Are there strata of society, or families or the top X% of something: wealth, poverty, etc. whose deaths would raise the average human well being?
Well certainly. Getting rid of all the poor people who suck resources or the elderly would tremendously benefit everyone else but I don't think many of us would want to live in a society that actually practices that.
So you are asking who constitutes the surplus population that should be eliminated? I have a suggestion...
Who was the person in the 20th century whose death would have done the most good? I thought of Hitler or Stalin, but settled on Woodrow Wilson. Without him neither of these figures would have been possible. The chap who killed Archduke Ferdinand is another good candidate. Though that war was inevitable due to the alliances of the time.
That is a shallow polemic. Doing what you suggest would most certainly lower human well being in the net. Your points may not even hold up well to an exclusively intellectual measure of human well being (such as economic or environmental) let alone a full scale measure including emotion and volition.
The definitive action which makes the world, or a nation, or an individual good or bad starts with their willingness to abuse other people- denying them liberty, taking their assets, imprisoning to prevent them from objecting- controlling their decisions, forcing values or customs on them. The worst of such people are violent without cause. For example a serial killer or mass murderer- If evidence is truly sound beyond question, appeals are a waste of time and execution serves us best. There are many such groups. The universally fair concept of justice and responsibility is simple- you stand on your own feet, make your own way, your interactions with other people are voluntary, and all people keep their word, and you do not deny others the same right. There are people like that in the world. Unfortunately, they are far from a majority- so we deal with what we have. Some of us are noble and outstanding. Some of us are parasites and vicious predators. However our society sometimes has a hard time telling the difference.
Now, you're tinking along the sa Actually, that's not historically accurate. The very worst things, on the very largest scales, have been done out of benevolence than malice. We have only to look at the twentieth century to see example after example of the very best intentions having the very worst effects. Even today, in places like Venezuela and the middle east to see the devastation that comes from imposing the very best intentions of some upon others by force of law. The one thing that all socialists, fascists, communists and islamists have in common is the sincere desire to have their very best intentions for others imposed upon them by force of law. As C. S. Lewis wrote; "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under a robber baron than under omnipotent moral busy bodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes rest, his cupidity may, at some point, be satiated. But those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end because they do so with the approve of their own conscience.
Two excellent posts, this one and the one by Spiritgide. Please comment on my posts "are all taxes theft". Finally, we already think it is OK to kill babies, so I guess it would be ok to kill someone who got through the abortion genocide, to be killed in the 320th trimester (at the age of 80), or any other age) wouldn't be much of a stretch for bloodthirsty liberals.
For the most part, I agree. I didn't say those people acted in the belief that they were doing harm. Some thought they actually were doing something beneficial- but I would also say even those were doing from their own perspective. I once had a guy in a management class that claimed he had a system that would eliminate most of the worlds problems. Of course, it included people all doing what he thought they should do. When you do something that is morally wrong, it takes some kind of rationalization to make it acceptable. Even the best intended had to dismiss the wishes of the people they sought to control, for reasons such as they were ignorant, wanted to be told what to do, etc- always diminishing them while doing the right thing for them. Yes, worse when it's done covertly than when it's done openly.
If not for safe, legal abortion, there now be among us, just here in the US, another sixty million people all raised by mothers who would have just as soon killed them had it been legal. Perhaps, abortion does kill the 'right' people. Death to the unwanted - Keep abortion legal
At least you are honest. You will kill the babies, next the homeless, next the Jews, next the old (which you will someday be) will become expendable. Your turn is coming!!! Maybe in the end, the right people. Abortion is the reason we have a border invasion. The well connected still need their slaves they have enjoyed throughout history.
Antonio just left for the evening. Toto's 18. He'll be headed off to Greensboro College on a presidential scholarship in a few weeks. We raised him because I talked his mother out of aborting him. He's like a son to me, but he is no kin to me. I just believe that if you talk someone out of an abortion, you should be prepared to step up and raise the child yourself. The only time one ever has any place in another's life is if you're there to help. Foisting upon the rest of us someone raised by a mother who would have just as soon killed him had it been legal doesn't help anyone, especially the kid.
