For a long time, I have strongly disliked the values promoted by the people of the United States of America. From the day President Nixon sold the public the war on drugs to the present day when Americans appealed to a more aggressive stance on international affairs, it has made one thing clear. The citizens of this nation are willing to sacrifice personal liberty in exchange for keeping this country at the forefront of technological advancement, and especially, political influence.

As self-proclaimed “world leaders”, it has been made known that every person is part of something larger. As individuals, it is our responsibility to contribute momentum to the social machine to the very best of our ability until the day we are no longer capable. This is evidenced by the strong promotion of political authority, the bureaucratic processes and protocol citizens must follow, and strict regulation of activities conducted within the jurisdiction of our country. There is a strict zero-tolerance policy for antisocial behavior. You’re either part of the problem, or part of the solution. Period.

It has been my personal belief that we, as intelligent creatures, emerged forth through the process of natural selection with a purpose. This purpose is to stimulate our dopaminergic reward systems through activities and experiences that we generally refer to as making us feel “good”. We also have survival mechanisms, like fear, pain, and anger, that elicit powerful behavioral responses to ensure that we strive to fulfill this purpose. However, that isn’t without its negative consequences. Take a moment to observe the sheer amount of poverty, wars, greed, and famine around us in this awesomely destructive system we’ve created for ourselves.

Perhaps it’s a little selfish to admit it, but enabling myself to better meet my own psychological needs is something I feel is more important than fighting any man’s war, making any man’s tools or machines, or ascending any society’s structure of authority. However, I absolutely cannot do this given the current structure of the society I live in, and especially the re-election of President George W. Bush.

And here, my own ideas and the ideas of members of the society in which I have been born into clash. If having the opportunity to enjoy a more fulfilling, liberal lifestyle means that I have to learn to speak a new language or drive on the opposite of the road, SO BE IT. Or, I can choose to terminate my existence altogether.

Please advise.

-Sean