Rich vs Poor: 'Survival of the fittest'

[jacee]

In repeated tests, rats freed another trapped rat in their cage, even when yummy chocolate served as a tempting distraction. Twenty-three of the 30 rats opened the trap by pushing in a door. The rats could have gobbled the chocolate before freeing their partners, but often didn't, choosing to help and share the goodies.

So even rats take care of rats in distress, while far right wing humans prefer the poor to die quietly in alleys out of sight and out of mind, rather than help them with housing and welfare.

7 rats out of 30 didn't help the caged one but ate the chocolate themselves. That's about 23%, and by my reading, that's about the percentage of hard right human predators in Canada who feel the rest are out to get them.

We haven't evolved any further than the rats yet.

"It's a very, very obvious demonstration of the phenomena," Mogil said. Both scientists said social empathy is probably a characteristic that is important in the evolution of animals. Mason joked that if rats can be so caring and helpful "there's a sense of optimism. It's something we could be."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2011/12/09/rats-empathy-chicago.html

Edited December 11, 2011 by jacee

[August1991]

So even rats take care of rats in distress, while far right wing humans prefer the poor to die quietly in alleys out of sight and out of mind, rather than help them with housing and welfare.

Only the far right wing? For the next year or so, the US Left will argue that everyone on the Right has no sympathy for the poor.

The US Democrats will present this as the great issue of our age: 1% is getting richer, and everyone else is getting poorer. Obama will protect the middle class.

----

We in Canada will suffer this US silly season. Thank God that Harper has his majority until 2015.

Edited December 11, 2011 by August1991

[cybercoma]

Only the far right wing? For the next year or so, the US Left will argue that everyone on the Right has no sympathy for the poor.

The US Democrats will present this as the great issue of our age: 1% is getting richer, and everyone else is getting poorer. Obama will protect the middle class.

----

We in Canada will suffer this US silly season. Thank God that Harper has his majority until 2015.

What are you arguing here?

For the record, Obama was successful because he campaigned in a different direction. While the Old Left and Old Right have been involved in fighting the Culture War (the Right ramped this up after Obama's victory), he was making a different argument. Obama ran a campaign that said there was no Culture War and that we could all work together. He tried to engage the disengaged. Of course, this is a total myth. The Right has ramped up their divisive politics, trying to deepen the polarization in American politics. If you can keep the masses fighting each other, they pay no attention to the "man behind the curtain."

[Keepitsimple]

This thread should have been under US Politics as there is not even a tendency towards far-right in Canada. Center-right is about as far as Canada ever got compared to other countries around the world. The old Liberals and current Conservatives are about as smack in the middle as you can get....both believing and protecting the Social Safety net of CPP, EI, Healthcare, and Old Age Security. The only variance in centrist policies in Canada is the degree of personal responsibility versus the nanny-state "it's not really their fault" approach.

[CPCFTW]

Truly a brilliant study with a reasonable and logical conclusion..

Now what happens when you lock a person in a room, and have a steak dinner in the other room? I would think a wealthy far right ring extremist baby-eating predator would open the door and share the dinner. Whereas a feeble, hungry, and poor "woe-is-me" left wing "humanitarian" would eat the dinner himself before freeing the prisoner. Then he would blame corporations and society for his greed.

[jacee]

Truly a brilliant study with a reasonable and logical conclusion..

Now what happens when you lock a person in a room, and have a steak dinner in the other room? I would think a wealthy far right ring extremist baby-eating predator would open the door and share the dinner. Whereas a feeble, hungry, and poor "woe-is-me" left wing "humanitarian" would eat the dinner himself before freeing the prisoner. Then he would blame corporations and society for his greed.

Well, yes, you "would think" that, as you would ascribe your own ill intent to others.

Those who lie, cheat, steal or victimize others suspect others of lying., cheating stealing and victimizing.

Those who understand the interdependence of humanity do none of the above.

Our current social problem is that we've allowed the liars, cheaters, thieves and predators to run the economy.

We have to change that.

Thanks for demonstrating the problem so clearly.

[Tilter]

In repeated tests, rats freed another trapped rat in their cage, even when yummy chocolate served as a tempting distraction. Twenty-three of the 30 rats opened the trap by pushing in a door. The rats could have gobbled the chocolate before freeing their partners, but often didn't, choosing to help and share the goodies.

So even rats take care of rats in distress, while far right wing humans prefer the poor to die quietly in alleys out of sight and out of mind, rather than help them with housing and welfare.

7 rats out of 30 didn't help the caged one but ate the chocolate themselves. That's about 23%, and by my reading, that's about the percentage of hard right human predators in Canada who feel the rest are out to get them.

We haven't evolved any further than the rats yet.

"It's a very, very obvious demonstration of the phenomena," Mogil said. Both scientists said social empathy is probably a characteristic that is important in the evolution of animals. Mason joked that if rats can be so caring and helpful "there's a sense of optimism. It's something we could be."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2011/12/09/rats-empathy-chicago.html

I DOUBT THE STORY BUT NOT THE MORAL OF THE STORY.

I HAVE SEEN RATS CAGED TOGETHER in a lab AND MANY TIMES THE RATS WILL FIGHT& kill each other and the live will eat the dead

[Jack Weber]

Polski orgorki,anyone???

I know...I'll spam a message board in a language most here don't understand??

Brilliant,huh??

Did your grandfather lead the cavalry charge in 1939?

Edited December 12, 2011 by Jack Weber

[Steve T]

<snip>

I would think a wealthy far right ring extremist baby-eating predator would open the door and share the dinner. Whereas a feeble, hungry, and poor "woe-is-me" left wing "humanitarian" would eat the dinner himself before freeing the prisoner. Then he would blame corporations and society for his greed.

Well, yes, you "would think" that, as you would ascribe your own ill intent to others.

<snip>

Thanks for demonstrating the problem so clearly.

...jacee, it seems to me that you did not read CPCFTW's full note! He ascribed the ill intent to the "...left wing 'humanitarian'" but suggested that the "right ring [sic] extremist baby-eating predator" would make the "virtuous," rat-like choice. <grin> Personally, I don't think either choice is intrinsically "good" or "bad," simply that people are likely to, and hopefully will, act in their own interest, which may result in sharing and may not. Why "hopefully?" Because if they don't, then they must be guessing what others' interest is, something one can't possibly know as well as one knows one's own. Fewer unintended consequences and the chaotic conditions likely to result are thus reduced.

[NWRS]

So do you think if one of the rats did nothing for itself but beg or steal from the others that they would continue to allow it?

If i see someone get their car stuck ill offer to push, but if they are always getting stuck it is their behavior that needs modifying, not mine. Stupid thread.

[Hydraboss]

So do you think if one of the rats did nothing for itself but beg or steal from the others that they would continue to allow it?

Of course. They're Canadian rats.