Response to NYT opinionator: "Is Humanity Getting Better?"

There are several noticeable, yet overlooked, accomplishments and failings of mankind in this essay: We really are not Democracies, no citizens vote directly on the laws under which they live. Most "democracies" are republics where the people vote for Representatives who end up failing to represent the people who voted for them. Power is used selfishly, or for the 'special' interests. So actual Democracy does not exist and we must aspire to it, work for it, demand it. Who makes the rules "Rules". A second point is we know the purpose of mankind is to survive until reproduction. Consequently we should be working toward very long life spans, thousands of years, as well as freeing ourselves from the coercion of the genes to "survive until reproduction". This is simply "freedom to obey" the forces of nature, the oxytocin rewards and the vasopressin punishments of the neural-endocrine motivation pathways of our bodies. Our knowledge of physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and biology will soon give us influence over our purpose and our very form and functions. We must use this power for our benefit. The stars beckon and we will answer. Freedom beckons and we embrace it along with the political equality that will support it. We need to aspire to more than getting laid and watching our favorite sports team "win". We should influence evolution, it is too important to any longer be left to chance. We should "cure death", as Aubrey de Grey advocates; and make life "more perfect", scientifically.