What can be done to increase humanity’s conscience?

[seeds]

I take care of mine; I expect others to do the same.

And if for some reason you were incapable of taking care of yours, and yours suddenly became in desperate need of saving (let’s say they were drowning), wouldn’t it be nice if there were others who would attempt to rescue them?

Or would it be completely fine with you if the bystanders simply let them die, even though they had a perfectly good buoy they could have thrown?

I'm a finite resource. I can't save the world.

No one is asking you to single-handedly save the world. Just be mindful of why you and yours are enjoying your current situation...

...(see this post here - viewtopic.php?f=20&t=24151#p360229 - as it looks into the possible side-effects of the slave industry jump-starting the American economy).

I'm no salesman. I can't convince other folks to go out and save the world.

Ah, but you are a salesman, henry.

Unfortunately, you are attempting to sell to others all the reasons why caring about the little girl in the photo is wrong and a waste of one’s time and resources.

I'm no altruist. I won't sacrifice mine in service to strangers.

Yes, you’ve made that quite clear.

However, refer back to my first comment regarding a stranger’s minimal sacrifice in service to your own loved ones.

I sure as hell am not communitarian. I won't be regulated so as to 'spread my wealth'.

Don’t be naïve.

If you live in the USA, for example, then you are already spreading your wealth via taxes that fund the American (rape the world) agenda...

...an agenda that sees 5 percent of the world's human population (through treachery and hellfire missiles) taking-in far more than their fair share of the world’s resources so that shameless hedonists like this...



...can plant their ample behinds on golden commodes.

As for the littie girl: where's her parents? You wanna lay a guilt trip on me when you oughta be askin' after them.

I would imagine that in most cases such as hers, her parents were already dead from the same problem afflicting her.

Henry, despite your “me and mine first” attitude, along with your cornpone vernacular...

(or perhaps because of it)

...I suspect that you have a big heart, and that if that little girl was lying at your feet, you wouldn’t hesitate to help her in some way.

However, if not, then the very least you can do for her is to not discourage others from helping because of rhetoric that might pull a “fence sitter” in your direction.
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[seeds]

Seeds, improvement in education in the humanities is the way, free through undergraduate level. While some individuals learn compassion from parents or others such as church and mosque, learning compassion must be formalised so that no child or young person misses out on it.

This is longer term strategy. Immediately there is nothing I can do to stop the child dying of thirst, disease or hunger except send money to the best charity I know of. Apropos best charity let's now post our own recommendations for efficient and honest charity for relief of poverty and the effects of poverty.

I note that you recommend World Vision. That is an excellent choice. recommend Mary's Meals.It is aimed at a specific project so can be verified and it is adopted by at least one very respectable church as its pet charity.

Thank you, Belinda, for being the only person on this forum to offer some positive suggestions in this thread, which is exactly what the OP is seeking.

However, as you can see, a materialistic (non-spiritual) attitude does not engender a great deal of empathy for strangers.

In which case, how can we overcome that problem?
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[Impenitent]

envy of the possessions of others is a beautiful thing

-Imp

[henry quirk]

"wouldn’t it be nice if there were others who would attempt to rescue them?"

Sure, but after pullin' my kid out of the water, I fully expect the rescuer to go about his business. With that in mind: I can make the little girl a ham sandwich (pull her out of the water) and then go about my business.

Gimme her address and I'll get right on it...

#

"be mindful of why you and yours are enjoying your current situation"

I am mindful...I have to be...I self-employ...our current situation is mostly due to me bustin' my ass everyday.

#

"you are attempting to sell to others all the reasons why caring about the little girl in the photo is wrong and a waste of one’s time and resources."

Of course not. I'm givin' my perspective, same as any one. What the rest of you do is no business of mine. Let's keep it that way.

#

"you are already spreading your wealth via taxes that fund the American (rape the world) agenda"

There's a reason mine is a cash-only business...

#

"I suspect that you have a big heart, and that if that little girl was lying at your feet, you wouldn’t hesitate to help her in some way."

Of course I'd help. What I wouldn't do is make her (or let her be made into) my on-going burden.

I'll give her a ham sandwich, and then I'm outta there.

[Belinda]

Henry, it's obvious that you yourself are conscientious. The problem is how to get more people to become conscientious. Especially perhaps those people who have a lot of power to make changes.

[Belinda]

Seeds wrote:

However, as you can see, a materialistic (non-spiritual) attitude does not engender a great deal of empathy for strangers.

In which case, how can we overcome that problem?

Don't you think perhaps a two pronged approach?

