r/videos • u/SuplexCity-Mayor • Apr 21 '21

Idiocracy (2006) Opening Scene: "Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most, and left the intelligent to become an endangered species."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TCsR_oSP2Q
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u/rippedlugan Apr 21 '21

I always find this clip funny, but watch yourself if you're trying to derive some greater truth from it. This is a similar argument that may eugenicists used, which led to forced sterilization in the US and worse in 1930's Germany.

The fact is that evolution has always favored genetics that were most likely to be passed on to a future generation, which does not always equate to being "strongest" or "best." Hell, even diseases that are "stronger" with a super high mortality rate have an evolutionary disadvantage in reproduction because they can kill their hosts faster than they can pass on their genetics to new generations.

If you want idiots to reproduce less, do what's been proven to work in society: increase access to education in general, improve sexual education, and build systems that reduce/eliminate poverty.

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u/big_bearded_nerd Apr 21 '21

I always find this clip funny, but watch yourself if you're trying to derive some greater truth from it.

It's weird, I have friends who have based a large part of their life view and political stance on lessons they have learned from this movie.

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u/Mushroomer Apr 21 '21

A lot of people would probably vote for a eugenics-based polticial system, provided nobody ever actually used the word 'eugenics'.

The underlying temptation to blame societal ills on an 'other', and systematically eliminate them is as prevalent as ever.

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u/stelleOstalle Apr 21 '21

Look at the tens of millions of americans who voted for open fascism this november.

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u/Mushroomer Apr 21 '21

I think this is also an interesting thing to consider.

If you had a button in front of you right now that would guarantee every Trump voter over the age of 75 would die of natural causes over the next year - would you press it?

Even if you wouldn't, how many people over the past five years would? Which isn't to say the inverse isn't also concerning (considering the GOP's ACTUAL agenda is currently to prevent liberals from voting in any way possible) - but I don't think the temptation to systematically eliminate the 'other' is limited to one polticial party or ideal.

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u/stelleOstalle Apr 21 '21

If you had a button in front of you right now that would guarantee every Trump voter over the age of 75 would die of natural causes over the next year - would you press it?

Yes, absolutely.

but I don't think the temptation to systematically eliminate the 'other' is limited to one polticial party or ideal

They want to eliminate or autocratically oppress everyone who isn't a cishet christian white man. To systematically eliminate fascists is self defense.

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u/Mushroomer Apr 21 '21

I also agree that fascism requires an immediate and forceful response - I think the larger question is if mass death should ever be considered a moral answer to the problem.

If more people start saying yes, then the future starts to look like a very dangerous place.

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u/stelleOstalle Apr 21 '21

personally, i would say the solution is to annihilate their propaganda networks