Quote:
Originally Posted by tisonlyi
Luck comes in many forms: Inherited wealth, health, positive life experiences, etc, etc, etc.
For each element of that luck, you could point to an example where it could be discounted. The thing is... individual success stories DO NOT imply that there is equal opportunity in the system as a whole to replicate that success for the rest of the un or underemployed population.
100% intention, dedication and motivation is wonderful and is a real bonus in the fight to claw your way to where you want to be, but it fails to account for the Black Swans of life (car accident, health scare, disruptive episodes, economic episodes outside of your control, etc, etc.), the systemic necessity to restrict opportunity to a few (capitalism needs social strata to function and it needs unemployment as necessary elements of the system) and the fact that not everyone has the guts, guile, will or intelligence to make it as either an Amway fucker-overer, brain surgeon or limousine entrepreneur...
If you really want social Darwinism rule of the most successful, and I think there's a thread of that in the argument that blames the victim, then you head straight to totalitarianism, probably fascistic in the Mussolini style... Directly.
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I guess Im the worst of the worst then, aside from the disabled and babies born addicted to drugs I don't believe there are any victims. I do think natural consequences are a difficult aspect of life, but its not like people are powerless to change their situation. Im speaking on a general sense. I remember when I worked in the medical field I had to tell a lady that her husband was not going to be able to get treatment for brain cancer he had contracted. It was a minor technical bullshit reason in his insurance. She remained silent for a minute and sadly said "OK, thank you". I never forget the feeling of anger I had toward the system. There are multitudes of stories like that. If someone becomes sick or otherwise disabled, ofcourse they should recieve the best treatment possible.
Are you basically saying Socialism is the optimal direction for society to strive towards. The punch line the Republicans use "penalized for success" is inaccurate?