Now yes, but he’s talking about the historical foundation of the natural rights debate. Maybe you’re not aware the origin and basic reason for the liberals’ beloved “Planned Parenthood.”To state that embracing eugenics it is a hallmark of progressive thinking is way way out there in bizarroland. CT is losing it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OP7ZzV4Z338
Upon my first reading about this this morning, my first reaction was that Thomas is ignoring (or lying) about the history of the Progressive movement. He of course blames the Democrat (Wilson) and ignores Progressivism's origins in the late 19th century, with Garfield and McKinley and Roosevelt and Taft (Republicans) adopting many progressive policies. Appears I wasn't the only one:
https://newrepublic.com/article/209183/clarence-thomas-history-progressivism-speech
Should a supreme Court justice, who arent supposed to be political (laughable I know) be making hyper partisan speeches filled with hateful rhetoric towards the other side?
We are supposed to believe these people are making decisions based on the letter of the law rather than personal bias
I would love to hear a speech from Thomas about how he is able to put his own biases aside in order to fairly apply the written law to his rulings. it would be interesting to hear what the most corrupt bribe taking, hyper partisan justice would come up with
Because many think right wing is the same as conservative and some also explain conservatism simply as the opposite of socialism.
Similar to how the entire premise of this discussion depends on conflating "liberal," "left," "socialist," "progressive," and "Democrat?"
LOL.To state that embracing eugenics it is a hallmark of progressive thinking is way way out there in bizarroland. CT is losing it.
Gemini:
- Science and Planning: Progressives championed the use of expert knowledge, science, and government expertise to solve social problems. They embraced Mendelian genetics (often in a misunderstood form) to believe that social problems like "feeblemindedness" and alcoholism were biologically inherited.
- "Race Suicide" Fear: Many progressives feared "race suicide," the belief that Anglo-Saxon Americans were being outbred and replaced by "inferior" immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, as well as by people with disabilities.
- Social Control: Progressives believed that human breeding should be socially managed by experts rather than left to chance, advocating for policies that would improve the genetic "stock" of the nation.
- Forced Sterilization: Progressive reformers, alongside academics and scientists, promoted and enacted involuntary sterilization laws for those deemed "unfit," such as the criminal, "feeble-minded," or epileptic. Indiana passed the first such law in 1907, with over 30 states eventually following.
- Immigration Restriction: Eugenic-minded progressives supported stricter immigration controls, arguing that certain immigrant groups were biologically inferior.
- The "Wage Test" and Social Control: Some reformers advocated for a minimum wage specifically to "identify" and "idle" workers deemed "unfit" (or "unemployable") who were willing to work for low wages, subsequently removing them from the labor market and placing them in institutions or "labor colonies".
- Better Baby Contests: Fitter Family competitions and Better Baby contests were held at state fairs to encourage the breeding of "desirable" traits.
- Theodore Roosevelt: Expressed serious concern over race suicide and supported the need for "superior" stocks to outbreed "inferior" ones.
- Margaret Sanger: Supported the regulation of reproduction to prevent the proliferation of those considered unfit.
- Academic Leaders: Prominent economists and sociologists like Richard T. Ely and Irving Fisher (who co-founded the American Eugenics Society) advocated for eugenic ideas.
- Woodrow Wilson: As Governor of New Jersey, signed a forced sterilization law in 1911.
- Efficiency: Eugenics was seen as a cheap and efficient way to handle complex problems. As one reformer argued, "Uplift was socially costly. Eugenics was cheap".
- State Power: Progressives believed in a strong state to regulate society. Eugenics required state intervention to, as Progressive Sidney Webb noted, "interfere, interfere, interfere!".
- Class Conflict: Eugenicists often equated poor and disadvantaged people with being biologically "inferior," using eugenics to address social ills by targeting the "unfit" poor, rather than addressing environmental or economic causes.
LOL.To state that embracing eugenics it is a hallmark of progressive thinking is way way out there in bizarroland. CT is losing it.
