The Cult of Equity
Western Civilization is engaged in pitched battle with the contemporary iteration of the cargo cults of WWII Melanesia.
America lives in the grip of a First World variant of a cargo cult.
Peter Worsley, the noted British sociologist and social anthropologist (who first coined the term “Third World”), compiled an early overview of cargo cults in The Trumpet Shall Sound: A Study of "Cargo" Cults in Melanesia (1957), offered what had already become the standard definition of cargo cults:
“…strange religious movements in the South Pacific [that appeared] during the last few decades. In these movements, a prophet announces the imminence of the end of the world in a cataclysm which will destroy everything. Then the ancestors will return, or God, or some other liberating power, will appear, bringing all the goods the people desire, and ushering in a reign of eternal bliss”.
The popular understanding of cargo cults is that some sheltered group worships whatever entity delivers marvelous goods and food, and while that is true, the spread of such cults across Melanesia during WWII had another dimension.
In the November 1945 issue of the colonial news magazine Pacific Islands Monthly, longtime resident of the region Norris Mervyn Bird, introduced the term “cargo cult” as an alternative to an earlier label, “Vailala Madness” (for a small village on the north coast of Wallis Island where cargo cultism was noticed):
“Stemming directly from religious teaching of equality, and its resulting sense of injustice, is what is generally known as ‘Vailala Madness’, or ‘Cargo Cult’… A native, infected with the disorder, states that a great number of ships loaded with ‘cargo’ had been sent by the ancestor of the native for the benefit of the natives of a particular village or area. But the white man, being very cunning, knows how to intercept these ships and takes the ‘cargo’ for his own use…”
The contemporary form of the cargo cult is a Cult of Equity.
The Cult of Equity has much in common with the Melanesian cargo cults. While the “prosperity” (the cargo) experienced by these isolated peoples were generally delivered by First World soldiers and sailors (who were predominantly American and white), the cultists believed that rather than being the root of the “prosperity”, the white man was an agent of evil whose primary mission was to steal the bounty of the gods for their own use, thereby preventing those godly gifts from reaching the people as intended.
Just as these cargo cults developed their own beliefs and rituals, the contemporary Cult of Equity has as well.
The Cult of Equity believes that everyone on the planet is due the same outcome, that their birthright is to experience, do and be the same as the highest achiever, highest earner, most famous people in the world and the only reason that equality of outcome doesn’t naturally occur is that some force prevents it. That devil of choice is the same today as it was during and after WWII in Melanesia – white people, or more accurately, anyone who exists within the framework of Western Civilization.
Personally, I began thinking about this in 2014 when the death of budding criminal Michael Brown sparked the riots in Ferguson, Missouri. I was fascinated at how the myth of Michael Brown as some sort of schoolboy angel executed by a white police devil grew despite what people closest to Brown knew to be true about him and later what the evidence revealed. Even after the Obama/Holder DOJ focused a laser on the Ferguson Police Department, they found nothing to substantiate widespread racism and abuse of black citizens by police of any color – but the die was cast.
From Ferguson in 2014 to the George Floyd/BLM/ANTIFA riots in 2020, the myth grew.
Once again, it was white cops and the “white” justice system that were conspiring to prevent the bounty intended by the gods for the people from reaching them.
I know it is trite, but another example of this Cult of Equity can be seen in popular culture through the promotion of obese, so-called “plus sized” models, in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated and in ads for major retailers. I must admit that I threw up in my mouth a little when I saw a Yahoo! News article featuring a picture of Lena Dunham in a bikini with the title: “Lena Dunham poses poolside in a bikini: 'Just stunning'”.
The only thing “stunning” about this is that Yahoo! thought they could sell the idea Lena Dunham is stunning. I can think of few people I would want to see in a bikini less than Lena Dunham. Dunham is physically unattractive and based on her body of work, possesses a personality that can curdle fresh milk.
People may consider my views sexist, but if you are trying to redefine what society and culture considers “sexy”, I have opinions about that, especially since “sexy” is a subjective term.
Personally, I’ve never thought of myself as particularly attractive. I know that about myself. I also have other less than endearing qualities. I also know that about myself. I’m good at some things, not so good at others - I’m not wealthy, famous, or good looking and recognizing that isn’t “brave” or “stunning”, and neither is trying to redefine the world around me to make me appear wealthy, famous, or good looking.
But this is what the Cult of Equity does – it takes obvious and valid differentiations in people, ideas and actions and tries to force them to be equal. I have some carpentry skills and I have likened it to sanding a workpiece and then trying to add the resulting sawdust back to another piece. It can’t be done.
Not all people are swimsuit quality. Not all people can design a commercial rocket to take people into space. Not all ideas deserve equal consideration.
Western Civilization is based on the idea that people are different and should be encouraged to stand out because those people tend to benefit society.
This contemporary Cult of Equity is a combination of the Melanesian cargo cults and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”.
Somehow, the Cult of Equity has been able to infect society that people are not justified just being happy with who they are without the cacophonous din and pot banging by the public. It isn’t enough to be comfortable in your own skin, somehow society must be forced to applaud you, or you aren’t validated as a person.
You are required to publicly exhibit your worst characteristics and Western Civilization must be forced to applaud you because if Western Civilization isn’t forced to celebrate every deviancy, they are just oppressing you in the same way the white devils oppressed (allegedly) the cargo cults of Melanesia.
Worth your read: "Screwtape proposes a toast" by CS Lewis.
http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/screwtape-proposes-a-toast-SEP.pdf
Rumor has it that the NFL will be adding the LGBTQI++++ National Anthem (Lola) along with LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING at the beginning of their contests.