Why are things the way they are?
There are countless explanations from biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and astronomy that may help us understand why things are the way they are in the natural world. Many of those things we have no control over. Although in recent human history, we have affected many of the natural physical systems on our planet. But here, I want to ponder the social realities that we have created and endeavor to understand why some aspects of that social reality are the way they are.
No matter who you are, you have to admit that you live in a society where there is inequality. You may be the beneficiary of that inequality, or a person who must bear the brunt of it. And, all across the world, inequality is growing, despite hundreds of years of experiments with democracy or self-determination or popular movements whose goal was to create more equitable societies.
So, why don’t we have those more equitable societies? Why do we seem to be heading in the opposite direction? Is it because of the coupling of wealth and power? And the self-perpetuating nature of those two intertwined figments of our social creations? Those with wealth and power hold on to them so steadfastly for their own good while many of the rest of us languish, working ourselves to death to get by?
Is it that corporations control most of our governments? Through lobbying? Campaign contributions? Proposed legislation that is readily adopted by lawmakers primed and plied by those aforementioned perks and donations? Do they just have too much at stake to ever cede a millimeter of ground in the tug-of-war over who has any say at all? I mean, corporations are people too, right? They have the same free speech rights as the rest of us, right? Or do they even have more? Or just a bigger megaphone?
Is it because we are so divided as a people? We can’t agree on anything? Are we that divided? The majority of us (in the U.S.) seem to agree on several things: sensible gun reforms; reproductive autonomy (even in so-called conservative states); distaste for inflation; dissatisfaction with Congress, both major political parties, and the Supreme Court. Polls often show that most of us support comprehensive immigration reform and that we aren't happy with our presidential candidates in 2024 and previous recent elections. And yet, we told we are divided? Who tells us that we are divided? Our political leaders? The media? If our political leaders are shills or toadies for corporations, and most of the media are corporations, do they all have a stake in us staying divided? Or, at least, believing we are divided? Is it easier to hold on to their wealth and power if we all believe we disagree on so much? Who should we believe?
Is it because of our beliefs? In particular, our tendency toward hierarchical thinking? That we believe there are people who deserve the level of wealth and power they have? And we believe there are lesser people who deserve a lack of wealth and power? Where did we get this belief? Have some posited that it is how nature operates? That it is some social survival-of-the-fittest type dynamic at play? What some call "Social Darwinism"? Or a "natural order"? Or, is that just another erroneous belief that upholds the existing wealth and power structure? Because the best way to conquer people is to divide them? Tell some people they are more deserving than others?
Is it because we fail to learn history’s lessons? Or because we fail to honestly face what we have done in the past? And how it has created the present? And jeopardized the future?
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Is it because the majority of the systems and structures our society and culture run on were created and enforced by wealthy self-interested white men? And for centuries the systems created by wealthy white men marginalized people who weren’t wealthy white men? In our country and most of the rest of the world as a result of colonialism and the spread of so-called western values? Are some of the societal fractures we see today the result of people finally getting sick of this old arrangement? Or losing their minds because of the stresses and strains it has imposed upon us?
I’m not sure about any of these things. But it does make me wonder if we had term limits, open primaries, rank choice voting, mandatory retirement ages for politicians and judges, and we got money out of politics how that would change the way things are.
Would it create a more inclusive and fairer society where everyone actually has an equal chance?
I don’t know.