Gemini:
In the early 20th century (roughly 1890–1930), American progressives heavily supported the eugenics movement, viewing it as a scientific, rational, and modern solution to social ills such as poverty, crime, and social dependency. Progressives did not view eugenics as contradictory to their goals, but rather as an essential part of a broader reform agenda that prioritized the welfare of society over the rights of the individual.
The Core Connection: "Scientific" Reform
- Science and Planning: Progressives championed the use of expert knowledge, science, and government expertise to solve social problems. They embraced Mendelian genetics (often in a misunderstood form) to believe that social problems like "feeblemindedness" and alcoholism were biologically inherited.
- "Race Suicide" Fear: Many progressives feared "race suicide," the belief that Anglo-Saxon Americans were being outbred and replaced by "inferior" immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, as well as by people with disabilities.
- Social Control: Progressives believed that human breeding should be socially managed by experts rather than left to chance, advocating for policies that would improve the genetic "stock" of the nation.
Progressive Actions and Policies
- Forced Sterilization: Progressive reformers, alongside academics and scientists, promoted and enacted involuntary sterilization laws for those deemed "unfit," such as the criminal, "feeble-minded," or epileptic. Indiana passed the first such law in 1907, with over 30 states eventually following.
- Immigration Restriction: Eugenic-minded progressives supported stricter immigration controls, arguing that certain immigrant groups were biologically inferior.
- The "Wage Test" and Social Control: Some reformers advocated for a minimum wage specifically to "identify" and "idle" workers deemed "unfit" (or "unemployable") who were willing to work for low wages, subsequently removing them from the labor market and placing them in institutions or "labor colonies".
- Better Baby Contests: Fitter Family competitions and Better Baby contests were held at state fairs to encourage the breeding of "desirable" traits.
Key Proponents
- Theodore Roosevelt: Expressed serious concern over race suicide and supported the need for "superior" stocks to outbreed "inferior" ones.
- Margaret Sanger: Supported the regulation of reproduction to prevent the proliferation of those considered unfit.
- Academic Leaders: Prominent economists and sociologists like Richard T. Ely and Irving Fisher (who co-founded the American Eugenics Society) advocated for eugenic ideas.
- Woodrow Wilson: As Governor of New Jersey, signed a forced sterilization law in 1911.
Why Progressives Adopted Eugenics
- Efficiency: Eugenics was seen as a cheap and efficient way to handle complex problems. As one reformer argued, "Uplift was socially costly. Eugenics was cheap".
- State Power: Progressives believed in a strong state to regulate society. Eugenics required state intervention to, as Progressive Sidney Webb noted, "interfere, interfere, interfere!".
- Class Conflict: Eugenicists often equated poor and disadvantaged people with being biologically "inferior," using eugenics to address social ills by targeting the "unfit" poor, rather than addressing environmental or economic causes.
The link between progressives and eugenics only weakened later, as the scientific flaws of eugenics became clear, and the horrors of Nazi Germany’s application of these principles were revealed.
Just to be clear, I'm tad slow Brad. Hitler and Nazi Germany implemented progressive eugenics policies?
LOL.To state that embracing eugenics it is a hallmark of progressive thinking is way way out there in bizarroland. CT is losing it.
Gemini:
In the early 20th century (roughly 1890–1930), American progressives heavily supported the eugenics movement, viewing it as a scientific, rational, and modern solution to social ills such as poverty, crime, and social dependency. Progressives did not view eugenics as contradictory to their goals, but rather as an essential part of a broader reform agenda that prioritized the welfare of society over the rights of the individual.
The Core Connection: "Scientific" Reform
- Science and Planning: Progressives championed the use of expert knowledge, science, and government expertise to solve social problems. They embraced Mendelian genetics (often in a misunderstood form) to believe that social problems like "feeblemindedness" and alcoholism were biologically inherited.
- "Race Suicide" Fear: Many progressives feared "race suicide," the belief that Anglo-Saxon Americans were being outbred and replaced by "inferior" immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, as well as by people with disabilities.
