Tying Both of Our Hands Behind Our Backs (how did we do that?) and This Week’s Coupon

In 1978, I played the above average intelligence George Bergeron in a play based on Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron.” George only started out above average – anyone who was found to be above average was brought back down to average with the aid of a handicap bag. In this way, EVERYONE was finally made EQUAL.

This seems to be the dream of some people among us - that everyone be equal (of course, as noted in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, some are MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS, and they’d be happy to be the more equal ones.) Anyone who is successful must be brought down. Anyone who tries to excel must be shackled and regulated until he gives up.

When did it become a bad thing to be exceptional? I always thought that was something to strive for, not something to fear - to even shun?

When superiority does rear its ugly head, we find ways to even things out.

We have (or had, until the recent efforts to tear it apart) a top-notch healthcare system. We have so few real problems, we invented HIPA, and now you can’t reveal who has a contagious disease because of privacy concerns. We don’t understand what it’s like in countries where deadly, communicable disease is rampant and conditions and services  underdeveloped. So we handicap ourselves with rules that reduce our ability to deal with it. Some extra people get sick or die that didn’t have to? So what?

Our armed forces are SO MUCH BETTER than those of most of the rest of the world, we saddle them with rules of engagement that our disadvantaged enemies would never abide by. It’s the equivalent of always giving them the first move (and we foolishly insist that the Israelis do the same thing.) We have to let people who want us dead have their way before we can do anything about it. Does that make sense?

Political correctness won’t allow us to talk about problems honestly, because we have SO FEW TRULY BIG PROBLEMS (until we cripple ourselves into some REAL ONES) that we have to have neuroses and syndromes for how guilty of privilege we are. You can’t solve a problem if you’re not even allowed to say what it is.

We refuse to allow profiling when it makes the most sense for given situations (do we really need to search Swedish grandmothers?) – we pretend those profiles don’t have logical reasons for existing because it isn’t fair that they do make sense, and as a result we reduce our effectiveness in anticipating threats and dealing with them BEFORE they’ve caused damage.

All is fair in love and war. At least that’s what they used to say… Now we’re preoccupied with the UNFAIRNESS of the INEQUALITY of OUTCOMES. We don’t think it’s fair that there are winners and losers, and we have let this impact the way our children are being taught.  Now we encourage and reward showing up to get your ribbon instead of giving your best effort.

What is wrong with being the best? Why lower our game? Imagine, your parents telling you “Don’t do your best – you’ll embarrass the other kids. Try to be average.”

I don’t remember any employment ads looking for average people. Is that why employers keep looking for immigrants to do our jobs instead? Is it that some countries out there don’t beat the desire to be mediocre into people’s heads (okay, I know it’s really about getting people to do jobs that American’s won’t do unless you pay them a reasonable wage, but I’m making an analogy here.)

Give everything you have to whatever you’re doing – don’t hold back. Strive for perfection - you won’t achieve it, but you’ll get a lot closer when you try your best. Up your game, and everyone else has to up theirs – another situation where a rising tide raises all boats, and makes the world a better place for everyone.

Or you can do a Harrison Bergeron sort of thing and drain the water so all the boats are laying at the bottom, and we can all experience the wonderful EQUALITY of MISERY.

Just saying…

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This week’s featured eBook is “Riding the Devil” - here’s the smashwords.com link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/273869?ref=notimetothink   

Use coupon code KD74Q to save 50% off the list price at check out at smashwords. The coupon will be good through Monday, April 6^th(Wow! Two whole weeks!) Enjoy!

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William Mangieri’s writing can be found in many places, such as:

• His Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008O8CBDY
• Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/william-mangieri?store=book&keyword=william+mangieri
• Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/NoTimeToThink
• Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=william+mangieri&sitesearch_type=STORE

Connect with him on Facebook at:   http://www.facebook.com/NoTimeToThink

Or on his goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6893616.William_Mangieri