Look to the future

The fact that our world is falling apart has become more apparent than ever in recent weeks as headlines choose to favour Tom Cruise's descent into madness over the real issues of the day (i.e: child slavery, nuclear threats, global warming). When we come close to confronting a serious issue, such as poverty in the developing world, we feel a need to gloss it over with celebrity and performance, such as the spectacle that has become Live 8. Why don't people just care? Because the general human population is ignorant at best, and heartless at worst.

I'm not trying to say that Live 8 is a bad idea. If it helps the current situation, that would be utterly wonderful. Unfortunately, once the final act performs their final song, and the lights begin to dim, the majority of the audience will return to their current disassociation with the starving masses in Africa, and the bands will do the same as they sneak back to their respective studios with the hopes of cranking out a new hit single. It's just a tad disconcerting, don't you think?

I'm not trying to moralize and present myself as an angelic and tireless crusader of the oppressed. I could be doing a lot more, and chances are that the same can be said for you. But if we don't, does that mean that we choose not to? If we claim it is a matter of laziness, then why do we find reserves of energy for our passions, but not for this? The likely answer is that we see benefit from helping ourselves, but we don't see the benefit in aiding others. There is great benefit in helping others, but the current crop of humans is not generally accustomed to looking so far ahead. That's why global warming and nuclear warfare will kill us. We don't choose to look that far into the future. We are too busy enjoying our present.