- Social Control: Progressives believed that human breeding should be socially managed by experts rather than left to chance, advocating for policies that would improve the genetic "stock" of the nation.
Progressive Actions and Policies
- Forced Sterilization: Progressive reformers, alongside academics and scientists, promoted and enacted involuntary sterilization laws for those deemed "unfit," such as the criminal, "feeble-minded," or epileptic. Indiana passed the first such law in 1907, with over 30 states eventually following.
- Immigration Restriction: Eugenic-minded progressives supported stricter immigration controls, arguing that certain immigrant groups were biologically inferior.
- The "Wage Test" and Social Control: Some reformers advocated for a minimum wage specifically to "identify" and "idle" workers deemed "unfit" (or "unemployable") who were willing to work for low wages, subsequently removing them from the labor market and placing them in institutions or "labor colonies".
- Better Baby Contests: Fitter Family competitions and Better Baby contests were held at state fairs to encourage the breeding of "desirable" traits.
Key Proponents
- Theodore Roosevelt: Expressed serious concern over race suicide and supported the need for "superior" stocks to outbreed "inferior" ones.
- Margaret Sanger: Supported the regulation of reproduction to prevent the proliferation of those considered unfit.
- Academic Leaders: Prominent economists and sociologists like Richard T. Ely and Irving Fisher (who co-founded the American Eugenics Society) advocated for eugenic ideas.
- Woodrow Wilson: As Governor of New Jersey, signed a forced sterilization law in 1911.
Why Progressives Adopted Eugenics
- Efficiency: Eugenics was seen as a cheap and efficient way to handle complex problems. As one reformer argued, "Uplift was socially costly. Eugenics was cheap".
- State Power: Progressives believed in a strong state to regulate society. Eugenics required state intervention to, as Progressive Sidney Webb noted, "interfere, interfere, interfere!".
- Class Conflict: Eugenicists often equated poor and disadvantaged people with being biologically "inferior," using eugenics to address social ills by targeting the "unfit" poor, rather than addressing environmental or economic causes.
The link between progressives and eugenics only weakened later, as the scientific flaws of eugenics became clear, and the horrors of Nazi Germany’s application of these principles were revealed.
NOBODY gets it wrong more than Shooter!
The link between progressives and eugenics only weakened later, as the scientific flaws of eugenics became clear, and the horrors of Nazi Germany’s application of these principles were revealed.
The echoes are getting louder and louder.
"Race Suicide" Fear: Many progressives feared "race suicide," the belief that Anglo-Saxon Americans were being outbred and replaced by "inferior" immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, as well as by people with disabilities.
Immigration Restriction: Eugenic-minded progressives supported stricter immigration controls, arguing that certain immigrant groups were biologically inferior.
The link between progressives and eugenics only weakened later, as the scientific flaws of eugenics became clear, and the horrors of Nazi Germany’s application of these principles were revealed.The echoes are getting louder and louder.
"Race Suicide" Fear: Many progressives feared "race suicide," the belief that Anglo-Saxon Americans were being outbred and replaced by "inferior" immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, as well as by people with disabilities.
Immigration Restriction: Eugenic-minded progressives supported stricter immigration controls, arguing that certain immigrant groups were biologically inferior.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes." - Mark Twain*
*NB: probably not a real quotation, but the reason it's always attributed to him is that it's the kind of thing he would and should have said.
LOL.To state that embracing eugenics it is a hallmark of progressive thinking is way way out there in bizarroland. CT is losing it.
Gemini:
In the early 20th century (roughly 1890–1930), American progressives heavily supported the eugenics movement, viewing it as a scientific, rational, and modern solution to social ills such as poverty, crime, and social dependency. Progressives did not view eugenics as contradictory to their goals, but rather as an essential part of a broader reform agenda that prioritized the welfare of society over the rights of the individual.
