I often like to think of the world we could be living in. Perhaps it’s a waste of time. Why bother thinking about something that isn’t and may never be? My struggle is that I can’t let go of the nagging desire to live in a better world. Sure, I could try to make the world better by doing simple acts of kindness, being the person I would like to see in the world, paying it forward, doing the right thing, etc., etc. I could do all these things and yet I don’t believe it would fill the void I feel. It would be like sweeping in the middle of a sandstorm; the mess is still there.
It is not my intention to sound as if I have all the answers. I do want to make it clear, though, that I do not believe the answers currently out there are necessarily the best ones. They are far from adequate for so many out there, and they most certainly do not fit me. When the world doesn’t provide you with the choices that suit you, you are left to select from what is out there. And because the options provided are the only ones we may choose from; it does not make them the best possible or even the most popular. To think and argue that they are would be misguided and wrong. We have gone down a path that has led us to where we are. This path has been propelled by power and interests. That says nothing of best or good or popularity. Choices require information. When information is withheld and those in power perpetuate the system that works for them, then all means of giving an objective evaluation of any such system are futile.
We live in the world as it is, not how we want it to be. But that does not mean that it must stay this way. For those looking for a life of simplicity, a life of self-determination, or of community, or any other single feature or combination of features, principles, philosophies, etc., our options are severely limited and, in most cases, non-existent. We are compelled to live by the rules set by the rule-makers. These are not all-wise or infallible individuals. They are the same breed of individuals that allowed slavery, exploitation, colonialism in its many forms, environmental exploitation, severe inequalities, and so much more. Admission of the flaws is an admission of their infallibility. Throwing a quasi-democratic argument behind it only justifies it in a legalistic viewpoint, not a moral, equitable, just, or, I would argue, wise viewpoint.
If we are all equally born into this world, shouldn’t we be provided with the choice of where we belong instead of being told where we belong? Shouldn’t we be able to discover possibilities instead of being told that this is the way things are? I, like so many others, came into this world completely oblivious to the rules and laws set in place by those who came before me? Lands were claimed, nationalities were established, loyalties determined, and choices were taken from us without our consent. We have not been granted anything but a false sense of freedom. We have not been offered a choice; we have been offered an unsolicited pact, one where our agreement is assumed, and compliance is mandatory. We are provided with a false freedom. We are supplied options approved for us by those holding the keys. The rest of the world has been cordoned off and claimed.
Maybe I should just be happy to be alive and live in a somewhat peaceful community. Perhaps I should live with the thought that I don’t have it too bad and that others have it far worse than I do. This thought is as ignorant to the people that have it worse than I as it is blind to the tacit acceptance of any and all wrongs we see in the world today. So many of these wrongs are what make the world of those far less fortunate so difficult and unjust. I don’t just wish that I can live in a world of my choosing. I wish it for everyone.
Why is that such an unreasonable thing to expect or want? And if it isn’t, then why is it not being pursued by those who hold all that power? If the greatest minds are indeed out there working to solve the problems, conflicts, and violence that we see, then why is it that we make such little progress? Why is it that atrocities still occur daily? Why is it that people are so unhappy, even in the “freest,” “greatest,” most democratic country the world has yet seen?
Perhaps we are not built on a lie, but we are most certainly not resting on a bed of truth. The world we live in is not a world where we are free to live by our principles and choose where we belong. Not yet anyway. We still have too much power, control, and selfish interests standing in our way. And while it is no easy task standing up to that behemoth, removing that power one brick at a time will eventually get us there.