From Here to There

Who’s “Darwinist” Now?

Opponents of the Welfare State, no matter how reasoned their dissents, have recently been exposed to a contemptuous new epithet—“Social Darwinist.” Popularized by Professor Richard Hofstadter, the tag has replaced such elegant counters as “economic Bourbon” and “troglodyte” in all hep Liberal circles. Its advantage over its predecessors is obvious: “Social Darwinist” can be spat out with a hiss.