How the United States of injustice tricks us. A 21st century fable that explains why nature is in such a sad state.
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100 objects are sitting on a table with 2 unknown men, one on each side. Both pick up 2 objects and tell you one must be tossed aside. Do they let you pick the object… Nope, they get to pick the one to discard. All the while each of them are screaming how unfair the other is being with your objects. Finger pointing, Cussing, name calling and demanding you side with them. At one moment you are angry with one of the table people but forgive them in order to be angry with the other one. After a while, there are only a few objects left, and each one of the table people are screaming at you how unfair each of the object takers are being. No one has added any objects to the table and if they did, would it really matter because one of the table people would just remove it sometime in the future.
Now, take a second to replace the word “object” for “rights.” Now replace the table people with political parties called left and right, or even middle.
Now imagine behind you when you weren’t looking, someone was poisoning everything you are about to eat and drink. Making laws that protect themselves from you. Making it illegal to have a garden and clean water. This person has cut down all your beautiful trees and plants and replaced it with GMO Pesticide ridden grass, removed all the wildlife but is willing to sell you food and water from his private lab. Running next to the house is a huge leaking oil pipe and a fracking well guarded by the military. Unknown to you, this same person also pays the people at the table called left, right and middle from the money you worked so hard to get. Yes, the taxes you paid!
Why didn’t you see the person behind you? Because you were too busy getting all worked up over objects. Taking sides. Calling names. Trying to convince your friends that only one of those people were bad. Desperately trying to pick your favorite objects from off the floor and place them back on the table. Begging, pleading, demanding for some of those objects to be put back. Asking and pleading with friends to help you pick up those objects. Signing petitions, calling on the courts, voting, because several parties were breaking your things, your prized objects. Your stuff!
And that’s why you didn’t see what’s behind you. You never even looked.
Sound familiar?
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Photo: Guijarro85/Flickr