As for the article, it's rubbish from start to finish.
I have another theory: the war on poverty is a quagmire.
This statement tells you that you need read no further. The writer is a kook.
But where this jackass and most other Europeans miss the boat is us every day Americans will fix the damn problems while the cover-your-ass politicians of all persuasions primp for the cameras. We get our backs bowed up and resolve our problems . . . instead of talking them to death like the Euro-Weenies do.
THAT IS THE AMERICAN WAY.
On another thread there's discussion of The Today Shows contention that Bush is "throwing billions of dollars" at NO and questions about whether the money will be effectively spent.
Do you think the Today show is advocating social Darwinism or just bashing Bush with the other side of the bat now that they can't say he isn't reacting effectively to the crisis?
In 1932 Hoover lost both his reputation and the presidency in a landslide to his Democratic challenger Franklin Roosevelt. The New Deal FDR ushered in - signing 15 bills in his first 100 days - almost drove a stake through the heart of Social Darwinism. Never before had government so directly shored up the lives of individual Americans at every social level and class.
If one of the defining characteristics of the Great Depression had been a permanent underclass that engaged in a large-scale looting campaign and attacked government relief workers throughout the country, the New Deal would have been built around a massive domestic military effort that would have killed tens of thousands of people.
Living up here on the fringe of the Northwoods (where people are used to the foul balls tossed at us by Mother Nature), that a bad hurricane hit, tore up a bunch of stuff and flooded a city that was sitting below sea level.
Next.
I've lived through thirteen Presidents and I've not seen as compassionate a man in the Oval Office as George W. Bush. He hugs people (even his enemies!) and he prays with people.
If a man practices his faith, lives it and is attacked unreasonably from a hundred directions, he's probably a Christian. It's an old tradition in this world.
It's all Darwin's fault.
"Social Darwinism" is an absurd construct of Progressive leftists who seek to forestall rational debate by throwing around pejorative characterizations of opposing viewpoints.
Arguing policy with anyone who would use the phrase "Social Darwinism" is an exercise in unproductivity.
That said, even if one accepts the author's characterization for argument's sake, it is clear that the last 150 years of Western civilization have been not about "Social Darwinism," but about "Political Darwinism," which is the most socially destructive kind of "Darwinism" there is.
Just a little bit over the top. Let's see what things look like by Christmas. The seaport and airport are starting to function.
As to the underclass, regardless of color, the welfare system hurts as much as helps. We had 'welfare reform' in 1996 and since then the 'advocates' and bureaucrats have been chipping away at that and making it as ineffective as they can.
(snort) Long-distance wishful thinking from a self-congratulatory Eurobrit. Where's the notice of the outpouring of help from Texas, etc., hardly a socialist nirvana? Everything about Katrina says America Triumphant--even the howling liberal nitpicking...
"So why then is Hoover almost a dirty word in the history books? It is because faced with a bigger challenge than the floods - the Great Depression with 13 million out of work - he refused to recognise the responsibility of government to relieve individual suffering.
Utter Bull-Shiite.
Hoover's mistake was listening to Congress. And what did Congress want you ask - HIGHER TAXES and TARIFFS.
That was the answer to the depression - which didn't start out as one. As tax revenues initially decreased, Congress clamored for HIGHER TAXES & TARIFFS to make up the difference. So taxes were raised and Hoover signed then into law, and naturally revenues decreased so CONGRESS and Hoover raised them AGAIN. Thereby and once again reducing revenue. SO kiddies, what did Congress do, RAISED THEM some more and wah-la, revenue decreased some more (get the picture here).
You'll note that the above scenario is the exact 'plan' the Democrats had to solve the CLINTON recession Dubya inherited in 2000 and is their answer to everything; if revenue decreases we'll raise taxes and if revenue still doesn't increases then we'll raise them some more as it's only logical (to moon bats) that we didn't raise them HIGH enough the first time.
"After so many years of Social Darwinism, Hurricane Katrina could reawaken the American people's appetite for compassion in government."
The main problem was the incompetant response by the State and Local Governments in LA. The stete govts are primarily responsible for insuring public safety, evacuations and storm response. Since the feds are now presumed to be responsible for all this and more, I suggest disbanding the State and Local govts since they are now largely ceremonial in nature.
Katrina is the antithesis of a cause for return to anything but Darwanism. Socialist molly-coddling let governments build housing where people could not naturally survive. Without the levees to protect against the spring floods, New Orleans could not have grown as it did. Without the government stepping in to build housing, there would have not been housing in the poorest- and hardest hit- areas of New Orleans. Without the government providing a means of living, namely welfare, the people living in that poor housing abutting the levees would not have been able to live there. Socialism doomed those people to die. Had they been following the natural order they would have left an area where there were no jobs, poor housing and constant natural disasters.
The good Lord created the Mississippi, man fracked it up.
With regards to your Intelligent Design vs.Evolution argument:
If you are a proponent of Intelligent Design, it's apparent that intelligence and the basic survival instinct (in terms of getting out of the way of a 300-mile wide Cat 5 storm with 48 hours notice) were seriously lacking in New Orleans.
If you are a proponent of Evolution, it's apparent that some of our brethren in New Orleans still haven't evolved past the semi-ape like state (although they've been well trained to cry, whine, b*tch and moan and extend their hands for a welfare check).
In either case, neither elected officials nor the general populace proved capable of pouring p*ss from a boot with instructions on the heel. Enlightened self-interest merely meant looting the local Wal-Mart and stealing items which had very little to do with ensuring survival. I'm sure all those who stole home electronics and jewelry now wish they had devoted their energies to building boats, stealing bicycles or walking out of the city while there was still time.
Perhaps Darwin was right after all, no?