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Conference hydra::dejavu

Title:Psychic Phenomena
Notice:Please read note 1.0-1.* before writing
Moderator:JARETH::PAINTER
Created:Wed Jan 22 1986
Last Modified:Tue May 27 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2143
Total number of notes:41773

2063.0. "This is a strange note dealing with a strange world" by GIDDAY::SETHI (Mr. Sidewinder) Sun Jul 23 1995 01:14

    Hi All,

    This is a strange note dealing with a strange world from my
    perspective. This world that we live in called the Planet Earth is
    meant to be home to all of us irrespective of our race, colour,
    religion, species, etc, the list is endless.

    Yet I see that this is a place where it more of a home to some then
    others.  Some have more advantages and definitely do not want those
    advantages to be taken away from them or diminished in anyway. I often
    feel a great deal of sadness seeing the poor and hungry dying around
    the world for want of food, clean water and access to basic medical
    care.  On the other side of the coin you see people who have access to
    all these services squandering them and taking them for granted.

    Worse of all those people who do not have the basics are treated as
    some kind of uncivilised barbaric people.  Then comes the worse fate of
    all the dreaded loans that these poor nations have to pay which means
    that they are unable to invest in the infastructure of the nation that
    would benefit the people.  Some of the squandering that takes place is
    being done by the "leaders" of that nation and many times these
    "leaders" are supported by other nations that have interests in that
    country.

    Living in a nation(s) that are rich and powerful you see the people are
    in many cases oblivious to a world that exists outside of their nation. 
    Many times the people just seem to blame the people of the poor nations
    for the ills and come out with cliches such as "They are not very
    inventive", "They are not as advanced as us", "They should aspire to
    our standards", "They should ....".  All the time they forget that we
    are all linked and actions of one can have a great impact on the many.
    This world is divided into so many little worlds where people are just
    living in their own little prisons not many people even want to try to
    change things. 
    
    On a personal level if I say something that is different some people
    come back with "He is strange", when asked why, there is no answer but
    laughter.  To discuss one's cluture, faith, feeling etc. you know the
    kinds of things that make you who you are is called "strange".  There
    does not seem to be room for another point of view and it's always a
    struggle.  Little and not so little gangs based upon colour, race,
    language and religion exist everywhere, there is no way that they are
    going to listen to your point of view.  That would be okay but these
    gangs have such an impact on this world, it is rather sad.
    
    Gang mentality has meant that these gangs can insult you, assult you,
    make your life very difficult and at the same time something in you
    wants you to stand up to them.  The members of the gang will try to
    convince you that you are always wrong hoping to change you enough that
    you become a gang member or at least a associate member, not quite
    expected but just good enough to be a close outsider.  All of this
    makes me wonder at times if we are developing into a species of animals
    or evolved beings ?  For every wrong there seems to be a reason and the
    good is just an exception and is only reported if it shows a gang in a
    good light. Not many people question what is happening it's just too
    hard and the questions they ask are just there to defend there points
    of view.  I see very little happening in terms of valuing diversity for
    the sake of doing it.
    
    Perhaps I have not explained myself clearly and maybe I have left
    questions unanswered.
    
    Regards,
    
    Sunil
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2063.1Compassion and understanding is neededSMURF::SCHELBERGMon Jul 24 1995 15:189
    I think your right....which means that our world is not
    ready to accept other beings in the universe.  If we can't
    accept everyone in our planet, how can we accept people in
    other planets?  Especially if they look quite different
    from us!  
    
    oh well...time will only tell.
    
    /bobcat
2063.2ALLVAX::KEEFERTue Jul 25 1995 21:019
    winning is more important than learning.
    just a select few get the rush of leading many.  Hams?
    what's so good about being rich if more people aren't poor?
    there isn't enough to go around - thus is born winners and losers.
    who said humanity is progressing?  
    organized charity feeds itself.
    should humanity be addressed as "We", or as "Countless Individuals"?
     
    
2063.3PKHUB1::MROPRTWed Jul 26 1995 20:0838
    Sunil,
    	Those "dreaded loans" were given out to countries to improve their
    infrastructure through the systems established by the World Bank. Had
    this not been done, millions would have starved to death or died of
    diseases in countries with exploding post WW2 populations.  The
    conventional world banking community, being profit seeking and
    conservative would have never funded these loans without the guarantees
    this new banking system allows for.
    	In the post WW2 rash of nation building and the end of colonialism,
    the loss of the "mother" country meant great disruption and many times 
    left a void in the new country's infrastructure. (i.e. The end of the 
    British Raj on the Indian subcontinent led to the ethnic and religious
    fighting that necessitated the partitioning of the area into India and
    E. and W. Pakistan, E. Pakistan now being Bangladesh.
    	Agreed, colonialism was wrong and is gladly behind us, but the 
    economic ties remain in many areas and are a big part of many countries
    economies.
    	Look at all the positives the last 30 years has brought. Leprosy,
    tuberculosis and polio are just some of the diseases that have just
    about been wiped out. Quick responses to cholera epidemics have cut
    deaths by this dreaded, contagious disease to low, low figures compared
    with the recent past. Quick, swift international action just recently
    contained the deadly Ebola outbreak in Zaire.
    	Granted, Bosnia is the latest example of how backward and dark-
    hearted Mankind can be, but take a look at all the positives that have
    occured.
    	In the last few years, apartheid has ended in S. Africa, black
    majority rule has peacefully been established, the Berlin Wall has
     come down, Eastern Europe is free, some Soviet republics have 
    become free of Russian dominance and they all have their freedom on
    the token independent level.  The UN mission in Somalia saved hundreds
    of thousands of Somalis' lives, mostly displaced farmers who then were
    given the needed time to return to their village's fields and plant a
    crop.
    	So, things have a long way to go, but don't be too depressed
    about it. The world is a far friendlier and peaceful world than the
    one of our grandfathers or fathers.     BillM
    
2063.4WRKSYS::MACKAY_EMon Jul 31 1995 19:3829
    
    Sunil,
    
    	It cuts both ways. 
    
    	Think of all the progressive western practises that are shunned
    by far and middle eastern countries, for example, women's right to 
    choose their destiny and celebrating the birth of female infants.
    For every prejudice against one party/country, there is one coming
    back. Prejudice is caused by ignorance and fear, it is found everywhere 
    on this planet.
    
    	Humans are animals. Animals have instincts to survive. The essence
    that has carried us this far, for hundreds of thousands of years, is
    not culture, is not morals, it is survival of the fittest - natural
    selection. For all those eons, only the stong, intelligent and
    adaptible survived, the weak were eliminated from our gene pool.
    This process made us who we are. It is cruel in a moral sense, but
    it is us who have trouble accepting it. This same process happens to
    all living things around, except for those we, humans, interfere with. 
    If life is supposed to be fair and liberal in the political sense, 
    life would be extinct. It is a humbling experience to accept our
    weakness and our own roots.
    
    	All IMO.
    
    Eva
    
    
2063.5Alrighty Then!STRATA::WADESat Aug 12 1995 16:334
    Well, This is how I see it..........I don't. Live, love and laugh.
    	Anylizing the world and the government is a waste of thought. Be
    happy for yourself and those you love...that's it and that's all.
    				:)