World events - like poverty, war, etc - are you concerned with them?

[raildogg]

I just saw a show about James Natchwey, the famous war photographer, and wonder how many people really care about this stuff. He is an incredible man and said that a greater number of people care than the tv executives and top media players would like to believe.

I am just curious, how many of you are concerned about mass poverty, famine, war and suffering in the world? Do you actively pay attention to it or tune it out?

 

[CrazyHelloDeli]

I am fully "aware" of it all, but once Katrina happened I watched all those people die in the Superdome I stopped watching the news and reading the newspaper. I have absolutley no power to stop any of it even though I have the will. I volunteer with Big Brother, spend time with the elderly, and donate to charity as much as I can. It serves no purpose to constantly be reminded of all the people I can't help and have my sould sucked dry, when I can do my best and hope it counts for something.

 

[JLGatsby]

Despite all the famine, poverty, and war, the human race is doing better than it has since it began.

Over 60 billion human beings have lived on this planet in the last 3 million years (including earlier, lesser evolved human ancestors) and even the poorest people living today are living better than 99% of those in the past.

It's sad poverty exists, but you have to be realistic, the world is not a perfect place.

 

[raildogg]

Originally posted by: CrazyHelloDeli
I am fully "aware" of it all, but once Katrina happened I watched all those people die in the Superdome I stopped watching the news and reading the newspaper. I have absolutley no power to stop any of it even though I have the will. I volunteer with Big Brother, spend time with the elderly, and donate to charity as much as I can. It serves no purpose to constantly be reminded of all the people I can't help and have my sould sucked dry, when I can do my best and hope it counts for something.

Yes, but the mass media, including the newspapers, don't cover all the important stuff around the world. Sometimes, you have to dig a little deeper in order to uncover stories which the newspapers and the television stations think are not worth the time of the reader or the viewer, respectively. When was the last time a major news organization covered a story, in detail, about the poverty around the world? Famines? Or the conflict between India and Pakistan? Or the wide disparity between the rich and poor in some countries?

These tv stations are too busy covering celebrity marriages and celebrity news. They think that is what the viewer wants. I don't know if that is true or not.

 

[Maximilian]

Not really no.

 

[ChaoZ]

Out of sight, out of mind. There's so much crap happening in the world, there's no point in caring anymore.

 

[imported_Snagle]

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: CrazyHelloDeli
I am fully "aware" of it all, but once Katrina happened I watched all those people die in the Superdome I stopped watching the news and reading the newspaper. I have absolutley no power to stop any of it even though I have the will. I volunteer with Big Brother, spend time with the elderly, and donate to charity as much as I can. It serves no purpose to constantly be reminded of all the people I can't help and have my sould sucked dry, when I can do my best and hope it counts for something.

Yes, but the mass media, including the newspapers, don't cover all the important stuff around the world. Sometimes, you have to dig a little deeper in order to uncover stories which the newspapers and the television stations think are not worth the time of the reader or the viewer, respectively. When was the last time a major news organization covered a story, in detail, about the poverty around the world? Famines? Or the conflict between India and Pakistan? Or the wide disparity between the rich and poor in some countries?

These tv stations are too busy covering celebrity marriages and celebrity news. They think that is what the viewer wants. I don't know if that is true or not.

The viewers have made it very clear that it is. Check out the book 'Prime Time Politics' by Arthur Sanders.

 

[everman]

Millions have been hit hard in Japan by the PS3 shortage, it looks like it may affect the entire planet soon. Tragic

 

[CrazyHelloDeli]

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: CrazyHelloDeli
I am fully "aware" of it all, but once Katrina happened I watched all those people die in the Superdome I stopped watching the news and reading the newspaper. I have absolutley no power to stop any of it even though I have the will. I volunteer with Big Brother, spend time with the elderly, and donate to charity as much as I can. It serves no purpose to constantly be reminded of all the people I can't help and have my sould sucked dry, when I can do my best and hope it counts for something.

