As I sit in my self-made campsite near the top of Arizona’s second highest peak, Mount Graham, I see two choices spreading out before me. To my left the mountain stretches through the tall ponderosa lining its steep cliffs. A difficult journey into its mysterious shadowy depths awaits. To the right I can just make out the road which drops 6000 feet and would return me to the desert and the small town of Swift Trail Junction. Left or right, wilderness or civilization.
What is more noble, the freedom of the wilds or the charity of civilization?
I already posted one WildernessPunk piece where I thank Trump for the one good thing he’s done for us, which is giving us a clear picture of the true percentage of people who can’t evolve past the asshole/idiot stage. (See One in Three, WildernessPunk for more details) I intend to take things further and really get down to the meat of human development and explore how easy/difficult it will be for humanity to save our planet.
I used to firmly believe people could, if presented with the correct information, be able to change their minds. I often debated the preachers shouting out bible quotes on my college mall. I would argue with others until late in the night. I studied history and anthropology and thought, despite the horrors our world has seen, people were moving toward a better future. Like many liberal leaning folks, I’ve been heartened by the lessening of racial injustice and the greater acceptance of the GBLTQ individuals.
Yes, things appeared to be improving, but now I also see the rise of neo fascists not just in the USA, but in many countries around the globe. I also realize one would have to be a fool to think the increasing populations of people expecting more with less to go around, mixing with a deteriorating environment, won’t be creating global situations ripe for this to grow worse.
So what’s going on?
How can things be improving overall for most of the world while simultaneously so many are embracing emotion based lies over facts and true problem solving? I have a theory and most people aren’t going to like it.
There may be a deep and ingrained reason people are dividing and less able to come to an agreement than ever before and I’ll get to outlining this, but first I want to toss something else out there.
The USA. like most countries. is dividing into two camps. Really three with the third camp being both ends of a bell curve, either folks who have risen above such well-established rhetoric or are too dull witted or too involved with their personal crisis to care. But let’s move back to the publicized two. Most tend to call them, Right/Left, Liberal/Conservative, Red/Blue. I’m going to make it even simpler and label them Group A which = Red, Conservatives, Right etc… And group B which = Blue, Liberal, Left etc…
Let’s discuss the basic values of these groups.
Group A
- Belief in the truth of preindustrial dogmas
- Government should be used to control others
- The government should be used to control and use other countries and peoples
- Their religion of choice should be the baseline used to determine how the government controls its civilians
- When it comes to the military, the bigger the better
- Some groups, religions, and races are not to be trusted and are mostly comprised of bad people.
- The past was better
- Some people and groups are out to get you, your family, and anything you have
- Emotions and beliefs are more important than facts
- Everyone has an equal chance in life and hard work is all it takes to reach your goals.
- Wealth and power is the yardstick in which a person’s success is measured
Group B
- Overall, our culture is improving
- The purpose of the government is to help people
- Discrimination is wrong
- All people are created equal
- Happiness is the yardstick by which a person success is measured
- Facts should drive decision making
- One’s opinions should remain flexible and if presented with updated information be able to change
- The government can be used to help increase economic equality
- We can make the future better
- Although we are all created equal, random ills/benefits and situations brought about by our culture give everyone a different circumstance which they must adjust to when seeking success
And what about Group C? I’m not going to go too far into this group here, but let’s just assume the more apathetic due to being dull witted tend to fall in line with Group A, while those who attempt to evolve to a higher rational state still tend to have a soft spot for group B.
I said I had a theory as to why these two groups can’t agree well and I’m not the only one. Although I do intend to take it a step further.
There has been more research going on in recent years as to why some people support Group A or Group B and the data being gathered increasingly points to this being caused by a physical aspect of brain development. Much as how we’re born either male or female, it appears we may also be born into Group A or B. A person’s choice on which group or lifestyle they chose may be determined before birth.
Not to get all Dungeons and Dragons or call up the paradigms created by English writer Michael Moorcock, these groups have also been associated with Law and Chaos. Group A is Lawful and seeks to keep things the same. The world is working for me, why change it? These are my beliefs why change them? My family went to church when I was growing up, so will my children.
Group B is Chaotic. If there is a way to make things better, we should figure it out, so we can improve. If I am presented with new facts which prove an assumption I had is wrong, then I should change my mind.
Alright gentle readers. I hope I whetted your appetite for more, but I also try to keep these articles under three pages, so I’m going to have to return with some factual data and research, which has been done to support the ideas I’m laying down for you here. I’ll also reveal my more advanced theory on the subject. Wow, what a cliffhanger. I hope you can handle it.
You can grab some of my fiction here, and I can promise you these people are on the Hero’s path.
WildernessPunk 