Poll: ZOMG THE GUILT!!!!
- Thread starter jef91
- Start date
Recommended Videos
What you have to realise is that the cost of living changes is scaled at a similar rate. For instance, someone in a third world country might make one tenth of what I do, however goods and services in that country are also scaled down and food etc is one tenth of the price that it is where I live. It's not like these people are necessarily going without, essential things (although they may be in some cases), wages have to be put into context with the local economies.jef91 said:
Dunno if it's just my Danish mentality but alot of the people on escapeist seems rather cold if that's a way to put it. Alot of people say that it's fair that rich people get all the money because they worked hard for it. But being poor and working 15 hours every day with no way whatsoever to earn enough money can't be hard work ofc... rich people are rich because that had the opportunity. There is a certain amount of value and for me to rich i'll have to take someone elses share. This amount is ofc course growing for alot countries but so is the population. And it's a minority who has the opportunity
The place where you've grown up in, may that be rich or poor, isn't something to feel guilty about. The only thing that you could feel guilty about is if you stop being a human against people who you could help. May that be money or lending an ear or helping someone who just dropped their groceries. You don't necessarily need to possess much to either do or do not do something.
I've been to a few countries that aren't very rich. Most of the time people stick up for each other because they know they are all in the same shit together. Now put it in the perspective of my country where we don't know our neighbour and don't give a shit about them because we all sit in front of our tv or whatever because it's all just comfortable around here.
I've been to a few countries that aren't very rich. Most of the time people stick up for each other because they know they are all in the same shit together. Now put it in the perspective of my country where we don't know our neighbour and don't give a shit about them because we all sit in front of our tv or whatever because it's all just comfortable around here.
Well, that (because even if you don't throw away food at dinner you can't send it to a starving child in Rwanda, and the situation is only compounded by the morons fucking like bunnies, but also because we feel guilty for something past generations did. Take the slave trade, for example; hundreds of years ago, now, and yet there is this insane idea around that you can't be racist to white people, that it's only a one-way street. It's basically demonising yourself for something somebody else, somebody with potentially no connection to you (for example, I'm expected to feel white guilt particularly because I'm white and British, but my family are second generation immigrants from Austria, Hungary and South Africa, and in that area we were more likely to be slaves ourselves). It's like thinking that all Germans are Nazis; Hitler and his followers were bad eggs, but not every German is. Same principle.jef91 said:
I understand this scaling system - its just that there are too many people in need that shouldn't be.
*thinks about it*
Nope, I don't feel guilty. Why? Because it isn't my fault. If I were the reason so many people were poor, then I'd have every reason in the world to feel poor. My parents worked hard to raise me to the best of their abilities and give me a comfortable life, I feel not guilt, only gratitude. Gratitude to my parents who've struggled to provide; I love them for it.
So nope, no guilt. Why should you feel guilty? Yes it is said when you encounter third world countries, but the reason they are poor is not the fault of your own.
That's like you feeling guilt because a town was destroyed by a tornado then you saying "I feel guilty because I live in a place that doesn't have tornadoes :'( "
It's an irrational guilt because there is honestly nothing you can do about it.
Nope, I don't feel guilty. Why? Because it isn't my fault. If I were the reason so many people were poor, then I'd have every reason in the world to feel poor. My parents worked hard to raise me to the best of their abilities and give me a comfortable life, I feel not guilt, only gratitude. Gratitude to my parents who've struggled to provide; I love them for it.
So nope, no guilt. Why should you feel guilty? Yes it is said when you encounter third world countries, but the reason they are poor is not the fault of your own.
That's like you feeling guilt because a town was destroyed by a tornado then you saying "I feel guilty because I live in a place that doesn't have tornadoes :'( "
It's an irrational guilt because there is honestly nothing you can do about it.
Try 'US Foreign Policy During the Cold War' and it's companion 'USSR Foreign Policy During the Cold War'. Many examples of secular shitfuckery there.Billion Backs said:
Guilt ranks up there with remorse for me. I'm not about to turn back the clock and undo something I did, all I can do is learn from it and improve. Likewise I'm not about to hand over all my money to other people (or even 80% of it) simply because in six months the situation would be back to the 80/20 rule.
I may have mentioned before that I'm from South Africa, and a big buzz-word there is "entitlement". Just post-apartheid the government set about creating a black (I'm not using this word in the pejorative sense, it's simply a reference to skin colour) middle-class as a stepping-stone to uplifting the native people as a whole. The logic was simple, that a black middle-class, having experienced the injustices and inequalities of the past, would be more sympathetic to the needs of their fellow country-men (and women) and be better employers.
The situation now? Just look at the world cup where that same black middle-class who owned the rights to world cup merchandise outsourced it to child-labour operations in China because it was cheaper. Not a cent went into employing the roughly 30% of the (almost entirely black) South African population who are crying out for jobs.
So jef91, save your guilt. Even if everyone handed over their money tomorrow by next week there'd be a new upper class who were prepared to step on everyone else to get to the top.
If you want to help then give someone a job, or help them get educated, but handing out money is a waste of time.
I may have mentioned before that I'm from South Africa, and a big buzz-word there is "entitlement". Just post-apartheid the government set about creating a black (I'm not using this word in the pejorative sense, it's simply a reference to skin colour) middle-class as a stepping-stone to uplifting the native people as a whole. The logic was simple, that a black middle-class, having experienced the injustices and inequalities of the past, would be more sympathetic to the needs of their fellow country-men (and women) and be better employers.
The situation now? Just look at the world cup where that same black middle-class who owned the rights to world cup merchandise outsourced it to child-labour operations in China because it was cheaper. Not a cent went into employing the roughly 30% of the (almost entirely black) South African population who are crying out for jobs.
So jef91, save your guilt. Even if everyone handed over their money tomorrow by next week there'd be a new upper class who were prepared to step on everyone else to get to the top.
If you want to help then give someone a job, or help them get educated, but handing out money is a waste of time.
Yeah, I forgot to mention the communists. And the US, too, for that matter.RhomCo said:
Thanks. Those are all great examples.
I agree that another upper class would take the previous one's place, and I don't really know anything about South Africa (apart from watching Invictus lol). Again, I will argue however that wealth is not always money, and could be freedom of speech, or clean water and so on.Frungy said:
I dont feel guilty. Dere will always be rich and poor. Having said that I am grateful for what I have.
Billion Backs said:
Both sides were arseholes about tying strings to aid.
I won't even go into the medical aid that still finds its way to the 3rd world containing a lot of drugs that are banned everywhere else.
If I work hard for my money, provide for and love my wife and kids, why should I feel guilty?
I feel I will adopt this sentiment once I find work and get married.
I feel I will adopt this sentiment once I find work and get married.
I generally don't think about it, but when I do stop and think, I do feel guilty.
Even though there's people that earn tonnes more than my parents, I still feel there's loads more people that need support and are not getting it, and I just feel guilty. I can't help it.
Even though there's people that earn tonnes more than my parents, I still feel there's loads more people that need support and are not getting it, and I just feel guilty. I can't help it.