"Sittin' here restin' my bones and this loneliness won't leave me alone" - Otis Redding

  There is a rift among us. it's palpable, unfortunate and can be viewed best within our government. It seems as though our society has segregated into two prominent groups: Democrats or Republicans. Each group defining the other with stereotypical rhetoric. Each making sweeping over generalizations of the other to oversimplify the reality of the situation. Each group with it's own perception of the correct way to do... everything. 
  This rift has had major consequences on the population. It is no longer about each individual contributing to the success of our species. It's about the success of the individual and the small community each individual has cultivated for themselves. Whether that community be a neighborhood, a country or a political party. I suppose, despite the fact that altruism is a virtue in many cultures and the purpose is to help others without the expectation of any reward; a large majority of our culture is one that thrives on instant gratification the results of altruistic behavior do not reveal themselves immediately. According to Biological Altruism, an individual will decrease the chances of producing offspring to increase the chance of other individuals within the species to produce offspring. Ensuring the progress of the entire species, not just the individual. There is much debate about whether true Altruism among humans exists. I suppose that means that we don't even use it in a Biological sense anymore. 
  So now what do we do to ensure the future of our species? How have we become so wrapped up in the politics of everyday life that we don't have time to rectify the problems we have created for future generations? Would it be worth it to save future generations who might possibly continue the cycle of self-preservation or is their a possibility that a change now could have a lasting effect on the minds of future individuals? I consider my self an optimistic-realist. It's my belief that if each individual acts in an altruistic manner, nothing but positive results can occur. We just all need to pitch in and sacrifice, its not just about those of us living presently. A lovely example of the struggle in modern day altruism is in America. The last couple of years, Americans have been focusing on a Healthcare bill that (depending on the political party that you attach yourself to) is a positive step in the direction of major change or a step in the direction of socialism. Either you're a selfish money grubbing yuppie or you're a Utopian loving socialist hippie. Both sides can be accused of only supporting their own ideas and what the feel is best, rather than what is actually best. Hopefully one day we can reinstate the idea that individuals presently living have a major impact on future generations. Hopefully we can learn how to live altruistically, again.