OPOL:
We have rules in society, and for the most part, generally speaking and at their most basic level, they are good ones: don't rob, steal, kill, set your neighbor's house on fire, etc. But not all rules are equal, and while playing by them is usually good and the right thing to do – that's not always true.
Indeed.
Rarely do things work out as we've planned. We can all live by the golden rule, but the golden rule only works as far as the other guy is willing to adhere to the rule.
I've lived long enough to believe that the vast majority of folks aren't going subscribe to the golden rule. Your particular station in life doesn't matter - whether you're in a 5th Avenue penthouse or a trailer in Bugtussle, Alabama. The penthouse resident will defend their ground every bit as ferociously as the person trying to hold onto their double wide.
There's an intersection between the penthouse and the double wide that I've been trying to wrap my head around for many years. It's more than selfishness. It's more than "I've got mine, fuck you." It's fear.
Fear of losing the status of the penthouse. Fear of losing the familiarity and comfort of the double wide.
Change. That's what it's all about.
We're in an era of a societal paradigm shift. There are many, many layers to that shift. Each of us has to decide whether we're ok with accepting the shift, and it all comes down to accommodating one's own personal comfort level. My guess is that the penthouse resident is much more willing to accept the state-level intrusions on personal privacy / freedom for material comfort than the trailer park denizen.
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
If you have money, it ultimately doesn't matter. You'll get what you need. If you don't have money, it does matter -- you have to fight for what you need. Every single day. Sometimes, at the end of the day, there's just nothing left to give no matter how noble your intentions.
These days, I find myself at that place more frequently than I'd like. The tank is empty when the sun goes down.