This is a collection of thoughts on the multiple, dueling dualities that comprise our nation's state of being. It's based on, and largely drawn from, my response to an insightful comment by va dare in a recent diary by teacherken.
Life's not simple. As forms of life evolve from single to multi-cell organisms, and from there to a myriad of increasingly complex life forms that spawn something passing for self-awareness and intelligence, the challenges increase. And as intellectual awareness gives rise to societies and cultures, or a semblance of what we define as "civilization," the perceived complexities multiply exponentially.
We find ourselves, today, as members of a nation consisting of various states, yet also as a collection of diverse social and cultural practices - a rich diversity of multiple heritages, allegedly living together under the auspices of a mutually beneficial set of definitions set forth as law and in forms of governance so as to best provide an equal, better chance of building strong, beneficent communities together.
It's both a goal and an illusion.
Where there could and should be an equal, common approach and implementation of laws to create a unified society, we have instead a fractured state - dichotomies of thought and differences between words and deeds that impose and perpetuate dueling, mutually exclusive definitions and practices that run counter to the goal, creating a reality where the original purpose of our laws is suppressed and replaced by a delusion maintained by those seeking to reap the benefits of divisiveness.
It's been referred to as "two Americas" by some. And others have made similar observances.
America is a 2-class, 2-caste society.
Two - 2 - classes: Men and not-men.
Two - 2 - castes: people-of-color and the Un-Colored.
That's definitely part of it. Unfortunately, there's more.
There's more than "two Americas." It's not simply two classes and/or two castes - which would still present a myriad of issues. The key, tho, is the concept of duality - it's implemented, institutionalized, and embedded in our current foundations in such a way that it breeds divisiveness across a wide spectrum.
The rich and the poor. Male and female. Straight and gay. White and non-white. Citizen and non-citizen. "Us" and "not us" - whether grouped by race, ancestry, cultural heritage, sexuality, religious dogma, financial & economic status, political power, physical location (for living and/or for work), or even type of job ... labor or management? Self-made, or employed by others, or unemployed, or self-employed.
A multi-faceted "two Americas" with overlapping elements, all supposedly inclusive by law and Constitution yet established and held in contrasting contempt through attempts to legitimize law & customs that segregate, disenfranchise, incapacitate, hinder, and harm those who do not share the status or measures of equivalence as defined by a myopic, empowered, opportunistic few who attempt to subvert the rules of society to meet their selfishly hypocritical, damning arrogance & hate-sodden, soul-permeating fears.
It's more than simply two castes and two classes. It's a multi-faceted diadem of duplicitous, dueling duality that's crafted to foment & reinforce division, oppression, inequality, and idiocy.
The underlying, stated goals of our social and national contracts - our Declaration, our Constitution, our Bill of Rights and more - could be represented as a gem of infinite value, and it's been replaced by this diadem of duality created of worthless paste, word salad, dirt and greed, oil and blood - and polished to a blinding sheen that distracts and deceives the beholders long enough for their pockets to be picked clean and their shoes stolen, maps replaced and goals skewed.
We need to find and uncover the original gem, polish it instead, and crush the polished paste bauble that it's been replaced with in our sights.
Makes a huge but new distinction - e.g., Us versus Them - for evaluating the past and walking together in solidarity in the future. Uncolored Men have tended to rule but rarely easily and have a long rap sheet for genocide given promise of profit.
One of the strongest assets we have to help us on the journey toward a better future is our capacity to recognize and communicate issues as well as opportunities. The established, embedded inequalities and imbalances set forth a perpetuating dynamic and, in a sense, a ruling class consisting of a very small, specific cross-section of society that controls wealth & power, and remains empowered by ensuring that those dualities continue to exist.
Interrupting that dynamic? That's what we're walking toward, I believe - I'd like to walk hand-in-hand between Kareem and bell hooks.
...easier said than done, of course.
This is how we communicate. This is how we define ourselves and the actions needed to set a path to the future.
This is why we need communities, and communication, and thoughtful dialogue, and common goals.
This is how we overcome, persevere, and triumph.
Together.