Humanity of Humanity

            There are times when I look at humanity and find myself amazed at how backwards some people’s views are, and I find myself wondering how anyone can still think that way in this day and age. Then I look back over the timeline of events, and suddenly it seems remarkable that we’ve made as much progress as we have. I would be much happier if the humanity of humanity developed faster, but I can’t deny that things have changed faster than it feels like.

            Keep in mind that the average human lifespan is around 80 years. This means that within 80 years of a major change in societal views, there is someone alive who was brought up with the ideals prior to that time as the norm. Within 160 years, there is someone alive who was raised by or with contact with someone who grew up with the prior ideals being the norm – someone who may or may not agree with them.

            So, let’s look at what was going on 160 years ago. That was around the time slavery was being abolished in most parts of the world. That means that right now there are people alive who were alive at the same time as people who saw slavery as a normal thing – which means some of that culture (if not all of it) was passed on to them. Which is kind of mind-boggling to someone like me, to whom mainstream slavery was events of the distant past. Yet, within the scope of cultural evolution, that’s hardly any time at all – especially when there are people pushing cultural change in both directions at once.

            So, what about 80 years ago? That was World War II, when not only was it acceptable to discriminate against people based on their nationality, it was normal. Not surprising, with slavery so recent in the past. And, today, there are still people who were alive then – and the world is largely controlled by people who were raised by people from that time.

            In between those two time periods, women transitioned from essentially being property to actual human beings. Amazing, I know. Yet, in spite of that change, here we are, still fighting to make the equality of men and woman normal. It seems like an awful long time for things to not have fallen into place by now, but, at the same time, it makes sense that the fight is still going, considering how slowly culture changes and the fact that we’re still dealing with even older issues.

            Now, I’m not saying it’s right. Right is that a human is a human, no matter what they look like, where they came from, or what they believe. I’m definitely not saying we should stop fighting for what’s right. But I think that sometimes we need to step back and congratulate ourselves on how much progress we’ve made in so little time, with the odds stacked against us. Then we can get back to the fight and shape the world into all that it can be.

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Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

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If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Cultural Shifts

            My parents recently returned from a trip to China and I was particularly struck by the stories about the current cultural structure they have. They are currently in a transition from communism (where – at least in theory – everyone is provided what they need, but no one really owns anything) to capitalism (where people earn money based on their work and their job and use that money to buy whatever they need or want – or just stockpile it). Since this is a rather extreme mix, they've ended up with a fascinating mash-up of the two, with an odd class system in the middle.

            In the cities live the “citizens”, who have money, rights and all those sorts of things. They own and rent property – although the prices are extremely high and the spaces are small – and function much as we in the Western world would expect.

            On the other hand, out in the country live the “peasants” – mostly farmers who are paid very little and own nothing. Yet, at the same time, they live in houses free of charge and often these homes are nicer and have more space than those of the privileged “citizens”.

            In this system, the “peasants” who work very hard and sacrifice much can buy their way into being a “citizen” – the tour guide was one of these and had made the proud step with much hard work and with the help and sacrifice of his parents. The people seem very proud of their transition into capitalism.

            What I found most interesting about the current state of the system is how close it currently is to ancient Rome. There they had slaves. There were rules about how they could be treated and at a certain age they could be released. They even (at least legally) had the ability to save up money to buy their way to freedom and possibly even a citizenship (if I'm remembering correctly).

            The sad part, though, is that with the change to capitalism, China is starting to lose its artists. In a system where everyone is provided for equally, there is plenty of room for people to focus on developing talents and artwork – and beyond that, there is no need to charge for that art what it is really worth. Switching to a capitalistic system, the artists need to make an hourly wage for their work. With all the detail and care that goes into any given piece of art, it is rarely possible to sell it at a price where someone will actually buy it. So, the artists of a country largely defined by its art are slowly fading away.

            The same problem has struck in the farming community as well, causing a food crisis for the country. Many farmers are abandoning rice fields in favour of fishing, where there is much more money to be made.

            Hearing about this culture and its shift is very enlightening and inspiring to me as a writer, creating my own world and cultures. However, as a resident of this world, I can’t help but feel sad about it. The world leans so heavily towards capitalism, where money is valued above all else. There’s an emphasis on getting as much money as you can, regardless of whose toes you step on to get it. The worst part is that it gives the impression of working well, so many people get behind it and cheer it on – especially the people who have figured out how to make the system work for them and don’t see everyone left behind.

            But where would we be if everyone managed to get the system to work for them? What if all the “unimportant” minimum-wage workers suddenly up and vanished, having found a better way to live? Who would flip our burgers? Who would cash us out and stock the shelves in grocery stores? Who would grow the food?

            Capitalism is clearly not the way to go. They say money is the root of all evil and all you need to do is look at the world to know that it is true.

            What will work better instead? Honestly, I don’t know. I've put a lot of thought into it and every time I think I have a solution, I find a way that human greed will turn it against itself. But I keep hoping and thinking. Perhaps someday I will come up with the answer, or someone else will. Then it will be our turn for a cultural shift.

            Until then, all I can do is share my insights and hope that they might make a difference.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.