Quote:
Originally Posted by dantonac
I think lots of Americans have guilt complexes over living in a nation where we have things figured out economically speaking so we hate ourselves.
|
I wouldn't say we have it figured out. If we had it all figured out I'd think we'd be working 20 hour weeks (or less) and everyone in the country would have food, shelter, clothes, healthcare, etc.
Quote:
Seriously, we look at fucked up nations with corrupt governments where everyone is poor and we blast ourselves because we aren't doing enough to help them.
We look at problems in the world and lament not doing enough to resolve those problems.
|
It's not that I don't think we do enough to help other countries, it's that we seem to do a fair amount to
hurt them for our own convenience. For example, I remember reading somewhere once that it's a common practice for landowners in South America to raise cattle to sell to American fast food companies. This makes the landowner wealthy, but it does nothing for his community. And it works only because we can (and will) pay him more for the cows than the people in his community can. Obviously I'm no economist and I'm using an example of something I have no research to back up, but I suspect this sort of thing is widespread. It seems to be common sense.
Quote:
In the mean time we enjoy a high standard of living and generally have cushy lives. Why feel guilty about it? Enjoy it and try to be good and generous with others.
|
Again, I don't feel as guilty about leading a cushy life as I do about depriving others of basic survival in order to do so. I definitely agree, though, that we should try to enjoy life and be good and generous with others.