Evolution quotes: Socialism 9 May 20129 May 2012 To the biologist the problem of socialism appears largely as a problem of size. The extreme socialists desire to run every nation as a single business concern. I do not suppose that Henry Ford would find much difficulty in running Andorra or Luxembourg on a socialistic basis. He has already more men on his pay-roll than their population. It is conceivable that a syndicate of Fords, if we could find them, would make Belgium Ltd or Denmark Inc. pay their way. But while nationalization of certain industries is an obvious possibility in the largest of states, I find it no easier to picture a completely socialized British Empire or United States than an elephant turning somersaults or a hippopotamus jumping a hedge. [J. B. S. Haldane, “On Being the Right Size” 1928] Evolution Politics Quotes
Quotes Evolution quotes 3 Jun 2010 It does me good to do difficult things. It does not prevent me from having a terrible need of, shall I say the word – of religion – then I go outside in the night to paint the stars and I dream ever of a picture like this with a… Read More
Censorship GetUp! gets up with ISP Filtering 26 Nov 2008 GetUp! is an excellent organisation that has been attacking the draconian laws of the “war” on terror, antigay laws, and so on. They now have a petition against ISP filtering. Go for it… Hat tip Samuel Douglas Read More
Evolution Myth 5: Darwin thought evolution relied on accidents and chance 20 Feb 200918 Sep 2017 This myth says a lot about the default views of western thinking, rather like the issue of teleology. Read More
” I find it no easier to picture a completely socialized British Empire or United States than an elephant turning somersaults or a hippopotamus jumping a hedge.” Or a completely socialized — and prosperous — Soviet Union or China.
Very slick piece of writing. The introduction to this brings the point vividly and dramatical to life. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7166801834924005619
…I’m not sure that the question of whether political/economic systems “work” is a biological question (or “problem”), unless many (many, many, many) parameters can first be defined in biological terms (jumping ability of elephants, for example). Unless, of course, all problems are biological problems.
Yes these mad Marxist scientist and their strange theories, as any sane historian would note the first question to ask is one of context.
Nice strawman in those ‘extreme socialists’ Haldane conjured up for us. What’s next, posts on how ‘extreme facists’ have it all wrong?
In 1928, this was indeed a concern. If he made comments about fascists of any stripe in 1928, I would say he was unduly prescient.