That's interesting, Akenaton. I've been looking mainly to the spiritual (but not the religious) for the answers, and for the important questions, for a long time now.

Here's a thought. "The sacrifice of self in the interests of others" IS in one's own self-interest, provided it's done in a balanced, sensible and wise fashion. It is tremendously in one's own self-interest, as can be discovered within any harmonious and cooperative association of people, whether it be a family, a community or a nation. It's in everyone's interest! It is the very glue that holds civilization together. It turns out to be really no sacrifice at all, but mutual gain.

"Survival of the fittest" on the other hand is a credo for people who wish to live like mere savage predator animals, only their intellectual gifts make them far more dangerous and destructive than those animals could or would ever be. It's not a fit credo upon which to base any human community.

Here is how the hypocrisy of the right works:

Yes, everyone is out for himself, but that's supposed to be GOOD, because the gains of the most aggressive "trickle down" to the rest...

Hypocrisy.

God is on the side of the rich, that's why they're rich.

Hypocrisy.

People need strong leadership because they are like little children who must be disciplined and led. The strong therefore have a moral right to make decisions for the weak.

An element of truth in that...BUT...it is a mere excuse for the most ambitious and rapacious to dictate to the rest and hire men with guns to enforce their diktat, if necessary. Hypocrisy.

The right believes it is good. Being good, it never has to say it's sorry (to quote from Love Story) when people suffer and die due to its policies. "When the going gets tough the tough get going."

More self-serving hypocrisy...and it is used by the extremists of both the right and the left frequently. Stalin had the same basic philosophy, couched in the terms of state socialism.

I could probably go on and on, but I think that's enough for now...

- LH