Posted for Blake Taylor:
            Some would ask why do we even have politics, which would in turn lead to what is politics. The military tends to hate it, the average Joe doesn't understand it, and the privileged seem to take advantage of the power of it. I would like to talk about why humans as a whole tend to lean towards needing politics (or government) to set the rules for them. I mean such examples, as “The Rent is Too Damn High” Party almost makes the whole thing a joke. I am an International Relations Major, which is essentially a Political Science degree, and I still don't understand how it all works but what I can say is that no matter where you look there is some form of government. If power is the allocation of resources when, where, and how; Then you could simply break down politics and government as the man with the bigger stick (metaphorically speaking). Country like Somalia are essentially without a form of government, but everyone knows that if you are there you must not do certain things (or you risk certain death), well if this is so then there is someone (or system) that is enforcing rules, just like any other government, it may not be fair, but it is working that way. So I will be trying to figure out why humans feel like they need politics, whether it is inherently in our DNA or maybe it is something we are taught, or maybe even something that we just don't need.
            Lets start with the idea that it is in our DNA. So when we are formed in the womb like all other decisions based off of DNA, like our hair color or even (there is some debate) whether our DNA is structured to turn off and in turn kill us. This is an interesting point to be made, with the thought that our DNA teaches us to follow some sort of system without question, of course there is question of how the system operates but I am talking about there being a system. We don't hear politicians arguing over having a system in general, they just argue how the system works. Thus when we are born we feel that there is something in place and we must abide by it and follow it. With that thought comes a seemingly contradictory one, what about criminals that break from the system and do what they want? (maybe the Joker from Batman), are these people genetically mutated?  This is an interesting debate because there is some detail relating to the fact that a lot of serial killers have extra chromosomes. Let me digress and begin whether or not it is something taught to us.
            Imagine you are born and there is nothing but just the natural instinct to live (survival, if you will). You have a clean slate, a blank white board, or an empty glass. Next your mother/father teach you that you must eat a certain way, you must wear certain things, well now you are following someone who (carries the bigger stick) this is all you know and your government or political system is your authoritarian parents and your house is your nation-state. Many years later you grow up and you take with you into the world your knowledge of following your parent’s rule; know you follow the government’s rule (law). This point I believe is a little hard to critique because there not much information regarding how newborns operate and whether or not we have to teach them everything or they already know it. The only play off of the last argument is that if criminals don't have a DNA issue then is it how the parents raised them. Some would say, “yes” that is exactly right, a large group of criminals actually had terrible childhoods. Gangs gain members due to the fact that they want the brotherhood that they do not get from their families. So now let us divulge into the final question of not needing a system at all.
            Maybe we don't need politics or government at all. Lets imagine a scene of anarchy. Women and children are hiding where they can, the man is scavenging the land for food, and they fight with other men who try to take their food. The world is trashed and decrepit, there are fires burning from the remnants of the dying past. Is this the picture I am just painting you or do you actually see a world that is happy where everyone could ban together and not need a system, they actually just do things out of the good of their hearts and never start problems because then you would need a system for punishing them. Would a group band together and start taking what they want from the weak, would a group or a leader of a group start a town and set order to a world without? Now the truly interesting question is, would we ourselves be our own government? Imagine a set of morals so strong that could not be broken by any man, would that not be a government. Is the pen mightier than the sword in this sense?
            All the questions asked are questions that should be discussed at a level as low as middle school. I believe that it is too soon to tell if government is actually needed or not, but you never hear of a story that doesn't have order and a system in place to control the populace from tearing itself apart. As for the questions I proposed; why humans feel like they need politics, whether it is inherently in our DNA or maybe it is something we are taught, or maybe even something that we just don't need. I do not an answer I just have more questions when I try to think of an answer to the already proposed questions.