In All Fairness

“Equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women, and the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance, and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman who's confronted with it. We need equality. Kinda now.”
― Joss Whedon 

When I was attending college at the University of Nebraska, an Economics professor assigned Looking Backward, by Edward Bellamy as required reading. In this novel with economic undertones, a man with insomnia wakes from his basement sleep quarters to find his house burned down around him and he was left undiscovered for many years. 

What this man discovered was that, while in a deep sleep, society had changed...... a lot. He awoke to a modernized society; a society governed by pure socialism. So while you're bashing me as a "libtard, socialist, bleeding heart," let me explain to you what Socialism actually is.....and what it is not.

In his novel, Bellamy describes an economy and society free from worry, crime, war, poverty, hunger, etc. Everyone, regardless of job or status, makes exactly the same amount of money per year in the form of "credits." Doctors, lawyers, cooks, dishwashers, construction workers, ad infinitum, all make exactly the same salary. What you choose to DO with your salary is entirely up to you. You can live in a big house, drive fancy cars, take lavish vacations: it doesn't matter. Oh, and you if you accidentally overspend your credits, you can get an advance on a future year's wages. 

Sounds beautiful, doesn't it? Well, to be fair, the human condition (mainly greed) won't allow for this type of economy. We all strive to desire more and we think working harder, or smarter, or whatever will get us "more." And truthfully, I can see where this type of setup would speak to our inherent laziness as humans. What's the incentive? 

So, let's be clear. Let's be fair. I'm not a socialist. It simply won't work. It's a shame, but it won't. Capitalism, on the other hand, seems to work for a bit, but you can bet we'll collapse under its weight eventually. Wanting to provide affordable health insurance, wanting to feed those that are hungry, and wanting to provide safe haven to those seeking asylum, is not socialism. It's caring.

Let's discuss immigration for a moment, you know, just to be fair. We have to start thinking outside the "'Merica!" box for a bit if we're going to survive as a species. We're humans, not Americans. But I've covered that in other posts. 

The "Wall" is a bad idea. It won't help, for a number of reasons. For starters, most illegal immigration occurs in places other than our southern border. It happens in the air, by sea, and to the north. Just like spending billions per year on a drug war we can't win, building a wall doesn't address the issue at all. Illegal immigration isn't the giant mess you think it is. It's what you've been programmed to believe.

A very small fraction of those that enter "our" country are criminals: drug dealers, murderers, rapists, terrorists. The vast majority of our major crimes are committed by white male citizens of these United States. It doesn't come from the outside. Think immigration drains our system? It's hardly a blip on the radar. Out-of-status immigrants don't qualify for any government programs and it is heavily screened and scrutinized. There are some exceptions where immigrant children are concerned, but it's a number you'll never feel.

And before you bash immigrants (who do actually fuel our economy in a number of ways by paying different taxes and buying goods), by saying they're "taking our jobs," remember two things. Immigrants aren't taking your jobs. Automation is. And for every immigrant who gets a job in the U.S., it's an American company who hires them illegally. 

And to be fair, perhaps we should talk about the notion of drug testing people on welfare. It's a ridiculous notion you wouldn't support if you did the math. Most people on welfare are A: already employed in a job that doesn't provide a living wage. B: white, and drug free. Welfare and "food stamps" are the most highly scrutinized programs there are. It's difficult to qualify. Just like the drug war, drug testing welfare recipients would be an huge expenditure to police a program that doesn't need policed in that way. 

Let's tackle the Trump issue, just to be fair. I don't need to write an entire page of adjectives to describe him. I don't blame him. I blame you....and me. We put him there. We either didn't go to the polls or we did and didn't bring enough people with us. We put him there, but we can get him out, too......if we hurry. 

In the midterm elections in Texas, only 12% of the eligible Hispanic and Black vote turned out to actually cast a ballot. The very people most affected by a conservative platform didn't show up to make their voices heard. Are they lazy? No. They've been beaten back culturally for generations and they believe their voice doesn't matter. We have to change that. Everyone counts. 

It seems to me I could ramble on and on about the concept of fairness and there just wouldn't be enough space in all the internet to cover it. Like many other entries in the past, I'm begging you to do your homework. Don't look to the news. Look to your soul to do the right thing for all humanity. Our situation is reaching Critical Mass, and if we don't change our collective consciousness, and soon, we can pull up a chair next to the dinosaurs. 

Just be fair