Here's one.
Do you really need me to explain how they're communicating non verbally in a linear model their lack of basic necessities? Do you really need me to point out how despite that, their eyes (Oculesics. Yes I've been listening in class) still reflect a fierce hope for the future?
Few months ago my old box style TV broke down and my parents got a shiny new 42 inch wonder of technology, polished, slim, and incredibly sexy. Last week I was at a Best Denki and there on the Television aisle was EVEN sexier, slimmer TVs. That we can not only produce such a marvellous piece to technology, but improve on it in a matter of months is a testament of how far we've come as humans.
What struck me even harder was that the same global system we're living in that has produced these marvellous inventions, is also allowing millions of children die from starvation and curable disease each year.
That while watching Hamilton do his victory lap on our roads about 2 hours ago in another hallmark of mankind's mechanical ability I realised that the same system pays people with the ability to humour us ridiculous excess, while the starving kids get nothing.
That because of pop culture (which has given us The Beatles, Tarantino, MTV, Pink leggings, leg spreading Divas, Flight of the Conchords and everything in between), a certain rapper snatching the mic from a certain singer is more important news then how many children are being saved. Or not.
The mere fact that I'm typing this in a comfortable chair, sending it over a network so abtract and complex it's probably humankind's greatest achievement, while the kids are still dying puts me at a rare loss for words.
The same way our parents got carried away by the marvels of Industrialization and subsequently plundered the planet of it's natural resources, they're also plundering the lives of millions of unfortunate souls. The former has caused global warming, which is rapidly gaining the attention and resources it needs, while the poverty issue is often swept to the back of our collective consciousness. If the poor are left to continue in their downward spiral, one day we'll have another mess on our hands.
While much is already being done, it must be said that with our tremendous resources and knowledge (much in excess of sustaining ourselves) we do not have any excuse to let anymore children die.
My old DVD player just broke down.
33453632413146-
Think of how many starving children Singapore can feed using the money used for all the lightings for the F1 race. Money used to pay for the lighting for a mere 3-night period can feed a group of starving children for god-knows-how-long. Not to mention the eco-unfriendly ION too. And do you think you can survive without your DVD player Cheng? It's all about needs and wants. The children are starving and in NEED while your DVD player can be argued as WANT. Will you die without it? Definite no. But will the children die without food. YES. Duh. :P
ReplyDeleteHi Cheng!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you!
I think its ridiculous how we live in a world where people just dont seem to care anymore. According to statistics, there is enough food in the world to provide 3, 500 calories to each individual person. That is more than enough to ensure that nobody has to die of hunger. And yet, half the world lives on less than 2 dollars a day. Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
Stats like that are just scary. It takes so little for us to save so many lives and yet most of us choose to do nothing.
p.s. my dvd player broke down too!hahaha
Wad are those numbers at the end?.. :))
ReplyDeleteWell, it is an ironic thing. We, the fortunate and blessed ones, encourage people to save the poor and needy through the luxury of a computer. However, do we(when we encourge others) do our parts to actually save the needy? I doubt so. Most probably, which I believe, is that we just want to ease our guilt of helping the needy since we find it difficult to help them, especially the ones in overseas.
Perhaps, it will be easier to contribute a small effort first, starting from helping the needy in your own organisations, or country. People seriously needs to know that every small effort counts.
These marvelous inventions are to satisfy the ever growing hunger of consumers.
ReplyDeleteWe all like new and innovative things. The cooler the better. Flat screen TV used to be a dream aint it?
I always believe that, between the rich and the poor, the difference is opportunity. We are the lucky bunch. So we should always help the less lucky bunch.
I give thanks to the One whom decided our fate for us.
Seraphina: Flat screen TV used to be a dream. we've got it now. Zero poverty used to be a dream. Still is. the world needs to get its priorities right.
ReplyDeleteAlicia: Thanks for the numbers! After plotting them as Logarithmic scale of Rational Equations on my graph, I'm getting a much better picture of how bad things are right now!
ReplyDeleteThe weapons graph looked ridiculous! seriously we as a planet have decided to prioritize Phosphorous Gas Bombs over feeding our young.
I thought I had issues with my priorities.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI hate that I have to agree with what you said in your post. It's true; we are a spoiled bunch living a happy life of luxury, and we still keep asking for more.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I think that sometimes we just feel helpless when it comes to the idea of ...poverty. We don't live in it, therefore we don't know what goes on right there. We only hear the horror stories that come out of poverty like the number children dying every day. The numbers of which are really startling.
The most we can do for poverty-stricken countries would be to donate money and necessities, in the hope that these things will be passed on to the right people. In churches, some people often go to these countries on mission trips as well. But how many people are actually willing to step out of their comfort zones to go to such places?
Not many really.
(PS. By the way, I got your figure of speech thing! Not because you explained it just now :) But I see why people would get the idea that your DVD player really broke down because the analogy was explained much earlier in the post, and not followed up on in between the explanations! LOL)
-drey :)
Hey Cheng! I totally agree with you! Here we are living comfortably, having the opportunity of receiving education etc etc. and yet, many people from other parts of the world do not even have a roof over their heads. Not to mention, being able to receive education. Yes, global warming is certainly one issue that is of utmost importance today. However, it is often these people from the developing countries who suffer the most as developed countries will invest in the country and cause environmental pollution, when these coutries do not even have proper sanitation.
ReplyDeleteI like that photo which you posted. The photogragher indeed effectively conveyed the message acrosss to the viewers that the children need help and that they live in poverty. He or she need not put in words to tell the viewers that the children are poor and lack the basic necessities.
ReplyDeleteIt's really amazing to see how fast some parts of the world are progressing while the other parts are being left far far behind. I seriously think we can use the media to help those who are really in need of help!
=)Kai Ting
I think really so much can be doneto help all this people. ALthough one part of me also thinks that if someone has it good, he's robbing someone else.
ReplyDeleteFor example in a barter trade, one guy is always at the financial deficit (redpaperclip ftw).
If that part of me is right, the amount of goodness the developed world has achieved is the same amount of hardship we pile on the under developed.
While a huuuuge amount of our goodness is based on frivolous things like flower printed neon green leggings and vegetable tanned leather bags, alot of their hardships are very real and can be easily reliefed of if we give up on some of life's useless frills.
You know, I'd really like to donate to help people, but there's so much fraud out there today it's looking quite bleak for charity organisations. Even when donating to the red cross I really don't know where does the money go to. Sure I feel good for about 15 hours but that's really about it.
ReplyDeleteIf charity organisation can win our trust again with transparency and trust worthiness(after the NKF and monk saga), I'd happily help out.
i beg to differ about oculesics.
ReplyDeletethe use of oculesics may not be genuine, this photo could be posed! the photographer could have ask them to convey a particular emotion through his art direction.
but nonetheless, good job pointing out that industrialization changes perspectives on many things. such as the ideas of WANTS and NEEDS as well as necessities based on culture & demography.
isaac
http://pitstophere.wordpress.com
as much as there is so much being said about help, awareness, and the occasional 'call-to-arms', there is only so much we can do within our oh-so-inviting comfort zone.
ReplyDeleteits time to get out.
yet another post full of irony, there is really no point for such discussions anymore.
there is no right or wrong in help.