The Core Connection: "Scientific" Reform
- Science and Planning: Progressives championed the use of expert knowledge, science, and government expertise to solve social problems. They embraced Mendelian genetics (often in a misunderstood form) to believe that social problems like "feeblemindedness" and alcoholism were biologically inherited.
- "Race Suicide" Fear: Many progressives feared "race suicide," the belief that Anglo-Saxon Americans were being outbred and replaced by "inferior" immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, as well as by people with disabilities.
- Social Control: Progressives believed that human breeding should be socially managed by experts rather than left to chance, advocating for policies that would improve the genetic "stock" of the nation.
Progressive Actions and Policies
- Forced Sterilization: Progressive reformers, alongside academics and scientists, promoted and enacted involuntary sterilization laws for those deemed "unfit," such as the criminal, "feeble-minded," or epileptic. Indiana passed the first such law in 1907, with over 30 states eventually following.
- Immigration Restriction: Eugenic-minded progressives supported stricter immigration controls, arguing that certain immigrant groups were biologically inferior.
- The "Wage Test" and Social Control: Some reformers advocated for a minimum wage specifically to "identify" and "idle" workers deemed "unfit" (or "unemployable") who were willing to work for low wages, subsequently removing them from the labor market and placing them in institutions or "labor colonies".
- Better Baby Contests: Fitter Family competitions and Better Baby contests were held at state fairs to encourage the breeding of "desirable" traits.
Key Proponents
- Theodore Roosevelt: Expressed serious concern over race suicide and supported the need for "superior" stocks to outbreed "inferior" ones.
- Margaret Sanger: Supported the regulation of reproduction to prevent the proliferation of those considered unfit.
- Academic Leaders: Prominent economists and sociologists like Richard T. Ely and Irving Fisher (who co-founded the American Eugenics Society) advocated for eugenic ideas.
- Woodrow Wilson: As Governor of New Jersey, signed a forced sterilization law in 1911.
Why Progressives Adopted Eugenics
- Efficiency: Eugenics was seen as a cheap and efficient way to handle complex problems. As one reformer argued, "Uplift was socially costly. Eugenics was cheap".
- State Power: Progressives believed in a strong state to regulate society. Eugenics required state intervention to, as Progressive Sidney Webb noted, "interfere, interfere, interfere!".
- Class Conflict: Eugenicists often equated poor and disadvantaged people with being biologically "inferior," using eugenics to address social ills by targeting the "unfit" poor, rather than addressing environmental or economic causes.
The link between progressives and eugenics only weakened later, as the scientific flaws of eugenics became clear, and the horrors of Nazi Germany’s application of these principles were revealed.
American progressives heavily supported the eugenics movement, viewing it as a scientific, rational, and modern solution to social ills such as poverty, crime, and social dependency
Crazy to go from this to defund the police, reparations, excess welfare, and a dependency on society.
The link between progressives and eugenics only weakened later, as the scientific flaws of eugenics became clear, and the horrors of Nazi Germany’s application of these principles were revealed.The echoes are getting louder and louder.
"Race Suicide" Fear: Many progressives feared "race suicide," the belief that Anglo-Saxon Americans were being outbred and replaced by "inferior" immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, as well as by people with disabilities.
Immigration Restriction: Eugenic-minded progressives supported stricter immigration controls, arguing that certain immigrant groups were biologically inferior.
Imagine if 1910s progressives had to deal with Muslims and Somalis... someone should make that movie
I could be wrong, but I think the common thread running through Clarence Thomas’s argument is that what these various movements have/had in common was centralized governmental control over decisions usurping an individual’s natural rights as opposed to citizens maintaining their inalienable natural rights. As such, your conflation would be a strawman.Because many think right wing is the same as conservative and some also explain conservatism simply as the opposite of socialism.
Similar to how the entire premise of this discussion depends on conflating "liberal," "left," "socialist," "progressive," and "Democrat?"
What’s interesting to me is a contemporary analysis of Thomas’ position vis a vis abortion and other social issues that the right seems intent usurping individual rights.