The Race
Human beings are very competitive, maybe too competitive. Millions of years of competing have moved us to the top of the food chain and continues to move us forward in our search for more of everything. Competition is built into human nature. If we lose our desire to compete we lose much of the satisfaction and joy that makes life worth living. The downside arrives as we move our competitiveness to ever larger groupings.
Our goal is to win, to be regarded as the best. As individuals or members of a team it can be a positive experience, however, when it is applied to something larger it becomes distorted. Tribal, ethnic, religious, or, worst of all, nationalistic groups compete on a much more serious level. Nations see their vision of themselves hanging in the balance because winning involves their past, present, and future identities. The drive to be near the top has led to atrocities and wars that brutalize us all. With everything the human race has accomplished we can’t seem to shake these destructive drives. Eight billion of us now inhabit this planet with no sign of the competition abating. Indeed, any objective assessment would probably suggest it will get worse.
Take, for instance, the most powerful nation on Earth, the United States. Being born in America means being born surrounded by a belief in American exceptionalism. The propaganda of greatness is pervasive, from flag waving, anthem singing, and patriotic hero worshipping, to massive investments in coming out on top in every competition. Their success is unquestionable and it spurs them on to maintain their position as the richest and most influential nation on the planet. It has become their identity. If a citizen does nothing else with their life they can still call themselves an American and feel the pride, but what does that say to the rest of us?
When you have a nation calling itself the best and the greatest, and is willing to sacrifice so much to maintain that status, how does that impact other nations? During the Cold War we came within inches of a nuclear holocaust as the USSR refused to be relegated to second best. This extreme competition brought about the refinement and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to a point where everything on the planet was nearly destroyed under a policy of Mutually Assured Destruction. The USSR eventually collapsed under the economic strain of trying to keep pace but the weapons technology didn’t go away, nor did the desire to regroup and begin again among those who felt the loss.
Since then we have seen the rise of China as a major competitor on the world stage. They have a larger population than all of North America and they have been taught to look at their long history of accomplishment, combine it with almost endless human resources, and translate that into believing they can compete with anyone. Their strides forward in education, finance, technology, and manufacturing over the past few generations are unmatched. They have come from being a third world country to fighting for the top spot, and are not ashamed by the prospect of occupying that high ground. They see America as a fading superpower and themselves as an ascending one.
Although it is talked about very little in this regard, India is also on the rise as a major power. Their internal dissent is the hold back but the potential is there for great leaps forward in economic and military power. Meanwhile, the old guard of Britain, France, and Germany, although much reduced from their glory days, have not given up a belief in themselves.
The primary competition is between the United States, Russia, and China but further alliances such as NATO and the EU have grown in importance. To join those organizations brings serious commitments.
All nations want a seat at the big table. All nations want to be considered relevant. Whether they focus on the production of goods, military strength, providing services to their population, or their wealth of resources. They all want to be respected as a player on the world stage. If for no other reason than it helps governments maintain the support of their people.
In spite of how it is presented to citizens, to be considered the best assumes everyone else must be less than the best. Less than you. Most people don’t find that acceptable and will do whatever they can to prove otherwise. This is why competitions for national superiority never end positively. What fleeting joy you get from momentary success in a sporting event, economic endeavor, or diplomatic exchange, should always tempered by the eventual retribution sought by those who feel the humiliation of not being your equal. Ultimately, it’s a race to the bottom for humanity as a whole.
In a world where the need to cooperate for the good of all is obvious, national pride is the largest barrier. Tiny little nations like North Korea can begin a nuclear war. Individual dictators in larger countries may undergo periods of irrationality and do the same. Human life on this planet is vulnerable to mass extermination for no better reason than the sheer madness of a few individuals. Psychopathic narcissists can be elected to lead superpowers and destroy whole nations simply to achieve a personal fantasy. When are we going to realize there is no joy in becoming the richest, most powerful, most influential, or most admired nation on a planet doomed by the competition for greatness?
Just a Picture
