Family – community!
Clearly, unequal access to and distribution of resources or money to procure resources has been a fact of our human community for a very long time. This unequal distribution can be and is explained or justified with various arguments including:
I was listening to the most recent episode of the podcast, GiantPanda this morning while at the gym. (Full disclosure demands that I tell you this podcast is hosted by my son Jamie Pickett who is, of course, articulate, bright, insightful, a good listener and a master at making his guests feel comfortable.)Episode 7 of this podcast features the writer Lisa Licascio whose most recent novel is Open Me. I do intend to read the book, but this morning I was particularly interested in her comments about the Danish people. She is married to a Danish man and has spent considerable time in that country. Denmark is very clear that all Danish people deserve access to health care and other necessities. On the other hand, they are not, as a whole, welcoming to immigrants. As seem to be true for many around the world, their definition of family/community is fairly narrow.
It is interesting that this human mind of ours can hold on to two conflicting truths at the same time even when logic or science knows that they are conflicting. For example:
Engels and Marx held on their believe that all humans should be treated with respect and have equal access to the resources of the community by redefining at what stage of development one became human. Doctors at the death camps justified their role in the massive gassings by comparing the killing to the necessity of amputating diseased limbs. When a country wants to train individuals to kill others they label the others as the enemy, terrorists, Gooks, etc. Any terms which are designed to create “the other” can be used to withhold access to the resources and rights which are guaranteed to all in the community.
When we withhold basic resources/rights from others they are forced to function as the others which ensure that the ones who excluded them were right to treat them as the others. On the surface if one was a visitor from another planet and were presented with this logic, one would question the sanity or intellect of us humans. Yet, we continue to act as if this system makes sense and we do so with a straight face.
I believe that whether one is living in Denmark, the United States or any other country either are all deserving of access to decent housing, healthy food, quality health care, and unconditional love or none are deserving. Pretending as if the social constructs of citizenship, race, so-called intelligence or any other factor such as age,gender, sexual orientation, particular talent creates a logical definition of community does not make sense from a practical, spiritual, or political sense. Most of us are no longer trapped in little bubbles of ignorance. We cannot help, but, at some level, know that we are all family, neighbors, and community members. We are indeed citizens of the universe(s).
Witten September 20, 2018
Clearly, unequal access to and distribution of resources or money to procure resources has been a fact of our human community for a very long time. This unequal distribution can be and is explained or justified with various arguments including:
- The natural order meaning that some of us are born with certain talents or abilities or into a particular family because of Mother Nature, God/the gods, or fate.
- Some who are able to spend the time, energy, and money to obtain the education or credentials which the larger community decides deserves a larger share of resources/money.
- The economic system which best serves the larger number results in an unequal distribution of money. Terms like market price are used to attempt to educate the members of the community.
- Some have resources to take the financial risks and stand to lose as easily as they gain.
- Some people are more valuable or deserving because of their position/job. CEOs, the President, member of Congress, some doctors or attorney, some sports figures or movie stars.
- Money is inherited. One’s ancestors satisfied one of the other justifications for making a lot of money.
I was listening to the most recent episode of the podcast, GiantPanda this morning while at the gym. (Full disclosure demands that I tell you this podcast is hosted by my son Jamie Pickett who is, of course, articulate, bright, insightful, a good listener and a master at making his guests feel comfortable.)Episode 7 of this podcast features the writer Lisa Licascio whose most recent novel is Open Me. I do intend to read the book, but this morning I was particularly interested in her comments about the Danish people. She is married to a Danish man and has spent considerable time in that country. Denmark is very clear that all Danish people deserve access to health care and other necessities. On the other hand, they are not, as a whole, welcoming to immigrants. As seem to be true for many around the world, their definition of family/community is fairly narrow.
It is interesting that this human mind of ours can hold on to two conflicting truths at the same time even when logic or science knows that they are conflicting. For example:
- Family/community/tribalism is necessary for survival.
- One can operationally define human/family/community to be very selective about who is included.
Engels and Marx held on their believe that all humans should be treated with respect and have equal access to the resources of the community by redefining at what stage of development one became human. Doctors at the death camps justified their role in the massive gassings by comparing the killing to the necessity of amputating diseased limbs. When a country wants to train individuals to kill others they label the others as the enemy, terrorists, Gooks, etc. Any terms which are designed to create “the other” can be used to withhold access to the resources and rights which are guaranteed to all in the community.
When we withhold basic resources/rights from others they are forced to function as the others which ensure that the ones who excluded them were right to treat them as the others. On the surface if one was a visitor from another planet and were presented with this logic, one would question the sanity or intellect of us humans. Yet, we continue to act as if this system makes sense and we do so with a straight face.
I believe that whether one is living in Denmark, the United States or any other country either are all deserving of access to decent housing, healthy food, quality health care, and unconditional love or none are deserving. Pretending as if the social constructs of citizenship, race, so-called intelligence or any other factor such as age,gender, sexual orientation, particular talent creates a logical definition of community does not make sense from a practical, spiritual, or political sense. Most of us are no longer trapped in little bubbles of ignorance. We cannot help, but, at some level, know that we are all family, neighbors, and community members. We are indeed citizens of the universe(s).
Witten September 20, 2018
RSS Feed