hold down jobs, obey the laws, and contribute to society. Same goes for people with herpes, pregnant unwed teens, the terminally ill, and even the lifelong imprisoned. But the question is not "are you worth saving?" That question is too broad and subjective...an issue of morality(UGH!). The question is "What can you contribute?" It is not about being elderly, diseased, or disabled.
Consider Stephen Hawking who has ALS, or 101 year old Ray Jenkins the oldest actively employed person in the US, or Glenn Malmskog the first full duty amputee firefighter in the history of California, or Micheal J. Johnson the artist and painter with down syndrome. There are plenty of young, perfectly healthy, able bodied people who don't contribute a damn thing. But people just seem to have a problem with kulling large numbers of lazy young people.
And another thing, people who picket outside of abortion clinics don't value the sanctity of life, they just value babies (and yeah, there's a difference). Otherwise, they would also picket outside of fertility clinics demanding a stop to un-naturally FORCED life. If you are not meant to bare children, either adopt one of the leftovers or stop diluting and weakening our collective gene pool. Natural selection is there for a reason, you just weren't selected. Deal with it!
Nature has a way of regulating itself in evolution. However because of our brains, we have evolved past the normal issues of finding food and avoiding predators. We are top of the food chain and top of the brain chain. When a species becomes as advanced and adaptable as ours, the only natural evolutionary factors become disease and infertility. But once we are able to defeat even those factors, it becomes our own responsibility to regulate ourselves in order to advance as a species. The answer is easy: Mass Murder. People who say there are no easy answers have minds that are clouded by societal laws, religion, and sentiment. I say, Don't kill all the elderly, sick, retarded, blacks, mexicans, asians. Kill all the USELESS elderly, sick, retarded, blacks, mexicans, asians! Let's move forward with the best of the bunch and cut the straglers loose.
Speaking of Race...
The Amazing Race starts in a few weeks! Just thought I'd remind you.
I'm way too lazy to comment for real because that would use up my precious brain power. :)
Sorry I missed lunch. Maybe we could plan something soon?
Good to know that I am so inspiring! BWA HA HA HA!! I must admit, I never thought I'd see the day when someone ELSE agreed with my "mass murder=good thing" idea, even in the slightest sense.
But let me get something strait here. I am not all about killing one type of person over another. There are plenty of 'retarded kids' as you put it that hold down jobs, obey the laws, and contribute to society. Same goes for people with herpes, pregnant unwed teens, the terminally ill, and even the lifelong imprisoned. But the question is not "are you worth saving?" That question is too broad and subjective...an issue of morality(UGH!). The question is "What can you contribute?" It is not about being elderly, diseased, or disabled.
Consider Stephen Hawking who has ALS, or 101 year old Ray Jenkins the oldest actively employed person in the US, or Glenn Malmskog the first full duty amputee firefighter in the history of California, or Micheal J. Johnson the artist and painter with down syndrome. There are plenty of young, perfectly healthy, able bodied people who don't contribute a damn thing. But people just seem to have a problem with kulling large numbers of lazy young people.
And another thing, people who picket outside of abortion clinics don't value the sanctity of life, they just value babies (and yeah, there's a difference). Otherwise, they would also picket outside of fertility clinics demanding a stop to un-naturally FORCED life. If you are not meant to bare children, either adopt one of the leftovers or stop diluting and weakening our collective gene pool. Natural selection is there for a reason, you just weren't selected. Deal with it!
Nature has a way of regulating itself in evolution. However because of our brains, we have evolved past the normal issues of finding food and avoiding predators. We are top of the food chain and top of the brain chain. When a species becomes as advanced and adaptable as ours, the only natural evolutionary factors become disease and infertility. But once we are able to defeat even those factors, it becomes our own responsibility to regulate ourselves in order to advance as a species. The answer is easy: Mass Murder. People who say there are no easy answers have minds that are clouded by societal laws, religion, and sentiment. I say, Don't kill all the elderly, sick, retarded, blacks, mexicans, asians. Kill all the USELESS elderly, sick, retarded, blacks, mexicans, asians! Let's move forward with the best of the bunch and cut the straglers loose.
hello jason, your mother was a busy person this morning. i wrote comments on 2 other blogs!! i am getting out in this world! well, i have to say i feel the goverment does take on to much and i feel our churches should take up so much more. i am disappointed in the churches since i feel we should be reaching out more than they do. and we should be careful on how much you should help others since some people will not just take your hand out but your whole arm. we had family members that did this if you remember. :) i always say we have to help where we can and we won't ever have all the answers to everything but we should keep trying to do what we can to help and not expect goverment to foot the bill on everything. i feel very strongly that we all are here for a reason good and bad. we should try to do what we can and we should keep trying to help where we can. we will never have anything that is just right and so try to enjoy what life we do have and give back where we can. when i finally kick the bucket i want the few people that will remember me afterwards that i always tried to give them smiles and not frowns. also, good coutry music and the most important thing i leave behind is how to join me in heaven! :) i guess i will also leave behind a very clean house. i think i ran the sweeper at least 50 times since sat. well, i am starting to go off again. i do that often. :) well, love and prayers ps i love this not doing letters thing!
Post a Comment