Re: lack of evolutionary pressures (was Re: An end to "courtappointed attorneys")

[Bill Frantz <frantz@netcom.com>]

Hi Adam.  A nice analysis.  However:

At 2:43 AM -0700 8/23/97, Adam Back wrote:
>The problem is what can you do about it?  Well I guess you could
>negatively structure the welfare hand out system to discourage them.
>You could scrap the welfare system.  They already offer free birth
>control advice to teenagers and hand out condoms free without
>questions etc.  Free abortions?
If we are going to do anything for free, it should be things which
encourage population reduction.  Anyone for a charity?

>
>The real problem is that the pervasive bleeding heart
>socialist/communist welfare system mentality will ensure that you'll
>never manage it.
>
>"The children" is a war cry which will ensure the continuance of state
>funded negative evolutionary pressures.

Don't always assume that these are negative evolutionary pressures.  One of
the hallmarks of Homo's evolutionary survival has been the ability to live
in many niches.  Welfare is one niche, and no one should be surprised when
organisms decide to live in an available niche.  The question is, what
happens when that niche goes away?

For example, I have one friend who raised her two children (spaced 12 years
apart) on welfare.  They are now grown and she has a job as a Unix
sysadmin.  She obviously has the ability to move from niche to niche.  (And
doesn't subscribe to the Protestant work ethic.)


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