“One person or group, seeking gain/advantage/gratification without regard to, or in spite of, the costs or harm imposed on another person or group (or the environment)."
In my naïve quest to find the Grand Unifying Cause of most human misery, I believe the above may capture it. Consider the following lists:
GLOBAL TENSIONS: Middle East, Israel/Palestine, Iran, Yemen, ISIS, Ukraine, NATO/Russia, India/ Pakistan/ Afghanistan, currency crises, IMF, austerity programs, repressive governments in general
POLITICAL: Republicans/Democrats, political corruption, lobbying, Koch brothers, Citizens United, AIPAC, PNAC, Neocons, Libertarians, TPP, spying, vote suppression, politics of hate
ECONOMIC: Wall St, 1% vs 99%, inequality, down-sizing, off-shoring, cutthroat competition, monopolies, hostile takeovers, eminent domain, Keystone XL, student loan crisis, debt-based currency, criminal activity in general
DOMESTIC: racism and other discrimination, gang activity, human trafficking, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, lack of access to healthcare and education
Do not all of these problems ultimately stem from the above principle?
Yes, in ancient times the us-versus-them ethos may have made sense. There were often times when insufficient resources were available, so “getting ahead” of others was sometimes a survival necessity. Yet today, with all the available resources, knowledge, technology, and the general advances of civilization, this dog-eat-dog principle is really unnecessary. It could be made obsolete. Yet some caveman impulse drives some of us to seek and hoard more wealth and power than could be used in literally 100 lifetimes. Is this what we laud as the height of evolutionary achievement?
There is no need to wait for some divine rapture. We have the ability today to remake earth into a virtual heaven of comfort, security, and opportunity for all - by giving Ogg his retirement package and repurposing institutions like money, business, and governance to be consistent with 21st Century realities.
What do you think?