Put egos aside for once

Would it be self-righteous of me to say that self-righteous people really make me sick? I say this because self-righteous people have been the root cause of many of the world's problems, from war to famine to religious conflict. \nEgo is deadly, but usually for the people around you. Take Hitler for example. Hitler rose to power in pre-Nazi Germany by blaming the country's economic problems on one group of people -- the Jews. Now, how one particular ethnic group could possibly be responsible for the economic downfall of an entire country is beyond me, but millions of Jews were killed for it.\nOsama Bin Laden, in all his egotistical glory, took the paramilitary training the U.S. gave him 20 years ago and reinterpreted the Muslim holy book, brainwashing young men into dying for a false cause. Bin Laden thinks "America is the infidel," but killing people is wrong in Islam as it is in most other religions. Doesn't that make Bin Laden an infidel as well?\nHe obviously doesn't understand that part.\nGeorge W. Bush, with his extra-large ego, is trying to thrust this country into a unilateral war against Iraq just because he says we should. Most experts on the situation (which Bush is not) recommend that we don't attack Iraq, but send weapons inspectors backed by an army to make Hussein comply. On the flip side, Dick Cheney, the most corrupt vice-president ever, is salivating about the chance to eliminate a competitor in the oil industry. This action is being disguised as a part of the war on terror. \nBush of course, is using the war on terror to disguise his shortcomings at home, in running his own country. Let's call this the "ego-shield."\nSelf-righteous people are everywhere, on campus, at home, at work, etc. They are not just the evil dictators or the corrupt business leaders (i.e. Enron, Xerox and WorldCom). They can be our friends and neighbors. That guy in the dorm that won't turn down the volume on his home theater during finals week? He's self-righteous. The girl you know that keeps stealing all the guys you have a crush on, and she knows it? She's an ego girl.\nThe people at the party who insist that they are only buzzed and want to drive themselves home? They are selfish and stupid.\nThe key to understanding this concept is the word self. People who don't have consideration for others make life hard for everyone. War would not be necessary if people would make concessions outside of getting everything they want. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict could stop right now if both sides would compromise instead of trying to exterminate the other. \nAll of our nation's politicians and business leaders need to start working for the people instead of themselves because ultimately, if you serve only yourself, you lose touch with the rest of the world. When that happens and the world has passed you by, your individual wealth or prestige will mean nothing.\nBush and Cheney would do well to heed this lesson, because if not, their egos will eventually get big enough to block the view of the public they're supposed to serve.\nThat would be almost fitting though, because like they say, everything's bigger in Texas.