From: Mark Miloscia (miloscia@sprintmail.com)
Date: Sat Mar 07 1998 - 01:40:36 MST
Mark D. Fulwiler wrote:
> > Mark Miloscia <miloscia@sprintmail.com> wrote:
>
> > The developed world (including all of us) is also at fault for
> > allowing starvation and death to occur when they have the power (either individually or
> > through their government) to stop or mitigate it.
>
> I think it is fine to help those in need. However, to say that I have an
> OBLIGATION to help others means I am, in effect, a slave.
Having obligations (family, social groups, community, state, nation, foreigners, etc.),
doesn't make one a slave, it make one responsible.
> I do not accept any fault for the results of dictatorships thousands of miles away.
>
At what distance should a person take responsiblity for trying to stop or mitigate the
actions of ruthless dictatorships? Or, do you have a limit on how many people should die or
suffer at the hands of a dictatorship thousands of miles away, before a person should feel
responsible to act? In this day and age, I picture the Earth as a small, vulnerable,
lifeboat where distance and numbers are irrelavent.
> And what exactly are you proposing we should do to help these poor souls
> in third world hell holes?
I am proposing that each of us does what they can in their own way (even writing e-mails at
1229 AM while their wife waits in bed), and if the people who had true power in the developed
world thought about and spent a little money, they could do alot more than what is being done
now. Again, how much is saving an Ethiopian worth? If we all gave a dollar....
> Should the U.S. attempt an invasion of the
> entire continent of Africa? Are you going to sign up for this? Or are we
> just supposed to send more bags of food and money over with no assurance
> that it will ever get to those in need?
A definition of insanity is to continue to do what doesn't work. If at first you don't
succeed...
Mark Miloscia
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