Some people are prone to point out that we as human beings are animals; but while that is most certainly true, human beings are more appropriately seen as sentient beings with free will, high intelligence, and a conscience. That is to say, humans have been gifted with the capacity to understand the ramifications of their decisions and their corresponding actions, as well as intuitively knowing the difference between that which is morally right and that which is morally wrong.
When we study animals in their natural environment, what we so notice is that there are the inevitable battles between the same species of animals in order to have better access and thus to assert their dominance or desire for vital things such as for food, for sex, for territory, and therefore to establish their place in the social hierarchy of their species. That truly is the nature of the beast, so presented in the natural world, of which, animals have to prove themselves in battle against one another to gain that which they are so determined to have, in which, there are most definitely winners and losers within that domain, and even those then that are the winners, are always susceptible to losing their dominance to another opponent, at any given time.
While we would like to believe that because of our understanding of what is right and what is wrong, that societies are always then built upon the solid foundations, of harmony, justice, fairness, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness; what we so find, though, is that many of humankind’s societies, in actuality, have an uncomfortable amount in common with what we so see in the animal kingdom. In other words, many a society, is not really based upon fairness and justice, but instead seems to have a lot more in common, with that society being structured around whomever has the dominant control of such, in which these powerful people and dominating institutions seem to bypass good social niceties and replace such with the various guises of the use of force, so as to have their way, and to thereupon get far more than their fair share, from the people, by the threatening of, or by the use of force, directly or indirectly, against them.
So then, when we take the time to study our history, or to fairly evaluate what is actually occurring all around us, we will see, time and time again, that it is governmental force and the power behind such that reflects how the law is truly actuated within this nation and without. For instance, America is the preeminent military power, asserting its supremacy all over the world, by utilizing a very heavy stick upon recalcitrant countries, so as to have its way; while also displaying the same type of force domestically, through its militarized police force. So too, the people themselves, in this extremely well-armed country, are prone to dealing with their issues and problems, by the use of force, one upon another, in which, all of this combined, seems to tell the story, that America is not so civilized, but rather, seems to behave more in a manner of an animal trying to exert its control and dominance over others.
Regrettably, this seems to indicate, that rather than humans using reason, wisdom, intelligence, and one’s good conscience to deal with one another, that in so many respects, all that is often set aside to assert, instead, one’s dominance of the other, much like we so see in the animal kingdom.