There’s so much beauty in community. On a larger level, and even in smaller microcosms. It would be so dope, if despite all of our differences, each community could come together for the greater good; humanity. This society has taken something from us, and the method or mechanism is division. Division takes away humanity, which is the same hatred that can bring a cop, to shoot an UNARMED black person in the street and not think twice.
Some things cannot be changed, like probably the condition of our society, and it is only with the eradication of sin that we will do so, and we all know that there is only one being who is pure enough to do so. Even in all of our “advancements” In technology, we still walk backward, because we forget our humanity. And I think it only speaks to the grander scheme of things; similar to the law of thermodynamics. The universe seeks balance. There will never be a utopian society because that is one side of the extreme. We will never come together to preserve humanity as long as there is vanity. No one will ever be strong enough to walk away from all of our advancements in search of pure happiness.
Capitalism tells us we are only worth what we produce. But capitalism is an entity that operates in direct contradiction to our existence. Everyone used to say “America was the greatest country in the world,” why? Because it thrived on imperialism? Because it walked the earth raping every single culture of its dignity only to gain a level of wealth? But what is wealth? Is it defined by what you have, or what your earn, or is it defined by the ability smile when there is no reason to? I read an article on the Brad Pitt a while back in the NY Times style magazine to which the interviewer was one Marlon James, and him and Marlon James shared a dialogue that has walked with me for about a half a year now. He said “Discussing the thin line between tragedy and comedy leads us to talking about sadness and happiness in general, which then leads Pitt to an observation: During his frequent travels around the world he has encountered many people who seem to have no cause for happiness — and yet it’s those very people, those in the most dire circumstances, who somehow manage to appear the most content. It is why, he says, people like him — people with money and time — feel so compelled to change those circumstances. Which isn’t always a good thing, and he knows it. “I’ve gone into areas of third-world countries where people have suffered the most, but those people always seem to have the biggest laugh,” he says. As a Jamaican native who has witnessed quite a few third-world missions, I tell him that sometimes our biggest laugh is directed at foreign do-gooders who really have no idea how to fix our problems.” So in that, the only countries who are great, to me, are those who live as they should; countries who thrive on community and everyone is so busy chasing the dollar, because they think it’ll make them happy, that they forget what actually matters; spirituality, emotion, strength, love, courage. Everything that makes us human, i.e. everything that makes us powerful.
Call me naïve.