Conflict on Earth is everywhere, and cultural differences along with long standing belief systems are often used as the explanations for why people put peace aside and seek to displace and destroy others. But there’s more to it than meets the eye, and addressing the root cause of envy is not socially acceptable because “The Myth That All Men Are Created Equal” must rule the day in order to protect the sensibilities of billions of people. Truth be told, we wouldn’t expect a chihuahua to become a police dog, but pointing out differences, strengths and weaknesses is accepted as long as humankind is excluded.

Although some will offer a multitude of sobbing stories and philosophical soups sprinkled with psychological spices, human self-interest is paramount because it’s at the core of existence and survival. In turn, intellectual prowess determines the raw socio-techno-economic outcome, and shortcomings cannot be glossed over with feel-good ballads about mythical human equality across the human sub-species spectrum. In short, life is extremely simple and convoluted social formulas do not add an extra dimension to solving biological problems.

Potentially one of the most popular descriptions of envy is encapsulated in “Keeping Up With The Joneses,” an idiom borrowed by the movie where “the seemingly perfect neighbors turn out to be spies.” The real or perceived superiority is the key to those that see themselves as inferior, and those that hold the cards, and do not suffer from personal insecurities, couldn’t care less about looking superior to anyone else. They’re too busy living their lives and just want people to stay away for the sake of preserving their equality. But unlike the movie, conflict in our lives is mostly reduced to gossip, dirty looks, and not being invited to Bob’s BBQ.

A hallmark of envy in action is the hip-hop community’s bling which infallibly adorns the bodies of people and their automobiles. It often extends to architecture because in their minds it’s a foolproof method to mask their insecurities and their envy of people with tangible, meaningful and measurable achievement, while failing to realize the dynamics of “Loud Music, Noise Pollution And Lower Intellect.”

As another example, the Muslim world doesn’t have much to brag about, but they have some of the tallest buildings on the planet, people will point out. Yes, they do, but that’s akin to a guy buying extra large condoms for a three inch penis! Dubai is such a place, with tall and shiny buildings paid for with revenue from oil that is technologically available and consumed thanks to Western Civilization, while the locals still dress as if the camel is the Prius of choice.

On another front, the article “Why Drug Dealers, Rappers, and Pimps Wear Their Wealth” offers an explanation that fails simple logic as it relates to an arrest.

So, when they get arrested, they will always have someone bring their jewelry down to me. I will loan them half of what they paid for it — and that’s their bail money

All personal possessions are held by the police upon an arrest and nobody can access it for any purpose. And why not keep the “wealth” in a bank safe deposit box? And if one is that wealthy, one shouldn’t have to pawn a gold chain to make bail. It’s the 21st century but it’s still required for criminals to be smart. If in doubt, watch the “The Sopranos” and learn how ostentatiousness is counterproductive and always avoided.

The original “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” a song with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin in 1927, delivered a still valid observation of black people from a time when “Political Correctness Shields The Inept” wasn’t a thing.

If you’re blue, and you don’t know where to go to
Why don’t you go where Harlem flits?
Puttin’ on the Ritz
Spangled gowns upon the bevy of high browns
From down the levy, all misfits
Puttin’ on the Ritz

That’s where each and every lulu-belle goes
Every Thursday evening with her swell beaus
Rubbin’ elbows

Come with me and we’ll attend their jubilee
And see them spend their last two bits
Puttin’ on the Ritz

Misfits spend their last two bits, and somebody couldn’t resist super expensive hooker boots because they fit the mold, which is built into the DNA.

Let’s simplify the explanation for why people are driven to hate and conflict, armed or not, with socio-techno-economic achievement as the backdrop. The reason why Hitler hated Jews (also targeted the “unfit” as a distraction and to establish equivalency), why Muslims hate Christians and Jews, and Black and Brown people hate Whites is reduced to one single word: Envy.

The condition is unfixable because it’s human nature.

---