In previous writings, we have commented upon our admirable, and, somewhat idealistically naïve, Founding Fathers, in their historic declaration that, “All men are created equal” (which, in that period of American history, unfortunately, did not include women or black people). With that declaration, they admirably and effectively sounded a death knell for the traditional European system of privileged birth and its resultant, social classes. The salutary declaration was certainly well intended, but could not foresee nor avert a perverse, and unavoidable institution of societal classes, based upon criteria other than, the contemplated, privileged birth.
In contemporary America, we are confronted by social problems created by economic maladjustments, and continued concentration of the nation’s wealth and control of the national economy, in the hands of a small percentage of the population. Contemporary studies show, an upper wealthy class, (1%), a nouveau riche class, a middle class, working class, a working poor and a poverty class; which sociological construct, would appear to be an enduring, economic phenomenon. This fact pattern appears to be responsible for many far reaching consequences. Stratification, based upon wealth, income, education, occupation and social access, have been demonstrated to have a significant societal impact on, health, family life, education, religious affairs, educational policy and most shamefully, even the administration of justice.
A classless society, in theory, would refer to a society, in which no one is born to a social class, and where there would exist the realistic possibility of equality of wealth, economics, education, health and social network, individually arrived at, solely by life experience and successful achievement.
The desire for such an ideal, a classless and universally equal society, is far older than that 18th century, optimistic attempt by our founding fathers. In 73 A.D., Spartacus led an army of slaves in a revolt, seeking human equality. In England, a group called the “Levelers,” a 19th Century, left wing party, revolted against the unequal English Class system of the time. The year, 1917, saw the Russian Revolution, inspired by the theory of a classless society, to be ruled and managed by the “Proletariat”, inspired by the writings of Karl Marx. Every one of these cited events were failures, and empirically demonstrate, that societal equality cannot be achieved by force. The Russian revolution, in fact, resulted in eventuating the development of more “managerial classes,” than all of the social classes which were previously sought to be eliminated. In any event, Russia, today, is visibly, an autocratic state, run by a tyrant and his loyal group of sycophantic, conspiratorial oligarchs.
George Orwell’s satirical, symbolic treatment of the Russian Revolution, in his novel, “Animal Farm,” contained the instructive statement, “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
History has undeniably proven to all who have chosen to pay attention, that all social animals compete for status, and are, regrettably, by some natural inclination, hierarchical. We would humbly respond to history’s lesson, that despite its accuracy, moral recognition of the universal equality of human rights, is in all cases, irrevocable and, mandatory.
-p.
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