The System Is Rigged.

History indicates that eventually, often in cycles of about 70 years (occasionally a few hundred - and rarely a thousand or more) the power structure immolates itself or is crushed by it's own victims or a neighbor who has noticed growing weakness. 

 All "great" empires eventually fall. After a period of struggle and positive change, it all happens over again. 

I think this is why Jefferson spoke about recurring revolution as necessary. 

Ultimately, our challenge is to individually make ourselves into the kind of person we can honestly appreciate, and live according to our convictions, often by beating our heads against whatever wall impedes our sense of propriety. 

We hope for change in our lifetime and do often get it - sometimes after it seems too late to enjoy. 

Change involves transition that historically involves repression, degradation and all kinds of overtly hellish behaviors before the more refined hellish human behaviors prosper for a brief period and then grow sodden again. 

Life often appears meaningless. 

I think life only has the meaning we each individually give to it and we express that meaning by being true to ourselves - often requiring the sacrifice of sanity and sometimes even the personal liberty we seek. 

We give it up in our demand for a right to it! 

This applies across the board from social life to parenting, etc. 

Weirdly, that's where our moments of happiness come from. 

It seems that if you want to be a human, some degree of sadomasochism is a necessary personal quality. 

Fortunately, once we have pulled back the curtain and recovered from our surprise, we realize that the man there only has such power as we give to him - though he is usually not going to relinquish that power gently. 

The real "wizard" pulling the levers behind your curtain is you. 

You must "rig" yourself to deal with the system you find yourself in.