So, I've been concerned with natural disasters lately. Mostly because it seems like every two days there is something gross happening with the weather or the earth that results in human devestation. Now, I'm not an environmentalist – far from it. I'm a late bloomer in realizing the importance of things like recycling, reducing emissions, etc. But, I'm concerned with people and the way we treat each other. However, it seems to me that, as everything else does these days for me, it is all interlocking and related.OK, so we had Hurricane Katrina this year, and then the other one that hit right after that in the Gulf that I can't remember the name of because it mostly devestated Mexico and world media doesn't seem to care about Mexico. This year, we had the first ever tropical storm touchdown in Europe (Spain). We had mudslides and forest fires in California. There was an earthquake in Pakistan in October, then another one the other day in the area bordering Afghanistan, then one yesterday in northern India. There was an earthquake in the Congo last week, and one in Iran and one in Japan at the end of November. There was an earthquake in Indonesia in March, and a tsunami in Thailand last December. It seems like the earth is trying to shake us of its back.
Disaster relief groups have been working non-stop this year as disaster after disaster strikes. On top of that, we have a war going on in Iraq that has no end in sight, and violence seems to be rising in Afghanistan again. Suicide bombers are hard at work. AIDS is rampant in Africa and South Asia, and the Avian Flu is said to be on its way. Violent crime is still a problem in most cities. Billions of people live in poverty. What the hell are we doing? What are we doing about it?
My point is, it seems like the more we don't give a flying crap about the world on which we live, the more it is going to bite us in the ass, and the more human disasters like poverty, abuse, neglect, war, disease, rape, and slavery will keep on keeping on. More and more, capitalism and greed are killing our natural resources and our humanity. There has to be a better way…. doesn't there?
Well, from one humanist to another, we know religion hasn’t been doing anything about it, except perpetrating the problem. We have a huge overpopulation problem in some parts of the world & they gotta eat. But all these religious people want everyone to have babies they don’t want. Capitalism is a huge problem too but the ‘religious right’ won’t tackle that because they are right in the middle of it.
It’s a human problem because we are humans & must see it from our end instead of relying on a God made in our image.
I feel things go a certain way because of the concept of time & decay, not because any religious group has determined they know the answers, because they selectivly talk to ‘God’.
The fuck-ups are ours, not because we are ‘sinners’, but because we are human. If we can see our problems in a realistic light, we will be less prone to hysteria & following some fanatic.
Great topic, BTW.
thanks l>t
it just seems to me more and more that capitalism is evil. capitalism is built on exploitation: of people, and of natural resources. our earth seems to be fighting back through natural disasters. natural disasters increase human suffering – loss of home, loss of life, loss of health, loss of income, loss of material belongings. and those who suffer the most? those who are already exploited and oppressed, as we saw in New Orleans this year.
I visited a site today that said women were affected the worst after a natural disaster: rape increases. How disgusting that some men in these situations feel so powerless that they must exert power over someone, and they choose to rape women; gotta maintain that masculine, in-control, provider role. Heteromasculinity strikes again!
yeah. Well I have 2 stronge males at my house that will protect me to the death against the other hetromasculines.
You need one of your own to protect you.
That is how it works, I think.
I’m enjoying reading the ‘Stanford Encyclopedia of philosophy’ that you so graciously posted on your blog.
Esp. the writting of Bertrand Russell.
I want you to know your comment on ‘L.Guys’ blog really did give me pause to think. I was having a mental block.
I think you are a keeper.(as the fisherman say)
CHOW!
oh, I’m glad you’re enjoying the Stanford Encyclopedia. I use it all the time when writing papers etc. I’ve just discovered Noam Chomsky’s site, I’ll post a link to that below as well. He’s such a genius – he is the most-quoted writer alive, and is only behind Plato and Socrates overall. That’s more than Shakespeare. he’s impressive.
and, thanks for saying I’m a keeper. that’s nice. 🙂
I just read (From your gracious link) a bit of his talk on Control by the Media. Very interesting. I know i’ve heard his name around, somewhere, now i know who he is.
That’s great