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The ship was sinking---and
sinking fast. The captain told the passengers and crew, "We've got to
get the lifeboats in the water right away."
But the crew said, "First we have to end capitalist oppression of the
working class. Then we'll take care of the lifeboats."
Then the women said, "First we want equal pay for equal work. The
lifeboats can wait."
The racial minorities said, "First we need to end racial
discrimination. Then seating in the lifeboats will be allotted
fairly."
The captain said, "These are all important issues, but they won't
matter a damn if we don't survive. We've got to lower the lifeboats right
away!"
But the religionists said, "First we need to bring prayer back into
the classroom. This is more important than lifeboats."
Then the pro-life contingent said, "First we must outlaw abortion.
Fetuses have just as much right to be in those lifeboats as anyone
else."
The right-to-choose contingent said, "First acknowledge our right to
abortion, then we'll help with the lifeboats."
The socialists said, "First we must redistribute the wealth. Once
that's done everyone will work equally hard at lowering the
lifeboats."
The animal-rights activists said, "First we must end the use of
animals in medical experiments. We can't let this be subordinated to
lowering the lifeboats."
Finally the ship sank, and because none of the lifeboats had been lowered,
everyone drowned.
The last thought of more than one of them was, "I never dreamed that
solving humanity's problems would take so long---or that the ship would
sink so SUDDENLY."
courtesy: www.rooflesshouse.com
and Daniel Quinn (http://www.ishmael.org/Education/)
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