The Pitfalls of Relying on Status in the World

[jordan179]

Comments

[astroprisoner]

Hopefully, we will not make the mistake of relying on our Status to protect us...

Unfortunately, I think it's a natural human flaw to do exactly what you're saying, and has been for all time. I suspect that every civilization in history has said of itself "We've reached the natural order of the world, and we understand how things really are." And what follows from that is those who think that way will assume that the world will continue unchanged without any further action from them.

History is not quite so forgiving.

[kitten_goddess]

"There is a tendency to invert cause and effect when dealing with the issue of status. Instead of thinking "Nation A has higher status than Nation B because it is successful in war," there is a tendency to think "Nation A must succeed in war against Nation B, because it has higher status." "

America has made this mistake at least twice in the last forty years (Vietnam and Iraq come to mind). The results are obvious (long drawn-out wars, international embarrassment, loss of money, and loss of status).

[last_servant]

There is also the possibility of irrational behavior is very present in the extremes of culture, because they view "the system" as having failed them. This is why counter-cultural attitude never gain much traction in a capitalist society, which stresses individuality. We shouldn't rely on status, or even the threat of war. Profit and the free market must be introduced to the world to create a more stable global culture.