The Prince of Darkness on the Elevator

Many of our problems seem to stem from our willingness to avert our eyes from the essence, from the basics of the questions. Is the medical problem in the U.S. from the uninsured? Unfairness? Or, as Hillary said in her plan, do we simply use medical care more than we can afford; does our use of medical care have to decline? Should everyone get the same grades, expect the same success or are some people simply unequipped to succeed in the modern world? Can we trust our leaders to do the right thing or does the recurrent conflict of interest so often demonstrated by politicians infect the entire system, including apocalyptic weapon use? Are our social disparities a function of insensitivity and egocentricity or are the failures well earned? Do we have the personnel and the government system to right wrongs at all?

Years ago a social experiment was done testing the willingness of young women to enter an elevator. Actors were hired and made up to look as degenerate and depraved as one could expect out of an institution then put, one or several, in preassigned elevators in an office high-rise. Young women in the lobby of the building were subtly guided, individually, to the prearranged elevators. When the elevator doors opened, the woman was faced with the prospect of getting on the elevator with the dangerous looking man. The woman always got on the elevator.

Thus was demonstrated our species' willingness to risk death to be polite.