Yes, but the mass media, including the newspapers, don't cover all the important stuff around the world. Sometimes, you have to dig a little deeper in order to uncover stories which the newspapers and the television stations think are not worth the time of the reader or the viewer, respectively. When was the last time a major news organization covered a story, in detail, about the poverty around the world? Famines? Or the conflict between India and Pakistan? Or the wide disparity between the rich and poor in some countries?

These tv stations are too busy covering celebrity marriages and celebrity news. They think that is what the viewer wants. I don't know if that is true or not.

Even if they did report on world famines and the other stuff you mentioned, how would me knowing all the details matter? Ive had this discussion before with people who scoff at hearing I live in a virtual news blackout, as if im somehow not human because I didnt hear about the last 150+ deaths in Iraq the other day, or I didnt hear about the latest abducted little girl, or whatever the tragedy may be. I, and everyone else, is still utterly powerless to change any of it except on the microscopic of scales. Even Mother Teresa, though she did far and away more than most people, did very little compaired to the ammount of suffering that goes on in the world. I see no utility in constantly being reminded of my powerlessness. I simply do what little I can to fight the entropy that consumes millions, and ignore the rest.

**Also, I do agree that humanity as a whole is as well off as we have ever been in history, and it will hopefully continue to improve. Though this fact is of no consolation to those billion or so who still suffering.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I pay attention but don't dwell on it since I can't personally do anything to change such large-scale events.

I do vote, and donate to charities where I can have a direct effect like Northwest Harvest and Child's Play.

 

[thoro86]

I'm really concerned about poverty and environment. Someday when (IF) I've achieved financial freedom, I will make a change

 

[squiggledot]

I pay attention, but not to the degree that it consumes my life. We all have lives, if people are starving, that's sad, but I still have to live my life.

 

[FoBoT]

yes, stuff like "what wii bundles will costco carry in december?"

 

[Rastus]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby
Despite all the famine, poverty, and war, the human race is doing better than it has since it began.

Over 60 billion human beings have lived on this planet in the last 3 million years (including earlier, lesser evolved human ancestors) and even the poorest people living today are living better than 99% of those in the past.

It's sad poverty exists, but you have to be realistic, the world is not a perfect place.

Well put. Even if we can't magically solve everything, we can be happy for even a slight improvement.

 

[Insane3D]

Googer is always warning of impending doom around here...I'm sure he is.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

I don't care at all about the state of the world. Sad but true. There's too much crap going on that I just wrote the whole planet off and called it a day. There's always gonna be people who do care and who will put forth the effort, so I salute them for it, but I'll not be one of them. I just... don't like the world.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: CrazyHelloDeli
I am fully "aware" of it all, but once Katrina happened I watched all those people die in the Superdome I stopped watching the news and reading the newspaper. I have absolutley no power to stop any of it even though I have the will. I volunteer with Big Brother, spend time with the elderly, and donate to charity as much as I can. It serves no purpose to constantly be reminded of all the people I can't help and have my sould sucked dry, when I can do my best and hope it counts for something.

How many people did you actually watch die in the Superdome? No doubt what you have done is assimilate some of the more inaccurate rumors that were being irresponsibly thrown around by the news media as they tried to outdo one another in their sensationalized coverage of the Katrina aftermath. For the record:

Overall, the Dome's dead numbered six bodies: a heart attack victim, three natural deaths, a suicide and a drug overdose.

 

[slsmnaz]

Too many people look at the huge issues and feel helpless to change anything. Think globally, act locally. Yeah I know it's been made into a bumper sticker but it still makes sense.

 

[meltdown75]

I try to keep as up to date as possible on what's happening in the world, given the sources that are available. Sometimes I wonder how much is omitted and edited out, but you have to assume that with enough sources, you're getting the gist of what's happening out there.

I don't read or post in P&N *here* though. Just OT and Software.

Yes I am concerned about world events, for sure.

 

[chcarnage]

Most days I read at least 15 minutes in a newspaper during breakfast, primarily the international news. I want to know what happens "out there", how it affects me and what the elected politicians do about it. Also some votes here are about international issues or have international consequences so I consider this time an investment for voting.