What I mean is , firstly. that the child or adult is exposed to stories that affect him or her. Stories affect people's feelings. Take westerns for instance; Dances With Wolves explains how to empathise with any oppressed race, not only original Americans. Simple westerns about the poor farmer who contends against the cattle baron arouse empathy. The story does of course have to be entertaining. The value of film as medium for propagating empathy is repeated for novels, pictorial and sculptural art, short stories, honest and brave reportage, and popular music. Formal teaching of history should not steer clear of discussions about ethical principles and fellow-feeling even as history -teaching affects the youngest child.

Secondly, advertising should be controlled by law so that dangerous, unrealistic, and unkind ideas are eliminated as far as possible so that gullible 'materialists' are not seduced by lies.

[henry quirk]

"conscientious"

Mebbe.

#

"advertising should be controlled by law "

Absolutely not!

Buyer (and seller) beware; supply and demand; gate keep your own head: sensible, minimal, all a body needs.

Politburo butt out!

#

"ethical principles"

Which set of (several different competeting sets of) principles?

[seeds]

...wouldn’t it be nice if there were others who would attempt to rescue them?

Sure, but after pullin' my kid out of the water, I fully expect the rescuer to go about his business. With that in mind: I can make the little girl a ham sandwich (pull her out of the water) and then go about my business.

Gimme her address and I'll get right on it...

She can be reached via this web link – https://www.wvi.org/

So by all means, henry, you get right on it.

What I wouldn't do is make her (or let her be made into) my on-going burden.

Understood, loud and clear.

...you are already spreading your wealth via taxes that fund the American (rape the world) agenda...

There's a reason mine is a cash-only business...

It takes a special kind of person to imply on an open and public forum that they make enough money to support themselves and their family, but don’t pay any taxes.

Does your “cash-only business” (or anything else you do, for that matter) ever require you to use the pubic roadways?

If so, and if it's true that you contribute nothing toward the upkeep of the physical infrastructure of the country, then how about you stay off the roads that the rest of us are paying for...

Or do you simply expect others to quietly accept the “on-going burden” of providing you with the ancillary services that support your personal lifestyle?
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[seeds]

Henry, it's obvious that you yourself are conscientious. The problem is how to get more people to become conscientious. Especially perhaps those people who have a lot of power to make changes.

Precisely.

However, as you can see, a materialistic (non-spiritual) attitude does not engender a great deal of empathy for strangers.

In which case, how can we overcome that problem?

Don't you think perhaps a two pronged approach?

Two prongs, three prongs, ten prongs, whatever it takes.

What I mean is , firstly. that the child or adult is exposed to stories that affect him or her. Stories affect people's feelings. Take westerns for instance; Dances With Wolves explains how to empathise with any oppressed race, not only original Americans. Simple westerns about the poor farmer who contends against the cattle baron arouse empathy. The story does of course have to be entertaining. The value of film as medium for propagating empathy is repeated for novels, pictorial and sculptural art, short stories, honest and brave reportage, and popular music. Formal teaching of history should not steer clear of discussions about ethical principles and fellow-feeling even as history -teaching affects the youngest child.

Those are excellent suggestions, Belinda.

However, the inspiring movies, art, and music are already out there, yet they don’t seem to be having much effect, other than the usual slow and upward tugging on the dense and heavy mass of resistant attitudes...

...(I mean, just look at the negative attitudes in just this insignificant little thread alone).

Nevertheless, those are all good prongs, B.

Unfortunately (and despite my optimistic approach), I’ve always felt that nothing short of some kind of worldwide cataclysmic or spiritual event can accomplish the goal of uniting us all.

Hopefully it’s the latter and not the former.
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[henry quirk]

"you get right on it"

Done and done: a nice lettuce, tomato, and ham sandwich just went out by UPS.

#

"don’t pay any taxes."

I pay taxes: sales and income.

When state and federal gov get their shit together (spend sensibly and frugally), I'll be glad to pay 'more'. Till then, I'll (declare and) pay as little as I can and if you're not doin' the same then yer a chump.

#

"pubic roadways"

Yeah, you drag your ass down here to south Louisiana, drive our crappy roads, then bitch about what I am or am not contributing to the public coffers.

You might get joy outta writin' checks to entities who don't respect you and who piss away your money on all manner of shenanigans, but I don't.

[henry quirk]

In the context of this thread, this translates to: the capable carrying the incapable forever.

Kids grow up.

Old folks die.

The down-on-their-luck catch a break.

...but...

Parasites are forever.

[Gary Childress]

Seeds wrote:

However, as you can see, a materialistic (non-spiritual) attitude does not engender a great deal of empathy for strangers.

In which case, how can we overcome that problem?

Don't you think perhaps a two pronged approach?

