Re: [WDDM] Elite, the old frontier

[Giorgio Menon <giorgio.menon(at)pd.infn.it>]

Pras Anand wrote:

> I don't understand the elite idea. I am not creating a new elitist
> system. But I am also saying that not everyone is equal. (snip) Why
> should everyone be equal?

Hi Pras,
i do understand you point but i have difficulties to accept it.
Paradoxically you've answered to your own question when you've stated:
"I've been living near the poverty line for the last 10 years or so,
lived in hostels, friends couches etc.."
That's a good enough reason to be equal. Exploitation begets difference.
As long as one eats gourmet's food and sleeps in a king size waterbed in
a house with airconditioning and central heating inequality might be a
good thing. But not if you're in the wrong side of the fence with
vicious dogs barking at you.
So it suprise me (a lot, actually) that someone in your position is
sustaining inequality.

> Why should everyone be equal? This is not the way things work, there
> is no possible situation where this would be possible.

This is historically false. Mankind has lived without casts and elites
for most of his life. If the history of the human race began at
midnight, then we would now be almost at the end of our first day. We
lived as hunter-gatherers for nearly the whole of that day, from
midnight through dawn, noon, and sunset.
Finally, at 11:54 p.m., we adopted agriculture. And with agricolture
cames the surplus and the necessity to defend it and distribute it. Thus
casts and parassites like policemen and judges and kings on top (usually
with a special relationship with god-whatever this may ever mean). So it
went. We're now living this social stratification and justify it (thanks
to the same casts who, of course, have no interests in sharing their
benefits) but it's only 6 minutes ago that it started, while for the
rest of the day we've lived in societies without inequalities.
If you like to know more go here:
http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/lifeways/hg_ag/worst_mistake.html
This is the most interesting article about it i've ever read. By the way
Jared Diamond has written excellent books: "Guns, Germs and Steel" and
"Collapse", both deserving a good read.
So don't get trapped by the idea that we're not equal. I'm sure you need
to breath and eat and sleep just like any other human. Anything else is
more philosophical than practical.


Have fun

Giorgio