Sunday, March 4, 2012

Individualism, Collectivism, Abortion and Pro life.

Individualism, to give a starting point, is defined in wikipedia as:
Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of theindividual".[1] Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance[2] while opposing most external interference upon one's own interests, whether by societyfamily or any other group or institution.[2]
Individualism makes the individual its focus[1] and so starts "with the fundamental premise that the human individual is of primary importance in the struggle for liberation." Classical liberalism (including libertarianism), existentialism andanarchism (especially individualist anarchism) are examples of movements that take the human individual as a central unit of analysis.[3]
Collectivism is defined in wikipedia as follows:
Collectivism is any philosophic, political, religious, economic, or social outlook that emphasizes the interdependence of every human being. Collectivism is a basic cultural element that exists as the reverse of individualism in human nature (in the same way high context culture exists as the reverse of low context culture), and stresses the priority of group goals over individual goals and the importance of cohesion within social groups (such as an "in-group", in what specific context it is defined). Collectivists usually focus on communitysociety, or nation. Collectivism originated in socialist theory[1], although it is used and has been used as an element in many different and diverse types of government and political, economic and educational philosophies throughout history, ranging from communalismdemocracymonarchy, and socialism to totalitarian nationalism and exists in some organized religions. Collectivism is sometimes confused with socialism, but while socialism, as a political and economic theory, draws more from collectivism than it does from individualism, it is directly concerned with perceived economic justice or injustice such as the elimination of private property. Collectivism regards group action as more important than individual action somewhat independently of cultural context, and does not propose a system of government and civil life, as socialism does and has been used in such ideologically opposite systems as monarchy. Most societies contain elements of both collectivism and individualism.
Corporatism refers to a form of collectivism that views the whole as being greater than the sum of its individual parts, and gives priority to group rights over individual rights.[2][3]
In Canada parlaiiament is a democratic organization that is limitted by the appointed Supreme Court of Canada.  In the Morentaller Abortion decision the Supreme Court over turned the Parliamentary democratic 'pro life' decision of the day.  This decision spoke to the essence of individualism and collectivism.  Ironically, Canada's Supreme Court took the anti life decision that marks the Chinese communist pro abortion position.  In contrast parliament, Canadians collectively, women and men, felt that birth was not merely an 'individual' expression but that men were indeed part of the equation, as were parents and community.  The Mortgentaller decision was not so much pro female as anti male, anti family,  anti community. It was communistic and anarchist in it's roots and genocidal.  4 male lawyers and 1 female lawyer over turned democracy on this decision in Canada.
Now, not surprisingly lawyers say that the fetus needs a lawyer.  Certainly this would represent a 'make work' project of the first order but does speak to the 'interdependence' of our society today. (My dog Gilbert perked up and insists that as I'm not throwing the ball for him this minute, he too needs a lawyer)
The halcyon cry of the day was 'my body, my own' yet all men in Canada had by law to respond to conscription should the cry arise and now all women will too.  Sloganeering so communistic in it's flavour doesn't get around the 'interdependence' of all of us. As we grow individually and as a nation in spirituality we know what First Nations people have always taught in their statement 'all my relations'.
Post modern society is a far cry different from the atomistic modernism of Mortgentaller that gave rise to two world wars and the shameful Holocaust that caused at least one Freudian to say that Morgentaller's history has caused him to 'indentify with the aggressor'.  To a fetal person Morgentallerism is Naziism indeed.
Further, the Mortgentaller decision has condemned doctors who do not want to be forced to do abortions as appointed government doctors have consistently been pro death as opposed to pro life on the fetal question.  Indeed having a 'pro life' position as a doctor can be the very grounds for being passed over for promotion. Pro life doctors indeed are the most condemned in CAnada today because there is an erroneous notion that abortion is somehow a 'female position'.  Yet when radical feminists are advised that a 'woman's council' could well decide such decisions excluding even men, these adolescent girls want their 'own way', ie their cake and eat it, much as all children do in any society.  The reality is that everyone is affected by abortion as they are affected by children.
The issue isn't male or female but rather collectivism versus individualism.  The Supreme Court of Canada as late as 1928 denied women 'personhood'.  It's now 2012 and they are denying children 'personhood'.  This is not the dark ages either when no one knew the scientific make up of a child was DNA, both male and female.  A man and a woman in society also have parents and brothers and sisters.  They are by nature 'interconnected'.  There are often other children.
When I worked in a street clinic I offered women the options of abortion, having the baby and giving the baby up for adoption, or keeping the baby.  The latter two decisions were financially supported then and there was no fast tracked mainlining of death as in today's abortion clinic world where the lucrative nature of the practice and the industry of abortion speaks louder than any morality.  Ironically, at the very time the abortion proponents argue that women 'own' their womb they are the very ones that deny women the right to 'sell' the product of their wombs.  Canadian women en mass go to liberated pro women countries where women can arrange with another woman to have their child for them.  The abortionists call this 'selling babies' but they are more keenly interested in keeping their brand and closing out the competition.
Further, radical feminist doctors in BC demanded they receive gratis the products of abortion for lucrative 'stem tissue' research and sale becoming royally incensed when a another doctor argued that the downtown east side women whose abortus products these were  should 'own' the products of the abortus and be financially be imbursed.
Collectivism and individualism.  There is no need for back alley abortions and no one is suggesting this at all.  The fact is that Pro Life is Pro Choice because the abortionsists today deny women autonomy and integrity and treat women individually as 'numbers' separate and apart rather than as persons interpersonally connected.  To believe the abortionists all pregnant women are divinely impregnated, fathers, mothers , grandparents, siblings and all of community unnecessary to the act of insemination.  As a doctor I am ashamed of Canadian history regarding Morgentaller and think it horrendous that this man should have received an Order of Canada for his destruction of family, community and country.
Interestingly in law, the corporation is a 'legal individual' so Morgentaller and I are considered 'equal' without any consideration of the clear cut David and Goliath image this creates.  I am alone and easily crippled and silenced by the abortion industry. There is and never has been any money that causes me to hold one position against another but as a physician I long ago learned to follow the money trails.  Morgentaller 's brand is a money machine.  A baby is not.  Indeed a baby has no resources but a mother and a mother needs a community and a baby needs a village.  The Canadian Supreme Court would deny our interconnectedness in this regard, give all power to the 'abortion brand' , deny women true personhood and pro choice, attack pro life advocates in shockingly deceitful ways and reduce ethics and morality to factionalism. Either you are for me or agin me, adolescents say.
The decision clearly needs review and Canadians have to ask themselves if they are wanting a democracy lead by parliament or what in this decision is 'dictatorship of the proletariat' communism where abortion and aetheism go hand in hand with a nihilism of depression.  Hope is the alternative and support of women, true support of women, all women in society, is freedom.

No comments: