At the End of All Struggle

At the end of all struggle, at the end of philosophy, at the end of history, lies the broad, bland patchwork of liberal pragmatism.

To the rich: We will let you keep most of what you have. You can play the percentages. You can hire people to cloth your interests in high sounding words. But really, for whatever reason, you need to give some back.

To the poor: We won't leave you to starve. You will have the basics. You will have opportunity. You won't rule, but some of you may rule or at least get rich.

To the fanatics: You may be right, but you have to see that many will continue to disagree. Pursue your vision, but let others be. Live and let live. Non-aggression is the best policy.

To the utopians: You can't force people. They have to come to it on their own. And you can build your alternative structures within the framework of the old. Get busy, but be peaceful.

To the young rebels: You will always find something to outrage your elders. Have at it, but let others be. Don't harm anyone. They have their own paths to follow. And we will sell you the artifacts of your rebellion.

To the dreamers: Go ahead and pursue your dreams, but don't expect others to give you a free ride. It's your dream. Sell them, but you can't make them believers.

To the tyrants: There is even room for you. Start a company. But unfortunately you won't be able to force people to work for you.

To the people: We are for you. Do what you want as long as you allow the same for others. Be practical in public problem solving, but otherwise it's all up to you.

To future generations: We will get it together. We will find the technology. We will change our ways. We will leave you a decent place to live.

To the liberals: We need to continue the story of freedom. We need to live up to this stuff. Otherwise, the fanatics and the tyrants will grow stronger and tear our toy house down. Our power is in co-option.