Ironic, isn't it? Maximize reproductive success of dominant males, eliminate unsuccessful males. Ask any anthropologist.

It's not quite the same. Have you seen how weak and frail Jeffs is physically? I don't expect he would make an excellent hunter/gatherer.

This isn't about strenghtening a gene pool, the "fittest" here are using manipulative power based on the religious beliefs and hopes of their followers. If anything the outcome is offspring that are unable think independently, manage for themselves...without the leadership of the select few.

Now if the leaders in the sect were hunky, fit, strong, virile young men (as would have been successful per Darwin's theory)...what 14 year old girl in her right mind wouldn't want to pair with them?

It's not Darwinism. They're not being eliminated on any kind of genetic basis (especially considering their genes are all so similar from having such a small gene pool). They're being eliminated for supposedly religious reasons, although it's really just an excuse to lower the number of males in general.

ask any criminalogist and they will call it rape.

well, technically you are correct, but as a practical matter...

are you aware of the shocking incidence of genetic defects among the FLDS? eventually their practices will doom the group.

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Fitness is ONLY predicated on reproduction and expansion of your genes relative to others in the pool (long and short term).

Being 6'5", greek god, excellent hunter who loves to screw but always uses protection so you never reproduce is genetically UNFIT.

In terms of pure genetic darwinism, these have a fair degree of fitness. They are 30-60 times higher represented in the gene pool than most of their contemporaries.

However- long term, they may have created a system where the short term bloom is not passed on.

Well, you could argue that "fittest" in this sense (since we aren't hunter-gatherers any more) is the dude most fit mentally to hornswoggle and brainwash his dimwit followers.

This has nothing at all to do with Darwinism. If it did, there'd be some genetic factors that made the polygs' offspring better adapted to the environment. As it stands, these polyg settlements will turn into enclaves of banjo pickers if they don't get some fresh genes in the mix, STAT!