“Catastrophic moral failure!” WHO Director tells us what we do not want to hear.

 

The creation of life saving vaccines to defeat Covid19 is science at its best.   And it exposes our failure to abide by our most fundamental principles.  Particularly, the principle of the golden rule.  Wealthy and powerful nations are doing to others what they have always done.  Allowing poor people do die simply because we believe our lives are more valuable and more important than theirs.  

Deciding who gets the first wave of vaccines is being based a national’s wealth.  That is a crime against humanity that represents a catastrophic lethal failure of moral principle.  This will not end well.

We say we believe and feel in our hearts that all people are all created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights.  But our actions prove just the opposite.  We believe that because of our nationality we deserve more than certain others.   We believe without reason that we have really earned it.

Capitalism has not really made the world a better place.  Greed, waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, selfishness, wars, and putting the protection of national sovereignty and corporate power above the protection fundamental human rights and the environment has put our species on an unsustainable path. 

The failure of blending democracy and capitalism to achieve a better world will continue to fail. Covid19 has exposed the weakness of both.  And tweaking either will not fix the fundamental problem.  Our values suck.  Look in your check book and at your calendar.  How many days or dollars have you invested in ‘life, liberty, and justice for all’.   I’ll wager most of these resources are devoted to that ‘happiness’ thing. A fleeting feeling for which there is virtually no definition.  No definition that can be reached without a full belly, a warm bed, and a flush toilet. 

Tom Bodett claims “They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”

Tom has obviously never gone without food, safe water, or clean air.  Or had a serious injury and no doctor. 

In fact, there are three things most Americans want.  Freedom, security, and independence.  But, in reality there is only one that really makes sense.  And we are quickly learning (or should be learning) in this increasingly chaotic world that the only thing we really need – is a sustainable balance between freedom and security.  

 

There are trite phrases we know and repeat often.  We whole heartedly agree with them but fail to put them into action.   Then we wonder why things are not working.  

Check these off your minds list of ‘self-evident’ truths.

‘United we stand, divided we fall.

‘Do unto others.’

‘What goes up, must come down’

Better late than never.

Use it or lose it.

Freedom isn’t free.

In God we trust.

Put your money where your mouth is.

No man is an island.

….

Now.  Is there really any question why things keep getting worse? 

History and reality will not treat us well if we chose to vaccinate the world’s people based on the antiquated value of nationalism, exceptionalism, and patriotism.  Walls and weapons will not keep us safe as this virus mutates or another more virulent/lethal virus evolves -- while we keep doing the same freaking thing over and over again expecting a different result.

Abraham Lincoln wrote that our Declaration of Independence is our “Apple of Gold” and our Constitution it is frame of silver.  Until we full grasp and act on this fundamental value of what it really means to be an American, don’t expect the constitution to ever really protect our freedom, security, or prosperity. 
There isn’t enough money in the world to address the coming chaos unless we start investing in what’s need to prevention it.   Liberty and justice for all.  We failed after the second world war to codify the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  And now we ignore the need to fund the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.  These are the only comprehensive approach to preventing the continued evolution of pathogens, war, weapons, AI, and hate.

Time is not on our side.  I don’t believe God is either.

How do you think Jesus would distribute the world’s limited supply of vaccine?

What do you think the consequences will be if we keep ignoring the tale of the Good Samaritan?

You don’t have to be religious to grasp the consequences of continued global injustice and violations of the Laws of Nature.  

A new Administration isn’t going to fix things.  That will require a transformation of the system we now worship without question.  A democratic republic without liberty and justice for all.

Keep your pledge!