Every day in the news there is a new scandal, a new gangland murder, embezzlement, corruption and lies. Then at the end of the news presentation there is a "humanity" story which runs for the final 30 seconds of a 30 minute news programme. As if to say that the little kitten which was rescued from up a tree is meant to invoke the more noble qualities in its viewers!
In the news today, life is shit, everyone is dying or killing each other, but the little kitten from suburbia was saved from a tree - so everything is OOOOOKAAAAYYY!"Everything is not okay. The youth of today seem more violent and delinquent. People lock their front doors and have bars on every window. Without knowing it we have turned into a fascist state, prisoners in our own homes but by our own consent! Security is no longer something which is sought for when you're away from home, but something to keep you safe IN your home.
I look at the amount of money being spent each year for the purposes of "defence" and think how much good that could do if it were diverted to humanitarian needs or even domestic education, health, roads, etc.
For the 2009 fiscal year, the base budget rose to $515.4 billion. Adding emergency discretionary spending and supplemental spending brings the sum to $651.2 billion. This does not include many military-related items that are outside of the Defense Department budget, such as nuclear weapons research, maintenance and production (about $9.3 billion, which is in the Department of Energy budget), Veterans Affairs (about $33.2 billion), interest on debt incurred in past wars, or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (which are largely funded through extra-budgetary supplements, about $170 billion in 2007). As of 2009, the United States government is spending about $1 trillion annually on defense-related purposes. (Taken from Wiki)
Now I'm not a stupid idealist that thinks that America should stop all that spending immediately - I know they must maintain their military as long as every other nation maintains their military. However this is a circular argument, because as long as anyone has a military force, then everyone will have a military force. A stalemate has occurred of which no one can get out of. Its a big game of chess but only the Kings are left.
As I said I don't think there is any way any country could divert or change their spending habits, but something has to change. Every day we hear that $2 a week can feed a child in a third world country. Can you just imagine what $1 trillion a year could do? If the USA were to spend that money on "Homeland Infrastructure" instead of "Homeland Security" I dare say the rest of the world would soon stop thinking of the average American as an uneducated stupid git.
Today's blog is full of questions which can't be answered but need to be raised. I don't think enough people actually stop to think about whats going on as we're typically too busy living our lives to care. Think about the hard questions, think about what you can do in your part of the world to ensure you, your friends and most importantly your children don't fall into this trap. Make people aware of these issues so that when the questions aren't addressed by our politicians we know that they HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH!!
Don't become overburdened with the negative aspects of our world either. As human beings we have the ability to create the world around us that we want to live in. Create your world around you and NEVER let hate or anger rule it.
The title of this entry is "How far", and I think you can apply that question to this blog entry any way you like.
How far...
... would we be if the money spent on wars/defence were to be spent on innovation, infrastructure and humanitarian issues?
... will we have to go before more people realise there is something wrong?
... into the future will the human race last if we keep killing each other?
There is something wrong with all of us... and the longer we keep ignoring these hard and difficult questions the more difficult it will be to rectify the situation, even if it is just in our own homes.
Like it or not, humans are viruses. We do anything we can to survive and further our self-interests.
ReplyDeleteAll those things like arts, empathy etc are subordinate to our selfish needs. If it came down to it, an artist would kill a third world country 2yr old to survive.
And ironically, everything that we do may, one day, end up in self destruction.
A diagram that suggests the monetary answers:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/the-billion-dollar-gram/
To anon.
ReplyDeleteYour post if very 'matrix'. Humans are not like viruses as we are given the ability to chose our own path. There are many in this world who sacrifice themselves for the betterment of those around them, or even complete strangers.
Your post is an example of my point. You are another symptom of a system which is failing its people, and by being that symptom you are now a person who is creating the system which is failing.
Its a vicious loop and until you 'choose' break youself out of it nothing will ever change and humanity will indeed collapse on itself.
Marc, you have a great argument and as much as you might hate to admit it, it’s pretty clear you’re an idealist. I don’t agree that humans are ‘viruses,’ and I do believe that living with integrity is the best way to make the world better. However, at the same time, this utopia you seem to be striving for is a fallacy. Human nature ensures that no matter how much money you spend, or how hard you try, someone will always be suffering. I think the most important thing to do, is to try and live in a way that actively prevents harm happening to others. To take the view that things are shit, they’ll always be shit, so what’s the point in trying, is a cop-out. The best philosophy I’ve ever come across is ‘EVENTS may be horrible or inescapable. PEOPLE have always a choice – if not whether, then how, they may endure.’
ReplyDeleteThere are degrees of suffering and there are also the innumerable amount of people who are suffering at any one time
ReplyDeleteAs for human nature ensuring suffering? Human nature is capable of many things but ensuring suffering is not one of them. The ability to choose to me is the most defining quality of human nature. Right and wrong are relative (although fairly universal) and so being a moral person or living their life with integrity is dependant on socio-cultural aspects.
Being aware of suffering is not enough, unless we act upon the fact that people are hurting or that injustices are being commited at every moment than nothing will ever change.
As for being an idealist - yes, to some degree I think everyone is, wouldn't we all love world peace and an end to famine? I do however have a firm grasp on the realities which the world is bound by which can be quite conflicting at times. A 'stupid idealist' is someone who doesn't think in the realm of reality.
You obviously weren't listening in the lecture on defoe last semester. Basically, his argument was that we are not creatures of God, we are cruel and destructive beings that take great pleasure in being this way. (in some cases, erotic pleasure :)) It is only fear that makes act in a 'moral' manner.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think this is an incredibly extreme view, that -like what Anonymous said- is far too black and white. But unfortunately there is a grain of truth to it.
However, this cannot dictate our behaviour. We can determine just how much our inherent selfishness/cruelness/whatever you want to call it, comes into play. Otherwise we're no better than animals. Thats how I define being human.
Keep in mind the view that a lot of the bad stuff in the world wasn't really that bas until someone tried to change it. Cynical? Yes, very much so, but it reinforces the need to make informed choices and not blundering forth thinking that good will alone will be enough.