Darwin Rides Again

At the risk of sounding like something I don't intend, I have some serious questions about relying on the free market to manage itself. My guess is, I'm not alone if you look at the actions being taken in the Executive Branch. But the concerns I have stem from thinking about Darwinian theory.

If I understand it correctly, survival of the fittest means those species most adapted to their environment are most likely to be the ones that reproduce and thrive in adverse conditions. Now, this concept seems to be getting a lot of airplay lately as pundits argue about the appropriateness of a government bailout. Some insist the market itself is best capable of determining which businesses should survive and which should not.

There was a time -- not long ago, actually -- when a different kind of market determined the fate of human beings. I'm referring to that period in history before the advent of modern medicine. Just a little over a hundred years ago, battlefield amputation was common practice because there was little doctors could do to manage infection. More recently, I remember the polio scare of the 1950s. I doubt anyone would suggest we had no business intervening in the course of natural selection by developing antibiotics, vaccines, and learning how to treat diseases effectively.

Ultimately, we've grown in our knowledge and practice of medicine because it is humane to do so. We want calling a doctor to be a good thing. Can you imagine taking a sick child to the hospital only to be told that because she was ill and could not heal herself, she was not among those naturally selected for survival? True, some would argue managed care does precisely this but that's a topic for another day.

My point is, just like that child, the American economy is sick and most of us are suffering because of it. Intervention may not be entirely popular but clearly the market hasn't been able to heal itself. "Watch and wait" can be a very reasonable medical strategy in some situations, but if we do that with the economy the outcome may be far worse than the treatment.

Speaking metaphorically, there are some who seem to long for the good old days of Civil War medicine. You got shot, you lost your leg. Somewhere along the line people decided they wanted a better future than one spent on crutches. I think it's time we thought the same way about the economy. It's not something that can be regarded as independent of that living and breathing entity we call the American People. The economy is all of us working, living and sharing a fate that, together, we create. Its survival depends on far more than a toss of the Darwinian dice. It depends on us, and so kudos to Republicans Olympia Snow and Susan Collins of Maine for crossing the aisle and placing their constituents above party loyalty. They may pay a price for it, but in the long run, it's worth it.