It Sounds Good

While “all men are created equal,” the name of the game seems to be to introduce inequity just as soon after creation as possible. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, humankind can’t tolerate the idea of every individual being on equal footing. Indeed, the whole notion of competing one against the other to achieve superiority is so ingrained in our thinking as to almost be classified human nature (if there was such a thing). Much of the distress being experienced by the United States of America today is because of the rise to power of neoconservatives who plainly stated their objective to be never letting this country relinquish its position as sole superpower. It is difficult to reconcile that powerful idealism proclaimed in the Constitution with current government practices which flaunt equality as unrealistic and impractical. Why are we surprised that no one of Abraham Lincoln’s caliber and stature is in the race for the White House? While things were admittedly imperfect in his day, I cannot imagine that he would have been particularly successful in the financial competition that defines today’s politics. It would be interesting to see what would happen in this old world if we genuinely incorporated the belief that everyone we meet is our equal.