What I mean is , firstly. that the child or adult is exposed to stories that affect him or her. Stories affect people's feelings. Take westerns for instance; Dances With Wolves explains how to empathise with any oppressed race, not only original Americans. Simple westerns about the poor farmer who contends against the cattle baron arouse empathy. The story does of course have to be entertaining. The value of film as medium for propagating empathy is repeated for novels, pictorial and sculptural art, short stories, honest and brave reportage, and popular music. Formal teaching of history should not steer clear of discussions about ethical principles and fellow-feeling even as history -teaching affects the youngest child.

Secondly, advertising should be controlled by law so that dangerous, unrealistic, and unkind ideas are eliminated as far as possible so that gullible 'materialists' are not seduced by lies.

I learned not too long ago that there is a term among the SJW crowd for what is portrayed in Dances With Wolves. The term is "mighty whitey". Apparently DWW is just another example of white imperialism and privilege over POC because it spreads the idea that POC (or in its case indigenous peoples) can't stand up for themselves unless a white person helps them or whatever. I mean, when I first saw the movie, I thought it was wonderful. Apparently it's not.

[Belinda]

Gary Childress wrote;

I learned not too long ago that there is a term among the SJW crowd for what is portrayed in Dances With Wolves. The term is "mighty whitey". Apparently DWW is just another example of white imperialism and privilege over POC because it spreads the idea that POC (or in its case indigenous peoples) can't stand up for themselves unless a white person helps them or whatever. I mean, when I first saw the movie, I thought it was wonderful. Apparently it's not.

It interests me that once a work of art is made and available it's out of the maker's control. I think you will agree that Dances With Wolves is a work of art at least by virtue of the skills of the artists. What inspiration you get from DWW is part of your own personal narrative, and the same goes for me. You and I have different narratives, and now that you have criticised DWW I can read your narrative and that influences my narrative.

Works of art are media made by skilled artists. A work of art doesn't convey the same message to everyone. There are personal and cultural changes. We change each other. Now I can see DWW as your criticism does.My consciousness, my narrative, is enlarged to include one other narrative I had not previously thought of.

That is what empathy is. Empathy is ability to feel what someone else is feeling. Empathy, if it could be added to intelligent machines, would render the machines as good as human.Empathy isn't enough obviously as we need some get -up -and- go to write that cheque, learn first aid, or take food to the hungry if we can.

[seeds]

It takes a special kind of person to imply on an open and public forum that they make enough money to support themselves and their family, but don’t pay any taxes.

I pay taxes: sales and income.

So then, if you admit to paying income tax, then it kind of takes some of the wind out of this blustery statement...

I sure as hell am not communitarian. I won't be regulated so as to 'spread my wealth'.

...for clearly, you do indeed allow some of your wealth to be regulated.

Does your “cash-only business” (or anything else you do, for that matter) ever require you to use the pubic roadways?

If so, and if it's true that you contribute nothing toward the upkeep of the physical infrastructure of the country, then how about you stay off the roads that the rest of us are paying for...

Yeah, you drag your ass down here to south Louisiana, drive our crappy roads, then bitch about what I am or am not contributing to the public coffers.

I’ll let others muse over the irony of that statement.

You might get joy outta writin' checks to entities who don't respect you and who piss away your money on all manner of shenanigans, but I don't.

Now on that point, henry, I completely agree with you.

In regards to America’s imperialistic “shenanigans,” according to the online Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON—U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan have cost American taxpayers $5.6 trillion since they began in 2001...

In light of that fact, just imagine how much different the world would be if we used 5.6 trillion** dollars for helpful, uplifting, and positive purposes on the planet, instead of on murder, mayhem, and destruction.

I mean, if we are going to waste it anyway, can we at least agree that the positive path would be the better choice for us and the rest of the world?

**(As an interesting side note, take a look at what a trillion dollars looks like in 100 dollar bills -- http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html -- then imagine 5.6 times that amount being dedicated to the creation of hatred of Americans.)
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[henry quirk]

"you do indeed allow some of your wealth to be regulated."

*sigh*

Yes, seeds: I pay (some) taxes (cuz I do use the roads, etc., and I believe a body should pay for what he uses). Please, enjoy your (minor) victory (based on the letter, not the spirit), and (conveniently) ignore I withhold quite a bit (cuz there's a whole whack of gov spending I disapprove of).

#

"just imagine how much different the world would be if we used 5.6 trillion** dollars for helpful, uplifting, and positive purposes on the planet, instead of on murder, mayhem, and destruction"

Better: imagine if that 5.6 trillion dollars had been left in the hands of the folks who actually earned it so that each could do with his money as he chose (hookers and beer, feed his family, afford insurance without lookin' to taxpayers for a hand out, etc., hell, mebbe give a ham sandwich or two to charity, even).