Hollow Behavior and Culture

I recently read an account from a writer who traveled through several countries where he found words meant little. The national constitutions and laws were hollow. The governments' pronouncements were invariably as false as they were grandiose.

Even worse, these practices were duplicated in everyday life. People changed stories without embarrassment. Boundaries were always negotiable.

This "Alice in Wonderland" meets "Lord of the Flies" aura illustrates the extent to which the lives of those of us in advanced nations are reasonably predictable. Rules are respected. There is a serious striving for justice.

This requires a dedication to objectivity in our culture so favoritism and outright bribery are disdained. As the culture goes, so goes the justice system. Once that goes, there goes the nation.