Azaran on 8/6/2013 at 08:58
I've come to the conclusion that the world is doomed. It really is. Human rights, freedom, economic growth...these are just meaningless platitudes designed to placate the masses, to make us believe the world is getting better, when in reality we're going backwards. The Amazon will be gone in a few decades; people keep starving to death all over; poverty keeps spreading in Europe; the poles are melting; the sweatshops keep running and the big companies keep raking in the profits; bees are dying out all over thanks to us, which will be catastrophic for crops and will trigger a worldwide famine; the Middle East is being taken over by Islamists (the ones in Syria supported by western powers no less!); women in Afghanistan are living under the same conditions as they did under the Taliban, despite the supposed "liberation" of the country...I could go on and on. In other words, the world is as screwed up as it ever was, and it will get worse, so just be thankful for what you got, and hope that you're not around anymore when the shit hits the fan.
You want to make the world a better place? Good luck.
faetal on 8/6/2013 at 11:56
I think the problem is that if you look at the US as "the world" (or continual unrest in say, Africa), then yes, humanity does indeed look fucked. The whole world isn't like the US though. I don't want to insult people's countries here, because most people on here are from the US and I love you guys, but seriously, the place is fucking horrifying if you're on the outside looking in.
Obvious disclaimer that the nature of news reporting means I only hear the worst about the US and that most people there are actually decent human beings, it's just that the world's eye view of the US really isn't pretty, as Dethtoll has adequately referenced above.
SubJeff on 8/6/2013 at 12:22
Fuck L Ron Hubbard and Fuck all his clones.
Fuck all these gun-toting Hip gangster wannabes.
Fuck retro anything. Fuck your tattoos.
Fuck all you junkies and Fuck your short memory.
Fuck smiley glad-hands with hidden agendas.
Fuck these dysfunctional, insecure actresses.
Cuz I'm praying for rain
and I'm praying for tidal waves
I wanna see the ground give way.
I wanna watch it all go down.
Mom please flush it all away.
I wanna see it go right in and down.
I wanna watch it go right in.
Watch you flush it all awaaaaaaaaay.
(
http://youtu.be/E8vmaj75xzE?t=2m34s)
Renault on 8/6/2013 at 15:42
Quote Posted by faetal
The whole world isn't like the US though.
Yeah, a lot of it's worse, far worse in some cases. The problem is everything the U.S. does is in the spotlight and every little thing gets over reported by the media. You can bet there's really bad, awful shit going on in a million little different corners of the earth that you never hear about, and never will. This isn't a case of "the U.S. is an awful place," it's a case of "every bad thing that happens here gets reported by CNN."
demagogue on 8/6/2013 at 17:39
If I told the stories we were monthly bombarded with going on in Burma & how it just taints everything, even the "good" things, it'd make your blood chill; but it's honestly so petty and reprehensible it's not even worth rehearsing. Just suffice to say societies without a tradition of rule of law quickly grind down to an endless cycle of brutal violence and brutal retribution. In practical terms, it means dealing with a stream of mutilated & burnt bodies in my FB feed every few weeks, sadly used as petty propaganda to justify the massacre and arson of entire villages. :(
Edit: I think about it like racism & my grandparent's generation. All the work we're trying to do with them isn't even really for them, since the bad blood runs so deep no amount of education and trust-building will ever help them come to terms with tolerating different groups living in their midst. I think about it as setting the conditions now for generations in the future (if we're lucky) to be raised without it being an issue & they take diversity for granted. But I don't know if it will work out like that, just a hope.
SubJeff on 8/6/2013 at 19:02
I've given up caring tbh. The world is so crazy and so full of crazies that there is nothing to be done about it but live your life as the best person you can be, take care of yourself and those you care about and not do anything evil/stupid.
We read about this bonkers stuff but most people, including me, live in their own microcosm. The best I can do to affect change are the small things like voting for the least nutty party, boycott crazy people, be kind and considerate and thats it.
If the world is going to burn it'll burn. Meh.
