We all have choices.  That's what defines us as human, our ability to "not do" something.  We appear to have free-will, allowing us to change the course of our daily reality.  I find it interesting, having just watched the 3 Matrix movies, back to back.  I really enjoyed those movies because it is the best trick played on us.  Everyone who watched those movies had and "oh s***" moment when they thought about it.  You'd never know if you were actually trapped in the Matrix, and that scary part is that if you read more in the area of physics it becomes very plausible that we may be in a similar situation.  Not that I know whether we are or are not, that's not really the point.  The movies raise greater issues of reality.  The matrix world was designed to be mathematically exact to the physics of our present day, but the "free minds" were able to manipulate that reality with their force of will.  What does this mean about the fabric of our current reality?

But, the fact of the matter, regardless of our current situation, we have choices. The Presidential choice, in my opinion, is becoming less pertinent.  If you look at the trend, republican or democrat, neither party is gaining us any ground.  And because we are so conditioned to believe that the best candidate will be a democrat or republican, few people vote outside the box.  We keep maintaining the status quo.  Even when a candidate, like Obama, comes at us with promise of hope and change, who wouldn't want to vote for that.  But the sad reality is that "...the road to hell is paved with good intentions".  Everyone promises some level of hope and change, but it never comes to that.  We need more than change, we need a complete make-over. We need more viable choices.

The most interesting parallel that I drew from the Matrix to our current reality is the soliloquy from the Architect about the utopian matrix they started with, that the humans outwardly rejected.  We have been actively refusing peace as a species for centuries.  Many great men have proposed easy, peaceful lives for the every man, but we have found flaw with every single one. From Marcus Aurelius to Jesus Christ, removing the religious aspects, proposed very simplistic postulations for easy living, centered on harmony with one another.  Instead, we embrace war, violence and unfettered apathy.  It is all very upsetting, mostly because it is completely unnecessary. If you notice in the Matrix, everyone is equal, because it is more important for us to ensure our own survival, than quibble over petty physical differences and dogmas.  Why can't we do this? Why is it so hard for us to just get along? Because it really is just that simple. 

Unfortunately, humans have not yet progressed to a philosophical state which allows true equality among the species.  We have not learned, as a species, that inequality is not a symmetry so we can never be at equilibrium.  We will always be moving to the point where something smarter that us, decides we're beyond saving.  You can rest assured that we are not at all alone in this universe.  It is more probable than not, regardless of your religious beliefs, that we are not alone. The universe is far too large to be devoid of siblings spread across the vast ocean of potential.  One day, we will be contacted.  Something, someone from somewhere or somewhen, will visit us and we as a species will forced to accept the fact that we've been mostly wrong about a great many things. And, the one thing we have got to keep in mind is that if something does get to our planet, they are probably more advanced than we are, in more ways than we can conceive.

So, we have many choices.  We have choices as individuals, that mold our personal reality, that mold the collective reality. My choice can affect you and your choice can affect me.  Our choices can improve or destroy the world, so choose wisely.