ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL JUSTICE
Original Sin... ...continued from page 11
chief.” That ancient, genetically-established egalitarianism contrasts with WRGD\¶VVWUDWL¿FDWLRQ6LQFHWKH1HROLWKLF5HYROXWLRQLQWURGXFHGDJUL - FXOWXUHKXPDQLW\¶VVRFLDOVWUXFWXUHKDVEHHQKLHUDUFKLFDO'HVSLWHRXU DQFLHQWKHULWDJHRIHTXDOLW\KXPDQLW\LVQRZDQGKDVEHHQIRU years, divided into a few “haves” and a great many “have-nots.” This SDUWLWLRQLQJXQLTXHLQPDPPDOLDQH[SHULHQFHÀLHVDJDLQVWWKH³DG - verse inequity aversion” that appears in early childhood and exists in DOO FXOWXUHV WKDW KDYH EHHQ VWXGLHG 7KH QRQVFLHQWL¿F WHUP IRU WKLV attribute is simply “jealousy” — indignation and outrage at being treated unfairly. Psychologists have established the presence of this inborn trait in many species, including monkeys, dogs and elephants. In humans, it is evident across the world. Whether in Spain, Nigeria RU7KDLODQGWKRVHZLWKOHVVUHVHQWWKRVHZKRKDYHPRUH8QIDLUQHVV insults our intrinsic humanity. Even though the “poor” have lived in varying cultural settings and LQ GL̆ HUHQW WLPH SHULRGV WKH\ KDYH VKDUHG SV\FKRORJLFDO FRPPRQ - alities. Privation means near constant worry about food and shelter; it means more uncertainty regarding work, wages and debts; and it means poorer health, more illness and lower life expectancy. Together these pressures and aggravations give rise to chronic stress with its as- sociated emotional and physical consequences. Because of their lower VWDWXVWKH³XQHTXDO´IHHOVWLJPDWL]HGDVKDPHGKHOSOHVVDQGIDWDOLV - tic. They hope for a better future and tend to be hostile towards the “elites” they see as perpetuating their hardships while blocking their advancement. That great numbers of people currently endure such KRSHOHVVDGYHUVLW\GRHVQ¶W¿WZLWKRXU³PLQGJHQHV´LPDJHRIKRZOLIH VKRXOGEH2XUPRUHUHPRWHDQFHVWRUVOLNHWKRVHOLYLQJ\HDUV ago, surely experienced analogous stresses on occasion; but anthro- pological studies of recent hunter-gatherers strongly suggest that in the Paleolithic era such adversity was far less common and of lesser intensity. It might be argued that in “Eden” there were no poor. Rise of Autocracy For millennia, socioeconomic inequality has been the driving force XQGHUO\LQJSRSXOLVP'LVSDULW\ZLWKLQDJLYHQSRSXODWLRQ²JDSVLQ wealth, power and education between a relatively small upper-class segment and a much larger proletariat — leads to alienation, a sense of injustice, and deep resentment among the masses. This dynamic
Source: Visual Capitalist
is long-established, but new technology has exacerbated its intensity. 0RUHWKDQHYHUEHIRUHPRYLHVWHOHYLVLRQDQGGLJLWDOSKRWRWUDQV - PLVVLRQPDNHWKHYDVWSRRUULFKOLIHVW\OHGLVFUHSDQF\JUDSKLFDOO\HYL - GHQW5XVVLDQSHDVDQWVLQZHUHDZDUHWKDWQREOHVOLYHGGL̆ HUHQW - O\EXWWKH\GLGQ¶WKDYHWKHKRPHVYHKLFOHVFORWKHVDQGPHDOVHQMR\HG E\WKHXSSHUFODVVFRQVWDQWO\ÀDXQWHGLQWKHLUIDFHV1RZPRUHWKDQ HYHUEHIRUHZRUNLQJFODVVSHRSOHDSSUHFLDWHWKHULFKSRRUJDSPRUH YLVFHUDOO\PRUHSDLQIXOO\ DQGFRQVHTXHQWO\WKDWJDSLVD̆ HFWLQJWKH present and our future more dramatically than it has in the past. Fur- thermore, social media now allows local grievances to go viral, thus LQFLWLQJDQGRUUHLQIRUFLQJORZHUFODVVHQY\DQGDQJHUPRUHEURDGO\ In turn, widespread exasperation and bitterness provide openings for aspiring dictators. Would-be despots commonly begin their careers as charismatic populists. They appeal to “regular people” who perceive themselves as being treated with condescension and disrespect by the gentry who they, in turn, view as undeservedly wealthy, educated and powerful. 7KHVH ZRUNLQJFODVV FLWL]HQV RIWHQ EHOLHYH D ³VWURQJ´ OHDGHU FRXOG DGGUHVVWKHLUJULHYDQFHVDQGFRUUHFWVRFLHW\¶VLQHTXLWLHV$FRXQ - try survey conducted by 861HZV LQIRXQGWKDWRIWKH SHRSOHLQWHUYLHZHG LQWKH86 DJUHHGZLWKWKHVWDWH - PHQW ³0\FRXQWU\¶VOHDGHUVKRXOGKDYHWRWDOXQFKHFNHGDXWKRULW\´ :KHQDPDJQHWLFLQGLYLGXDOFDSLWDOL]HVRQWKLVVHQWLPHQWSURJUHVVLRQ IURPLQÀXHQFHWRSRZHUWRGRPLQDQFHLVDFRPPRQVFHQDULR 6RXQG IDPLOLDU" Individual ascension to dictatorial status is not new. Consider
30—PATHWAYS—Summer 25
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