When was the last time you thought of Americans as all on the same team? 9-11? The space shuttle crash? It seems to take a horrific tragedy to get us all on the same page. In fact, even that doesn't work dependably anymore. Remember Hurricane Katrina? Or the financial collapse in '08? When was the last time we all jumped onboard something positive as we did for the space race, or the war on poverty?
Why do you think that is?
To a large degree it is the mythology of "rugged individualism" that gets trumpeted daily, and that we sub-consciously buy into. Couple that with total separateness (read Egoic) thinking which is constantly reinforced through sayings such as, "It's a dog eat dog world," "Only the strong survive," and "You've got to watch out for number one," and you can see how we are indoctrinated. The reality is, we are all completely and totally interdependent. The days of the "Mountain Men" are over, and even back then, they had to buy their rifles down in a town.
In short, WE need each other! We couldn't survive without the giant cooperative effort that each of us benefit from everyday. That's right, NONE of us can survive without the group...
So why is this obviously false mythology continually propagated? Because of Capitalism. Capitalism is designed so profits flow north. The major beneficieries of this flow, the extremely wealthy, have a vested interest in making sure nobody starts talking about how much better things would be if goods were manufactered for utility versus profit. THAT would be communist! Heavens we can't have that! Any cooperative effort is called SOCIALIST! Heavens we can't have that! Unions Eeek! Heavens we can't have that! Because, if the people banded together and began to act in a manner that was for the "common" good it would stem the flow of profits!!!!!!
It's clear to see where all of this has gotten us. Constant carping from deliberately divided groups (through fear-mongering and media owned propaganda), all of whom have lost, and are continuing to lose ground daily, to the real enemy above... The people, ALL of the people, have got to join hands, walk arm in arm, and say we are not afraid each other. And then ACT on it! Humanity is humans in community!
We are almost out of oil. We are almost out of clean water. We are almost out of food... And we are acting as if "It's every man for himself!" In truth it can no longer be every man for himself. It will only be through massive cooperative effort, that we have any chance of survival. It is time to look at your neighbor and see the spirit within, see the humanity in his eyes, the love in his heart and join together in spirit. When you hear someone repeat one of the above mentioned, fear inspired, thread-worn epithets, referring to survival of the fittest, say aloud, "No, that's not right, and I am no longer going to condone it with my silence."
Charles Darwin didn't say that evolution rewarded through survival of the fittest. It was survival of the most ADAPTIVE!
WE now have to adapt to the realities of our world. WE are all in peril if we don't. The only way WE are going to get through this, is by laying down our prejudices, shutting off the TV/Talk radio/Media, rolling up our sleeves and acting as ONE...
Today, notice how often you are urged to compete. Vow to find a way to solve problems and surge forward by replacing compete with cooperate. Replace me/mine with we/ours. Bring back, "There is no I in team." Become team players in LIFE, not just on the ball field. Our own, and indeed YOUR own future depends on it...
Duffy
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