For centuries, men of worth (money-wise, at least) would gather in obscure places around a wooden ring to fight aggressive roosters. They called it the 'sport' of cockfighting and bet money, property (real or human) and reputations on the ability of one trained 'fighting cock' to outlast another. Around the 'pit' as it was called, gathered men of all social and economic strata to take in the 'entertainment' of one proud bird trying to eviscerate the other. Eventually, one rooster would rule the roost and emerge 'victorious'. To what end? He would only be tossed into the pit another day for the enjoyment of his owners.
If this sounds familiar, I give you our great national fighting pit, nation elections. Again, men of property, the American aristocracy (the super-rich and the power brokers) select and train their 'fighting birds' to be tossed into the ring. They are fueled by the blood-lust of the media. Around the pit gather those serfs of the aristocrats, who follow one set of talking heads over another, to cheer or jeer, often for the mere sport of the kill. One will fight the other until only one emerges; bloodied and unbowed. To what end? Why, to strut about, fluff up, and crow the loudest the song of their owners and masters.
Oh, rest assured that there are training rings all about the country; places where 'fresh talent' is tested, trained, and the survivors thrust into ever greater pits, against ever more vicious competition, until judged ready for the great pit itself. The birds are bred, not for their individual value, but to fight to the ends and designs of their masters and trainers. There is only one acceptable outcome … no other: death before dishonor. And cast to the side, too tough even for the pot, lay the remnants of those who were, in the end, not worthy, not strong, or, perhaps simply not ruthless enough for 'the Pit'.
In the end remains the question of why did the noble birds fight and die? It's the bottom line, of course; profit to the owners; and the poor birds be damned.
(p.s. I wrote the kernel of this post in 2017. Strange that it seems as relevant today as it did then.)