[Ripose]

Why is there so much suffering on today's world?

This is a world that has far more resources & riches than we need to solve any problem in the world, yet we still face the same issues as we did 50 (or more) years ago. Is it because no one cares? Do you care?

The quote below is a good way to think about things.

If everyone would engage to whatever extent that they could in an issue like hunger and extreme poverty, which is so solvable now, this would be a different world. It would actually be a world that works for everyone.

Remember your assistance does not always need to be financial help. You could make posts like this everywhere. You offer your time to relief organizations. You could just talk to one other person about the various issues.

NOTE: I am not only talking about world hunger. Think about mental health issues, ending war or even just being kind to a stranger, the list is long.

What are your thoughts about the above?

[Travelinglady]

I certainly agree. Each of us can help in some way.

[Mike_J]

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"

Gandhi

One of my favorite quotes, and something I try (and fail) to live up to...

[Ripose]

I certainly agree. Each of us can help in some way.

Yes and it does not take much to start making a difference.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"

One of my favorite quotes, and something I try (and fail) to live up to...

Since you will never know what influence your attempts have on many others then you can not say that you fail. Your thinking differently may change something you say or do without you even being aware of it, that difference will spread to others you are in contact with.

[norwegianwoman]

Well, I am a bit more cynical than you, I think.

I do what I can do to change the world - I was politically active for 5-6 years of my youth, I give money to charity, I always speak up against injustice when I see it. But I don't think the world really changes if everyone did that.

The reason the world is as it is, is because some people gain from it. People without consciences that do whatever they can to make a profit, and the rest of us help them (indirectly) by for instance buying cheap clothes made by child labour, because there really aren't many alternatives and one customer's boycott doesn't really help.

I think you can say a lot of great things about capitalism but I also think the way it rears cynicism and selfishness in the most successful is scary. Is it a system deliberately set up to make humans profit from their egoism. For most only to the extent where they try to be successful in their job, but for the TRULY cruel of us, this global economic system allows for big money. There's a reason sex trafficking, arms trafficking and drug trafficking are the three most profitable industries in the world.

I don't think the world will change for the better before we replace the current economic system with one that doesn't drain our resources, one that doesn't allow one person alone to be able to own half the world's wealth, one that makes it profitable to share and work together. And for that to happen I think we unfortunately need either 1) climate catastrophe on a global scale, since western politicians and countries don't really seem to care if poor people die from flood in Bangladesh, 2) some sort of global regulation that was possible to uphold or 3) a massive revolt from the poor in the world, the ones who make our clothes and electronics for "slave wages" while living in huts made from cardboard. It helps a bit that those countries are slowly getting wealthier aswell, but the wealth is so unevenly divided, so it doesn't really matter.

I don't see either of those things happening in my lifetime. So I do what I can, personally, but the people who truly rule the world - governments and multi-national companies - are the ones with the ability to truly change it, and they won't unless they fear personal loss or consequences for their actions.

[Ripose]

Definitely cynical, yet you raise some valid points.

Have you heard of Zeitgeist and/or The Venus Project?