America’s future doesn’t lie in wealth or power –
Instead, it’s a proof text
Demonstrating how different kinds of people
Can live in relative peace with one another –
If this works in America
It’ll work everywhere else on earth –
And provide solid evidence that reasonable laws
Can substitute for blood, cultural, or racial ties.
America’s future doesn’t lie in religious cults, no matter how ancient, popular, or patriotic–
But in a country purified of violence and materialism.
Until recently, Americans have been living a wrong idea –
That we have somehow been “chosen” –
An idea that, repeatedly, brought destruction upon earlier civilizations.
Really, it’s the “everydayness” of America that’s so great!
Recently, however, we’ve gotten somewhat off track –
And have found ourselves lost out in the grass –
But, maybe, that’s not so bad –
Actually, it’s really sort of peaceful
Out here with the birds.
Diner Mystic 
‘…America’s future doesn’t lie in wealth or power…’?
Do all Americans believe that? Do the majority of Americans believe that? For those who don’t believe it (i.e., and DO believe wealth/power IS our future), do they also believe that ‘for ‘themselves their own future lies in wealth or power’? Aren’t the two inseparable? EGO…not only do people have egos, countries do too!
‘…living together in relative peace or at least not killing each other…?’
From the beginning of this country, we were all immigrants, all in the minority, all having no historical claim to a particular geographical space and with enough room so that ancient hostilities and claims against another group were lessened by ‘physical space’. Even then, it took many years for us to identify as Americans and not New Yorkers, or Marylanders; still today, where are feelings of North vs. South. We did not have any problems with either Native Americans or Negroes. We easily handled the first group by killing them off, at least until the time when we decided that they had some rights; at which time we confined them to relatively worthless land we called ‘reservations’. The second group we just enslaved. Not much problem there either.
As the country becomes more ‘unequal’, and more importantly, as the pathways to becoming more equal are restricted, people increasingly give up hope and the base motivations (which are in all of us) of ‘me versus you. and ‘us versus them’ become more prominent. The ‘reasons’ employed (e.g., race, culture, religion, sex, whatever) are really just excuses to vent frustration. ‘If I can’t get mine, you won’t get yours.’
The ‘terrorism’ the world is now experiencing does not solely arise from the ‘old countries’; we have our very own ‘home-grown’ originators. When my beloved grandmother was 93 yrs. old, she said to me that she finally understood Americans love of guns. She said it was because our first ‘lesson’ as a country (which we learned very well AND INcorrectly) was that ‘…to get your own way, pick up a gun…’ (i.e. we ‘won’ our independence with a gun).
It is really so simple to say and so difficult to follow; what is the most universal saying? Do unto others what you want others to do for you.
Let me believe what I want…I will let you believe what you want.
Can substitute for blood, cultural, or racial ties.every
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