We are the World
At this very moment, a perfectly innocent African orphan girl is dying a horribly painful and lonely death because she was bitten by a mosquito.
At this very same moment, a desperate American housewife’s biggest concern is which pattern of luxury linens will best suit the decor of her palatial bedroom.
Next Meditation: Psych 101
Civilization apathy materialism preventable disease Social Commentary
Frank J Peter View All →
A uniquely burdened and blessed citizen of the world thinking and acting out loud!
Malthusian theory: (I paraphrase:) it is not the production of goods and food that is the problem, the problem is one of distribution. Something like that. If a desperate American housewife could transfer some wealth from the luxury linens to the innocent orphan girl, would she? And if she did, would there be even more starving innocent orphan girls a generation from now?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your point is well-taken, George.
My intent was not to single out and blame desperate American housewives nor was it to suggest that a mere transfer of wealth would solve the broader problem in any enduring way. The problems go so much deeper and wider…. as you suggest.
I have done service work in Ethiopia and continue to support causes there… and know first-hand what goes on in a place where life is always tenuous… where the luckier ones subsist on the land and less than $1 a day… where there are no doctors, no medicines, no running water, no sanitation, no electricity… where the food supply is at the constant mercy of the weather… and people routinely die from preventable diseases. No room or time for big dreams…. just day to day survival. These are just some of the sobering facts of life in a place where poverty, hunger, disease, religious intolerance, tribal conflict, government corruption, censorship, and under-education all conspire as both causes and effects of each other in so many vicious cycles. And all this just scratches the surface of the reality there.
My heart bleeds for the kids.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am inclined to argue: She would not, it is greed. She is aware of the suffering/ and choosing to do nothing about it. We all are, and are complicit, claiming helplessness. Again, you argue that because this is the way it is, that there is no viable alternative and thus children starving for the sake of better linens(when fine ones already abound in her house) is morally and ethically permissible. I
It is, for any sane non sociopath with a rational mind; that a species allows it’s most vulnerable members(through no fault of their own) should suffer when there are ways of correcting the problems.
The issue of overpopulation in Africa relative to their means, can be solved without mindlessly dumping food on people until they breed out of control. Again, simply because a thing is being done a certain way does not make that way best, or even ok. It simply means that it is.
I invite you to read this.\
It is a book, it is not a simple dribble of opinion on an edgy atheism forum to be regurgitated in an effort to justify murdering people through inaction and selfishness.As to how it is rational to end the suffering, I invite you to watch this George.
LikeLiked by 2 people
We are indeed ALL complicit in one way or another. Imagine the world if we all did just a little bit more than nothing. Thanks a bunch for your most thoughtful and challenging engagement, brother.
LikeLike
We need to stop our culture of fragility and entitlement and put our troubles in perspective! https://aladyofreason.wordpress.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, we do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep…this says a mouthful…tragically
LikeLiked by 3 people
tragically.
LikeLike