I find it ridiculous, but not surprising, that the story you posted is getting far more media coverage than this story.
Ahh, Yes, More Racism!
- Thread starter Baron Max
- Start date
I find it ridiculous, but not surprising, that the story you posted is getting far more media coverage than this story.
I believe the general philosophy in the west is working, don't be openly racist, give women equal rights, trade with each other, allow people to vote, free market etc...
I also realize that western nations still pick on the small guys, they don't seem to be treating nations outside as kindly, but its a start.
Just criticizing the general philosophy most people hold that human beings are "bad" people. After all, that was the initial tone of this thread.
Most people on this planet are good. We just hear the bad things. And it is getting better, most human beings live longer, and are safer than before.
Humanity is not composed of the >1% that commit crimes and kill people. But those are the only ones we hear about.
Back to the original discussion. I believe people will eventually be tolerant. If it takes another World War that wipes out half the world population, so be it. But I believe in the end people will realize this planet is shared and it will be the only way for us to survive.
I am not ignoring it.
Baron can you not agree with me that things have improved? It has been 70 years since world war 2, and we haven't had one major war since then. That alone to me is a great accomplishment.
Ignoring the good and being nothing but a pessimist is just as ignorant. Because not recognizing the positive instances in life ain't so wonderful either.
Actually, Chris, I think you'll find that far, far more people are involved in major conflicts, and far more people are being killed in all these "little" wars than all of World War II.
Chris, there's thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of people killed every single day over the world today in conflicts that usually arise over intolerance of someone else's race, religion, culture or ethnicity (or the color of their shirt!!!).
And, Chris, it should be obvious to you ....there's gazillions of more people on Earth now ...and with half of them hating the other half, conflicts are sure to arise ...and do!
Agreed. However, while you're smelling the roses that you see through your rose-colored glasses, humans are actually destroying the very planet that those roses need to grow.
Pure pessimism might be ignorance like optimism, but at least the pessimist can see the shit coming straight at him! The optimist might see the shit, but he thinks it might be chocolate, so he happily opens his mouth.
Baron Max
Mrs.Lucysnow
Valued Senior Member
Trade works yes this is true but this has always been true from even before the time of the Silk Road. What people are looking for right now is not 'trade' but 'fair trade' large corporate interests are literally killing people and the environment all around the world Chris. Racism continues to exist, its childish to say because its said one 'should not' that they do not. As far as voting is concerned Palestinians voted for Hamas and the U.S were upset by the results. Why so upset? I mean it was a democratic election. Democracy works right? It worked to advance Hitler and the Nazis as well so yes we do all vote but in some countries it doesn't work out so well. Again you speak from the position of a Westerner living in the West and completely ignore the reality of what any of these notions might mean or how they play out around the world.
Chris most people are not 'good' nor are they 'bad'. People are just people and are capable of whole range of behavior under the right circumstances. We have all heard the stories of the nice man with the nice family, good local citizen who under the cry of war or under the influence of propaganda turns and butchers his neighbor, Rwanda, Germany, Kosovo, Cambodia were made up of just such people not 'bad' people. Offer some evidence that people are 'good' more than any other characteristic.
Again most people live longer and are safer IN THE WEST!!! Why can't you see that the west is not a barometer for how things are going globally
Why should it take another world war? People will behave the same way given time no matter how many world wars we have. Its part of our nature.
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Listen, I understand what you are saying, in fact I believe it just as strongly. But don't you think that especially during this last century, humanity has progressed a long way forward? especially compared to how it used to be?
I am not denying the fact that the West definitely lives better, but its not only the west that has improved.
We don't have major conflicts anymore, things such as slavery, torture still exist and are common but they are looked down upon now and many nations, not just western nations condemn it.
I think the world is a better place than it used to be, and it still has the potential to improve.
Mrs.Lucysnow
Valued Senior Member
Yes we've progressed Chris but all progress leads to a new host of problems. The vehicle is a wonderful invention but it has lead to environmental issues as well.
The fact is that the U.S condemned torture and then we had water boarding, abu ghraib and gitmo.
And as for slavery: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu6/2/fs14.htm
Just a snippet for those who are not interested in going through the whole article
"Slavery was the first human rights issue to arouse wide international concern. Yet, in the face of universal condemnation, slavery-like practices remain a grave and persistent problem in the closing years of the twentieth century.
The word "slavery" today covers a variety of human rights violations. In addition to traditional slavery and the slave trade, these abuses include the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography, the exploitation of child labour, the sexual mutilation of female children, the use of children in armed conflicts, debt bondage, the traffic in persons and in the sale of human organs, the exploitation of prostitution, and certain practices under apartheid and colonial régimes. "
The Numbers:
600,000-800,000 trafficked internationally each year(1)
14,500-17,500 into the U.S every year(1)
80% of these are women and children(1)
$9 billion business worldwide (Paulk, 2005)
In the top 3 revenue earners for organized crime (Leach, 2004)
1.2 million children trafficked every year (2)
27 million slaves world wide (Leach, 2004)
In 1850 slaves cost $40,000 (todays dollar), today they only cost $30
(Bales, 1999)
2004: 7000 traffickers prosecuted, 3000 convicted (3)
Most common type: debt bondage
Fastest growing: trafficking
http://marinecoastalgis.net/facts
The numbers are just what they can verify not what is actually out there.
Of course there is always potential to improve.
The fact is that the U.S condemned torture and then we had water boarding, abu ghraib and gitmo.
And as for slavery: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu6/2/fs14.htm
Just a snippet for those who are not interested in going through the whole article
"Slavery was the first human rights issue to arouse wide international concern. Yet, in the face of universal condemnation, slavery-like practices remain a grave and persistent problem in the closing years of the twentieth century.
The word "slavery" today covers a variety of human rights violations. In addition to traditional slavery and the slave trade, these abuses include the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography, the exploitation of child labour, the sexual mutilation of female children, the use of children in armed conflicts, debt bondage, the traffic in persons and in the sale of human organs, the exploitation of prostitution, and certain practices under apartheid and colonial régimes. "
The Numbers:
600,000-800,000 trafficked internationally each year(1)
14,500-17,500 into the U.S every year(1)
80% of these are women and children(1)
$9 billion business worldwide (Paulk, 2005)
In the top 3 revenue earners for organized crime (Leach, 2004)
1.2 million children trafficked every year (2)
27 million slaves world wide (Leach, 2004)
In 1850 slaves cost $40,000 (todays dollar), today they only cost $30
(Bales, 1999)
2004: 7000 traffickers prosecuted, 3000 convicted (3)
Most common type: debt bondage
Fastest growing: trafficking
http://marinecoastalgis.net/facts
The numbers are just what they can verify not what is actually out there.
Of course there is always potential to improve.