equality and celebrity
‘All men are created equal’ – the cornerstone of the United States Declaration of Independence, a phrase so ingrained in American identity and political philosophy that it is rarely questioned. Yet, strip away its sentimental gloss and the statement is complete and utter nonsense. None of us are born equal, neither in circumstance, opportunity, nor the prejudices which shape our lives before we even take our first breath. The only universally true statement would be; ‘All people are born naked.’ Beyond that, inequality is the rule, not the exception – a reality so glaring, so fundamental, that the very society that cherishes this aphorism is, in truth, founded on its opposite.
A closer look at ‘All men are created equal’, raises an immediate issue – if we take the word ‘men’ literally, it excludes women, who, by that very omission, are considered subordinate by default. However, let’s assume, in this context, that ‘men’ was intended to mean all of humanity. Even then, with further examination, the claim collapses – the Declaration of Independence was written nearly a century before the United States abolished slavery, so it was not written with those born into slavery in mind.
The document, despite its lofty rhetoric, implicitly declared that some men are created equal. At the time, many did oppose its inclusion, not in light of its absurdity, but because it conflicted with their economic interests in the slave trade – the statement insinuating that people with dark skin were equal in standing to those with white skin.
As with all grand ideals, definitions matter. What did Jefferson actually mean by ‘created equal’? Society does not strive for equality, it thrives on inequality. It enforces it. It celebrates it. The phrase was not a moral consideration, but a masterstroke of propaganda, the seed of the ‘American Dream’, which assures us that we all begin on equal footing – that success or failure is a matter of individual effort alone. And yet, the conditions into which we are each born are anything but equal. For most, failure is not a matter of personal shortcomings, it is inevitable – predetermined by circumstances that are designed to ensure we fail, because at its core, so-called civilised society is not built on freedom, but on slavery.
‘Land of the free’ is a phrase politicians repeat with fervor, as if sheer repetition can make it true. We’re vulnerable, like children, in that we want to believe and trust what those in authority say, and so we accept that we are free, and that we’re all equal, and deluded by that belief – despite the reality that stares us in the face – we obediently accept this deception. However, anyone answerable to another is subservient, and anyone whose labour generates profit for someone else, is being exploited – the very definition of enslavement, no matter how convincingly it is disguised.
Some might argue that people choose to work under those conditions, but for most, there is no choice, merely a necessity. And when survival means working for just enough money to afford food and lodging, effort that directly lines the pockets of the already wealthy employers, landlords, and corporations, there is little to distinguish that from toiling for food and shelter on a plantation. The system’s language may have softened the reality, but the principle remains unchanged: slavery was never abolished, it was simply rebranded. So, exploitation – profiting from another’s labour – is not only unnatural, but ought to be viewed as immoral.
Thinking yourself more important than another, based on an arbitrary identifier – be it skin colour, nationality, wealth, education, or status – is not just the root of abuse and injustice, but an extreme expression of arrogance. If we believe our own life has value, then everyone’s life (or indeed all life) is of equal value.
Clinging onto irrelevant abstractions to justify a sense of superiority is nothing short of delusional. Hierarchy, in any form, enables some people to view others as inferior, yet humans evolved as egalitarian beings, and it is only through the distortion of ‘civil’ society that we have returned to the primate preoccupation with status and dominance (and patriarchy). Anyone profiting from hierarchical structures reduces their behaviour to that of chimpanzees, prioritising power over reason, control over cooperation. This immature fixation on superiority (and exploitation), woven tightly into the fabric of contemporary society, is accelerating our self-destruction. There is no measure, no justification, by which one life is more important than another.
celebrity
The greatest trick of the social pyramid isn’t just the subjugation of the many for the benefit of the few, it’s that the many celebrate their own subjugation. Those at the bottom are not only exploited, but conditioned to admire, defend, and even worship those who exploit them; those who wallow in the injustice of inequity. They cheer for the wealthy, idolise the powerful, elevating the very people who are responsible for their plight. In doing so, they don’t just accept their chains, they polish them, and in the process, they sacrifice not only their time, money, and belief, but also their dignity, their self-worth, and the value of their own lives.
This system, built on inequality, endures, not just because the powerful contrive it, but because the powerless are so naïve that they fund and fuel it.
Celebrity only exists because those with little opportunity create it, by idolising, investing in, and imagining certain individuals as being special. The masses live vicariously through these people, ennobling them to near-godlike status, as if their success somehow enriches their own lives. This is why people feel a sense of personal triumph when their favourite footballer scores a goal, or why they imagine a fleeting handshake from a famous person to be a moment of personal validation. But this servile reverence is not accidental, it is cultivated. Entire industries thrive on extracting emotional and financial investment from those who will never see a return. And what of the idols they worship? If they care at all, it is only to reinforce that dynamic, ensuring that devotion, and the wealth it generates, keeps flowing in their direction. The psychology of subservience – an entrenched feature of our understanding of society – is maintained through hierarchy and tradition, ensuring that people not only accept their place, but ‘celebrate’ those who position themselves above them. By worshipping the powerful, they preserve the very inequalities which keep them impotent and poor.
To be impressed by celebrity is to be a fool. Celebrities are just people, but their status depends entirely upon exploiting those who mistake privilege for merit, and wealth for worth.
Children instinctively show-off, compete, bully, and seek attention, because they are immature; they have yet to realise their full human potentials of cooperation, compassion, selflessness, and egalitarianism. Adults who still express such rudimentary behaviours, have not grown up, and most certainly should not be in positions of authority or responsibility. This is why we are destroying the planet and sabotaging our own future – our fate is being decided by egotistical, competitive, and aggressive children masquerading as leaders; leaders who are leading us to death.
March 2025