Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 12:16:42 -0600
From: Sandi and Scott Spaeth <vespass-AT-swbell.net>
Subject: Re: Fw: rights (was ...talks shite)


At 06:13 AM 2/2/03 +0000, you wrote:
>Why can't jennifer say that society is an organism and be right???
>
>
>I'm an organism made up of millions of tiny cells that are keenly 
>interested in self-preservation.
>
>Society is an organism made up of millions of individuals keenly 
>interested in self-preservation.
>
>
>Except cells don't live under a "government", and the don't pay taxes.
>Bryan.

But cells can't fucking exist on their own, while an individual can live 
without a society,  Cells have no independent wills or desires while an 
individual does.  Cells can't decide to form or dissolve an organism to 
suit best their own individual needs, but multiple individuals can.

Society as an organism isn't a new analogy, but that doesn't make it any 
less lousy.  That analogy is what lets those who choose to consider 
themselves the "brains" of society sacrifice individuals in the name of 
"the good of the whole".   Just like an animal might chew it's own leg off 
when caught in a trap, Leaders can sacrifice those portions of society that 
hold them back from where they want to go.   Society as an organism is 
anti-human, statist and more than a little bit psychotic.

To the degree that people form social structures, those structures should 
exist for the benefit of the individuals involved and not 
vice-versa.  Those structures should be created, modified and abolished to 
suit the needs and desires of the individuals who voluntarily comprise 
it.   Of course "should be" isn't "are" thanks to the widespread belief in 
a bad analogy.

Hence my hostility.

cheers,
scott