Photo by Kaique Rocha

After reading Let the Playing Field Level the Playing Field by Dennis Joiner, I have thoughts on where the world should go so that we can live in a better society.

It is clear to everyone (or at least most everyone) that the current paradigm, the current global order, is not working for who it claims to work for. Income inequality continues to rise, with more than half of the total wealth in the world owned by a mere handful of people while a growing number languishes in abject poverty, without clothes, food to eat, and a roof over their heads. The effects of climate change continue to unfurl, and bizarre weather conditions are beginning to become the norm. Despite some achievements in social justice, a lot of countries are pivoting to hard-right positions, especially when it comes to transgender and queer people. While the majority of people live in stability, it is only at the bare minimum. A good chunk of the world is still ignorant, powerless, and reactionary. And this is not a tragedy of reality, nor is it the consequence of natural forces; it is the result of a deliberate system that imposes hierarchy and authority on the people at the lower rungs while uplifting and giving freedom to those at the top. 

Everything just seems so bleak. When was the last time you ever thought that there would be a sun rising over the horizon? When was the last time you hoped? 

Of course, looking back at it now, these kinds of thoughts are normal; but to stew on them for years is terrible and unproductive; one book I would credit with my more hopeful outlook on life and the future of humanity is Let the Playing Field Level the Playing Field by Dennis Joiner. It really helped me with some of my considerations for the future.

Although the book cover might convey a more science-fiction atmosphere, the contents of Let the Playing Field Level the Playing Field are quite enlightening and very insightful of today’s happenings. Although primarily a perspective on American politics and society, many of the lessons it espouses can be applied broadly to other countries and, more broadly, to the world. 

Let the Playing Field Level the Playing Field is a wonderful analysis of American society’s yearning to create a better nation that is more in line with a more enlightened vision for prosperity and equality that is grounded on a mix of its founding principles and modern perspectives. In addition, it also explores the frustrations and bitterness at the difficulty of achieving such lofty goals and how those feelings affect progress and initiatives. 

What Let the Playing Field Level the Playing Field lays out as its primary thesis is very convincing, and that is that there needs to be a reckoning with how we as citizens look at the systems in place over us–and how we can establish a better society that takes everyone and places them on a level playing field. It shouldn’t just be that a section of our populace gets to reap the benefits of a modern and globalized society. Everyone should. And this book by Dennis Joiner gives you a good look at doing just that.

(first, stop reading here and read the book; then, come back to this section)

Now that you have gained a sufficient understanding of what is and what can be done, we must first define what a better society is. The Founding Fathers envisioned a world where hereditary monarchy did not exist; they dreamt of a world where a man was judged by his merit and not by the weight of his surname or the lineage of his blood. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders envisioned a world where discrimination did not exist; they dreamt of a world where people were judged because of their character and not because of their race, sex, gender, or orientation. Although they won their respective fights, the worlds they envisioned only have the bones of things. Hereditary monarchy still exists in the form of nepotism and political dynasties. Discrimination still exists in the structures and systems we have in place.

As such, a better society should be where one can be free to become who they are without the need for validation because of their inherent backgrounds. A better world should be one where people do not get to be poor. It should be where young and old are not divided. And one where anyone can love who they want.

Of course, those are just my initial thoughts. Hopefully, in the coming months, I can have them all fleshed out–but, yeah, I hope this helps with things.