Leave No One Behind (Except… Well, You Know Who)

Hey guys, for a change, a short story.

Remember that well-intentioned mantra, “Leave no one behind”? It sounds so noble—something you’d expect to see printed in bold Comic Sans across a motivational poster in a corporate break room. It conjures up images of universal support, wholehearted inclusion, and the sweet, sweet smell of everyone winning. But let’s get real: actual practice often looks more like a chaotic rummage sale, with certain VIP tags slapped onto a lucky few, while the rest fumble around trying to figure out what just happened to the whole “everyone wins” promise.

I first encountered the phrase in the tech world back when I was working at a software vendor. We had a big, shiny new product set to replace an older, beloved (read: outdated and buggy) solution. To justify the brutal shift from comfortable old code to brand-new sparkly features, higher-ups declared, “We will leave no customer behind!”

Even then, I suspected this was the corporate equivalent of a superhero slogan. It sounded a bit too perfect, like we’d heroically swoop in and rescue every frantic client, seamlessly migrate their data, sprinkle some magic integration dust, and poof—everyone would live in happily-ever-after land. Naturally, I soon discovered that “no one left behind” came with a silent asterisk: Except those who refuse to upgrade. Except those who didn’t pay on time. Except those we just don’t like dealing with. You get the picture.

Turns out, state institutions often follow this same formula—just with fancier signage and more frequent press releases. They claim a monopoly on social impact, act as if they’re the chosen ones protecting the realm from inequality, and proudly proclaim how they will serve the entire population flawlessly. Rainbows! Inclusion! Progress!

But as soon as you put your ear to the ground, you hear the little rumblings: special stipends for folks who meet certain criteria, resources channeled to communities they deem “at risk,” or complicated forms you have to fill out if you earn even one euro above some nebulous threshold. Before you know it, you’re either in the club or mercilessly left outside with your face pressed against the glass. “Sorry, only those with the special membership card can pass!” Meanwhile, they’ll continue to champion “fairness for all!” to whomever will listen.

Here’s the gist: when an institution says “leave no one behind,” but they’re actually playing favorites (or dividing people with simplistic, borderline-ludicrous rules), they’re effectively weaponizing the concept of equality. It’s deployed selectively—maybe they’re focusing on certain groups because it looks better in a year-end report or on an election flyer. Maybe they have to stay on good terms with a particular demographic that’ll keep them afloat. Or maybe they’re just bored and like wielding their bureaucratic powers to watch the rest of us squirm.

Don’t get me wrong: supporting those who are genuinely vulnerable is a worthy cause. Bravo, more of that, please. But actual inclusivity implies, you know, being inclusive. And that means not shortchanging or excluding a random chunk of folks who may not fit the perfect “help me, I’m in need” template.

So how do we fix it? Maybe we start by calling it out—pointing out those exclusive rules behind the pretty slogans. Ask the tough questions: “How exactly do you plan on ensuring everyone benefits from this policy?” or “Why do you keep telling me I don’t qualify for this or that program, all while shouting from the rooftops that you’re ‘Leaving No One Behind’?”

In the tech world, we learned that transparency and actual dialogue with clients often work a whole lot better than sweeping promises. Telling customers, “We’re upgrading for better performance, and we’ll help you transition—unless you prefer to stick with the old system; in that case, here’s the risk,” goes so much further than tossing them a pamphlet that shrieks, “EVERYBODY WINS WITH OUR NEW SOLUTION.”

Likewise, our dear institutions could benefit from a dash of straightforward truth. Instead of claiming to serve everyone (which inevitably invites eye-rolling from those left out in the cold), they could be honest about who’s the priority—and why. Yes, it might sound less heroic than “Leave No One Behind,” but at least it’s less likely to upset the masses who get stuck playing the part of “left behind.”

So, the next time you see a bigger-than-life tagline promising we’ll all live together in a glorious utopia thanks to some magical new plan, let that little cynical voice in your head clear its throat. There might be fine print. And that fine print might just say that while we’re claiming to leave no one behind, if you think about it, there’s always room to, well… forget a few.

But hey—if you’re one of the forgotten ones, maybe we can start a club. We’ll have T-shirts and insider jokes. And we’ll remind everyone that if we truly want to leave no one behind, then we should be prepared to walk that talk, whether in software updates or social programs—no fine print, no exceptions, no disclaimers. Because really, isn’t actually living up to the slogan the best way to keep it from sounding like the punchline to an unfortunate joke?