Some of you may remember my post A thermodynamic explanation of politics. In it I looked at why we have two competing political strategies and how they are complimentary. They are for different ecological niches.
I just came across an article that looks at the same question from an evolutionary perspective. r/K Selection Theory.
Biologists have long noted that species will tend to evolve behaviors which best aid them to effectively exploit their environment. Among these behavioral life history traits are reproductive strategies. Reproductive strategies are, as the name implies, the strategies individuals will use to reproduce. Here we will focus upon the two strategies demonstrated in r/K Selection Theory in Evolutionary Biology.
The science behind r/K Selection theory was hashed out decades ago. It emerged as biologists pondered why some species reproduced slowly using monogamy and high-investment parenting, while other species reproduced explosively, using promiscuity and single parenting. At the time this science was developed, the researchers were wholly unaware of its relevance to our modern ideological battles in the world of politics. The terms r and K came from variables in equations which described how populations would change over time. r represented the maximal reproductive rate of an individual, while K represented the carrying capacity of an environment.
You should read the whole thing.
My take away from that?
The two political philosophies do not understand that they need each other. They are suited to different ecological niches. Each “side” thinks they have all the answers and should dominate. It is not only wrong. It is stupid. National and even State politics needs to be cut way back. The best politics IMO is local. For a LOT of reasons.
Our #1 problem is that we were taught the wrong stuff in school. The r/K article (and others like it) needs to be taught. The thermodynamics of politics needs to be taught. Instead we get Capitalism vs Socialism. Adequate for 20th Century politics. Useless in the 21st Century.
As per usual I think libertarian politics is the best. It allows people to come to terms with their particular environment without a lot of conflicting rules gumming up the works. Smaller government. Much smaller government.