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Insensitivity to Suffering in Africa
Often people feel nothing while seeing the latest tragedy in Africa described on TV , whether it is famine, genocide, disease etc. Why do we feel so insensitive to their suffering? Here are some reasons I have come up with:
- We should not interfere with Darwin's natural selection. People make poor choices and need to experience pain in order to evolve. If I step in and solve the problem by donating money, I am basically paying for this tragedy to continue generation after generation. It needs to stop , and they have to learn from their mistakes.
- Since their suffering has no effect on my well-being, why should I care?
- The situations are results of very complicated interactions. How can I claim to understand it by watching a 5 minute video by an idealistic white western reporter? Since I don't understand the problem, why should I do anything to intervene?
- Media is known for exagerrating suffering to attract viewers. After I factor out their exagerations, is the problem really so serious after all?
There is plenty the Western world could do with the billions and billions they have to spend on weapons - space travel - or even how to make tomato ketchup the right consistency - but not much you can do personally. The constant plight of the latest in Africa has been going on for yonks. If the situation has not been resolved - either by wells - irrigation - education - movement of people then you really do have to ask about the "intelligence" of those in charge as to why the situation continues. Why should the individual keep forking out - why does the situation continue?
Study a thing called 'population pyramid'. These impoverished countries have very 'flat' pyramids where 'high birth rates' produce a large and disproportionate part of the population that is non-producing, and which has to be supported by that portion that does produce [essentially, the very young and the very old]. If you want to really make a difference, inact measures to reduce 'birth rates'. The math is very explicit in this.
Empower women in those countries as well and make them land owners. Change attitudes away from slash and burn mentalities to using modern agricultural science. Stop clitoral mutiliation and make men see AIDS rationally [and to use protection]. Promote urbanization and infrastructure development. And 'educate, educate, educate'. [as footnote, it has been shown education has a geometric economic impact over generations].
These are all 'internal' changes that need attitude adjustments, that to date, have been resistant, holding on to war lord competitions and fractionalism that often leave territories insecure [people cannot live and grow under insecure conditions].
And stop throwing money at the problems there without rational cause to remedy the causes of impoverishment. The UN has become a big warehouse of 'beggar' mentalities using the forum to create 'wealth redistribution' rationale that plays upon the Western guilt complex. There is a large socialist lean in impoverished places on this planet, that work in opposite interests to democractic reforms.
The USA and other large contributor nations [european], should get out as the whole institution has now become corrupted.
The West is not responsible for the internal struggles of an emerging part of the world no matter how hard we try and attach blame. Where does all this guilt come from? Cuz, in the meantime, we allow our own societies to go all to hell by assuaging all this guilt by essentially destroying ourselves [see Mexican and Muslim invasions that promise to eat us 'inside out'].
And has anyone noticed that anything 'out of Africa' is violently aggressive and largely undomesticable. It's a wild and woolly place for sure.
Their problems are caused primarily by their awful governments, and not only is there nothing you can do about them, but if you try, you are just as likely to make matters worse. Removing a screw takes the right screwdriver, and if you try to pull it with a claw hammer you'll just break off the head.