It is pretty straightforward. As long as the top 10% continue to make the rules, the rules will continue to favor the top 10%; and in the comfort of our complicity we will continue to serve the top 10%. To wrench one's mind free of our entrenched complacency is not at all comfortable; and then to translate said discomfort into drastic, compelling, constructive action leading to actual widespread improvement, would not only require considerable effort but would also be met with large scale resistance. Instinctively, that should not be an excuse; instinctively, we should still put forth the effort; realistically, it is lonely. And in the face of this, the question remains – how do we dethrone the top 10%?

I have previously made the following suggestions:

• We could let go of our illusion of stability. 4/16/22.
• We could embrace uncertainty. 4/23/22.
• We could change our focus from bureaucracy, convention, certainty, division to Beauty, Truth, Wisdom, Justice. 5/7/22.
• We could differentiate between substantial and essential. 5/14/22.
• We could reverse the dollar flow to narrow the income gaps. 3/16/24.
• We could cap wealth and implement a meaningful universal base income. 3/11/17.

These are all drastic actions that would require considerable effort in the face of large scale resistance. As said, I see the resistance as large scale for two predominant reasons: 1) the power held by the top 10%, and 2) our complicity. At this point, some may unpretentiously claim “things are not that bad” and ask the question, why do we want to dethrone the top 10%? The closer one is to the top 10%, the more likely one is to ask this question and make this claim and perpetuate complicity. I would answer this question by first pointing to the previous thoughts linked above and summarizing as follows:

• The income gap and the wealth gap are unnecessary and they are knowingly, intentionally maintained at the expense of the bottom 50%.
• “To unnecessarily act in one’s self-interest knowing it is at the expense of another is a trespass against all of humanity.”
• Those most righteous are most culpable. And today those who are most righteous are those who define and justify their misguided morality on the basis of faulty fundamental principles including bureaucracy, convention, certainty and division.
• Garbage in, garbage out.

To me, sitting here in the bottom 30%, it is obvious. But even from here, it is only obvious when I make myself see it. As one moves to the bottom 20%, the bottom 10%, circumstance becomes increasingly dire. But for me, as it is for most of us, there are times when I am watching Netflix, listening to music, reading a good story, preparing a good meal, that it is not so obvious.

So in my mind, the first step to dethroning the powers that be would be to continuously, consciously shed the comfort and warmth of our complicity; to take a leap of faith toward Beauty, Truth, Wisdom and Justice. If we believe in erroneous presuppositions or if we idly hope for future just rewards, we are complicit.

But still, because for most of us it is not as consistently obvious as it should be, how do we reduce the immensity of the resistance? How do I make others look? How do I get the attention of the flocking masses? How do I wrench our heads, our minds from our grazing grasses and get us to look up? And ahead? This is the hurdle I am currently unable to get over. My experience, when I work to turn someone’s attention to the illusion of stability and to the dangers of bureaucracy and convention and certainty and division and to the difference between substantial and essential and to the growing income gap and the widening wealth gap, I drive them away; they begin to work at avoiding me. And I do understand that. Complicity is so much more comfortable. And then when I do drive someone away, I feel bad and I go back to my Netflix. But when I graze and sit on my hands and gag my tongue, I also feel bad. And when I do for myself, when I walk and read and learn and think and write, I feel better momentarily, but then when I realize it is not drastic, compelling, constructive action leading to actual widespread improvement, I feel bad. And when I do for others, when I complete a task and help and serve and improve a process and create a pivot table and put forth substantial effort, I feel better somewhat beyond momentarily, but then when I realize it is not drastic, compelling, constructive, essential action leading to actual widespread improvement that could contribute to the long-term well-being and survival of Humanity, I feel bad.

So, in my own way, even when I force myself to take notice, even when I am learning, thinking and writing, even when I am creating, serving, producing, I am still complicit. I don’t do enough, we don’t do enough, and I still feel bad.

So, I am at a loss. But perhaps I should be. Perhaps we all should be. Last week I said “To embrace certainty is to defy one’s impermanence.” It is also true that to embrace certainty is to defy one’s natural (God-given?) state of bewilderment. I feel bad for all the reasons stated, but I feel sad because I often feel like I am alone in my bewilderment. We could do more, better together.