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| Credit: Gage Skidmore |
Thankfully, we don't yet live in a country where statements such as "All animals are equal" can be overtly modified to read "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." But the sentiment is seeming to become more pervasive, if still covert. Examples such as Rick Santorum's
hypocrisy, are all too common in today's politics. They are manifestations of what I believe are nationalistic/tribal philosophies that un-spokenly but pervasively inform the judgments of some politicians. Generally speaking, in this mindset almost everything is acceptable if "we" do it, but many things may be unacceptable if "they" do it. The only challenge in such a moral/legal system is to define who "we" are. I would propose that this mindset has unavoidably underlain almost every society where stratification is supported by written law or unwritten public policy.
When we see hypocrisy like Santorum's, we need to call it out, condemn it, and clarify to anyone who will listen how malignant it is.
