http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/abortion_south_dakota

This quote seems to be simply absurd from two perspectives. First, it goes against the basic tenet of Republican philosophy of small government interference. The Republican party does not seek to protect the weak-that is a philosophy espoused by the liberals, who support welfare, education, and at least minimal public health care support. However, Republican philosophy stresses social darwinism, not care and protection for the weak.

His statement could be expected by a religious conservative of the kind of William Jennings Bryan, but not the Republican party.

Secondly, the test of civilization is rarely if EVER the standard people use to judge civilization. Most civlizations practiced exposure or religious repression of one kind or another (heretic burnings in Europe, sacrifice in Mesoamerica, Kafir execution in the Islamic world, medium-killing in Bantu society, and so on). Bigots tend to hold these acts against other civilizations where they turn a blind eye to similair behaviors from their own bretheren, but for the most part this "test" does not seem to be recognized (how many times have we heard Eurocentrists cite human sacrifice in Mesoamerica as an example of why their civilization was inferior, or the killing of polytheists by Muslims?).

In fact, conservative icons for what civilization should be frequently fail this test. The Catholic church actively supported Croatian genocide during the 40s in Bosnia, for instance, and I dont think anyone would argue that the Catholic church fails 'tests of civilization.'

The brutality and lack of compassion from all these civlizations did not lessen the significance of what actually made them civilizations however. The moral, artistic, and social values of these civilizations were lasting and shaped the world they existed in, and they all endured. The difference between civilization and a lack of civilization is the carrying of values from one generation to another, not care for the weak (though that may be a value).

I'd argue that the standards of a moral system can be judged that way, but civilization has nothing to do with protecting the weak. The test of a civilization is not how kindly it treats the weak, as important that is ethically, but the endurance of culture.

This post has been edited by necrolyte: Mar 6 2006, 10:42 PM