Debates
27 Apr 07
27 Apr 07
5 edits
Oops...I hit enter and started the thread before I posted...hold on a sec...
Has anyone (and I'm sure many have) noticed how distant (although possibly not the best word choice) Americans seem to global problems? While Americans grieve over the deaths of 32 deaths of college students (and I am in NO WAY WHATSOEVER diminishing the tragedy of the VT shooting), we seem to just "skip over" the tragedies affecting millions upon millions in the world, rather through genocide (Sudan), Iraq (main point), human rights, etc.
I'm not saying this inclusively, and I know similar people exist throughout other countries, too, but Americans grieve for a late president longer than hundreds of Iraqis and Sudanese killed daily?...
Does anyone else see what I'm saying or have comments?
3 Edits -- Word choice and grammatical...
1 Edit -- Merk's suggestion
1 Edit -- Posting my edits 😛
27 Apr 07
Originally posted by wittywonkaAmericans may not grieve but at least we are not dancing in the streets and shooting off fire arms in celebration of their misfortunes. I find it to be the lesser of two evils.
Oops...I hit enter and started the thread before I posted...hold on a sec...
Has anyone (and I'm sure many have) noticed how distant (although possibly not the best word choice) Americans seem to global problems? While Americans grieve over the deaths of 32 deaths of college students (and I am in NO WAY WHATSOEVER diminishing the tragedy of the VT sho ...[text shortened]... qis and Sudanese killed daily?...
Does anyone else see what I'm saying or have comments?
27 Apr 07
Originally posted by wittywonkaAs is customary of humans, we grieve more for those closer to us. Such as you might grieve more for your mother than someone you've never heard of.
Oops...I hit enter and started the thread before I posted...hold on a sec...
Has anyone (and I'm sure many have) noticed how distant (although possibly not the best word choice) Americans seem to global problems? While Americans grieve over the deaths of 32 deaths of college students (and I am in NO WAY WHATSOEVER diminishing the tragedy of the VT sho ...[text shortened]... qis and Sudanese killed daily?...
Does anyone else see what I'm saying or have comments?
Americans have a lot of pride in our country which makes us very nationalistis. Hence, we grieve more for our own innocents than we do for those fallen in red on red fighting such as what is happening in Darfur or Iraq. We are trying to help Iraq and we have tried to help Sudan through the U.N. They don't want it so we don't feel to aweful about their fate.
Again, its red on red and we're trying to help or our help has been rejected so yes, we grieve our own more.
Also, you might want to look into your illegitimate HIV complaint.
27 Apr 07
1 edit
Originally posted by wittywonkaok, Im not sure what your wanting us to do...
Oops...I hit enter and started the thread before I posted...hold on a sec...
Has anyone (and I'm sure many have) noticed how distant (although possibly not the best word choice) Americans seem to global problems? While Americans grieve over the deaths of 32 deaths of college students (and I am in NO WAY WHATSOEVER diminishing the tragedy of the VT sho qis and Sudanese killed daily?...
Does anyone else see what I'm saying or have comments?
are you wanting us (USA) to come to those countries and help out? I thought you all was wanting us to stay out of their countries....
or
are you wanting us to just grieve over the world's problems? which wont do a bit of good, and those problems wont ever end
27 Apr 07
Originally posted by whodeyWell, I think you have exaggerated your point, but I still think Americans could be more empathetic than we sometimes are...
Americans may not grieve but at least we are not dancing in the streets and shooting off fire arms in celebration of their misfortunes. I find it to be the lesser of two evils.
27 Apr 07
Originally posted by flyUnityWe can help other countries in crises in ways other than violence and warfare...
ok, Im not sure what your wanting us to do...
are you wanting us (USA) to come to those countries and help out? I thought you all was wanting us to stay out of their countries....
or
are you wanting us to just grieve over the world's problems? which wont do a bit of good, and those problems wont ever end
27 Apr 07
Originally posted by MerkI see your point, but I still think we should demonstrate more empathy. If I lost a relative and a stranger lost their relative, too, I would try to comfort them because I knew what they were going through.
As is customary of humans, we grieve more for those closer to us. Such as you might grieve more for your mother than someone you've never heard of.
And, before you even say it, I know I can't specifically relate that example to the U.S., since we haven't had it as badly as other countries, but we can still do more, in my opinion, to help...
27 Apr 07
Originally posted by MerkWe can help in ways other than a blank check, too.
Yes. We can be their sugardaddy. Other countries LOVE it when we're their sugardaddy. They never seem to gripe much over that.
Take this example: you see a homeless man on the street. You stop and think, "Should I give him some money? For all I know, he might just go buy a beer, not take care of himself." Your idea is valid, so why not take him to a restaurant instead?
27 Apr 07
Originally posted by wittywonkaSure we can do more. Heck, we can help others so much we put ourselves in the poor house. The question is should we? Who's gonna help us?
I see your point, but I still think we should demonstrate more empathy. If I lost a relative and a stranger lost their relative, too, I would try to comfort them because I knew what they were going through.
And, before you even say it, I know I can't specifically relate that example to the U.S., since we haven't had it as badly as other countries, but we can still do more, in my opinion, to help...
That by the way is another reason for our pride. Aint nobody gonna help us but ourselves. That tends to draw people together.
27 Apr 07
Originally posted by wittywonkaExaggerated my point? What then did I see people doing in the Middle East when the twin towers fell? Granted, it was not EVERYBODY but a good number of them were dancing and celebrating. When do Americans ever make such a display? Where we dancing in the streets when Saddam was captured or executed? Where we dancing in the streets when we battled the Taliban and those responsible for 911? No.
Well, I think you have exaggerated your point, but I still think Americans could be more empathetic than we sometimes are...
All of this talk reminds me of the efforts by the US to help the Samolians. What did we have to gain by helping them? What other country in the world would even consider such an undertaking? Yet what did we get in return? We recieved body bags and images of our dead soldiers being dragged through the streets in celebration.
27 Apr 07
Originally posted by wittywonkaBecause we can only do that if they let us.
We can help in ways other than a blank check, too.
Take this example: you see a homeless man on the street. You stop and think, "Should I give him some money? For all I know, he might just go buy a beer, not take care of himself." Your idea is valid, so why not take him to a restaurant instead?
That's one of the things Dubya got right about foreign policy. Giving moneta to countries that show good governance. We shouldn't just be giving away beer money. Like Sudan for instance, they get their weapons from China, China kills UN action before it starts. If we give them money, its going to go for beer.