One of my favorite movies is The Matrix. There is a scene in the movie when Agent Smith is interrogating Morpheus, attempting to access the key to the Zion mainframe. One strategy that Agent Smith employees is a diatribe on his interpretation of humanity. He describes humans as a species that develops in one area and when the resources in that area are consumed, they move to consume the resources in another area. Agent Smith concludes that humans are not mammals because we don’t find an equilibrium with our environment. He then drops the bomb that we are a virus.

In my home town, the incredibly corrupt and inept government is attempting to gain access to additional tax revenue by incorporating adjacent communities. In many cases, the only reason these surrounding communities have grown is because they have become refuges for those trying to escape the burdens of the incompetent city government and move to areas that are more efficient, tax friendly, and generally more safe.

The city has now consumed the tax resources available within its own boundaries and rather than facing the fact that it needs to fix the corruption and graft, it is seeking more tax income by attacking surrounding communities.

It struck me that this is exactly the behavior described in The Matrix. It also struck me that the political right advocates for balance, while the political left agitates for dominance.

I can only conclude that Agent Smith was only partially correct. Most likely because he observed humans as a single race rather than through the lens of politics, he concluded that entire human race could be described as a virus. Because I observe humans through the lens of politics, I can more accurately describe the human race in two segments: Those among the political right can be described as mammals. Those among the political left, can indeed be described as a virus. No balance, no compromise, just a never ending hunger for more. More taxes, more rules, more control, more power.