The Invisible Children...

'Doing something about it' and 'informing the people' is not enough. The minds of those who started and perpetuate the problem MUST be changed, or destroyed. Take a look at WWII...the NAZI (National Socialist) party came into power, was usurped and warped by Hitler and his 'handlers', (yes, he too was tool) and the only way to change the NAZI mindset was to blow its head off. And the problem with them was solved, at least temporarily. If the minds of those who perpetuate 'evil', and by evil I mean selfish behavior at the expense of other's well being, then the problem will disappear.

But you see, these people (Uganda, Sudan, etc...) are disinterested in the rights of others, they only want profit. Take away their potential for profit in any circumstance, and they will leave the circumstance alone. So yeah, diamonds, oil, gold; if these things had no value to ignorant or ambivalent people halfway across the world, then no-one would suffer for it. I see gold and diamonds as worthless myself...Sure gold is a great conductor of electricity and diamonds make great cutting tools, but to hang them from your neck or wear them on your fingers as if that very act makes you something other than a contributer to the suffering of others is just ignorant, ambivalent and quite frankly, evil. Sadly, if you drive a car you are also a perpetuater of evil, as I am. We are all of us trapped on this prison ball called Earth. And we have allowed the greedy maniacs to guide us by the nose since the down of 'history'. Only true, global, human maturity will save us. And that will not happen as long as people remain ignorant and ambivalent of the suffering of others.

So for that reason movies like these can be useful, but yeah, ultimately they amount to futile hand-wringing and chest-beating by the very people that help perpetuate the tragedy. We are, all of us, guilty. :evil:
 
Great thought there Avram.

Actually brought a question up for me.

Isn't there some percentage of diamonds
that come from Antwerp, and not Africa?

Or is it that Antwerp is famous for the trade
of diamonds and not the harvesting?
 
Trade, I think....though I'm a Jew, I am out of the loop on that one.... :wink:
 
I don't think the films are the 'wrong' way to go about fixing things. They spread awareness, the most important part. If people don't know about it, nothing will be changed.

I suggest you all check out IC, then get back with opinions about it after you've seen it.
 
Thomas said:
I don't think the films are the 'wrong' way to go about fixing things. They spread awareness, the most important part. If people don't know about it, nothing will be changed.

I suggest you all check out IC, then get back with opinions about it after you've seen it.
Click to expand...

That's just it, I'm already aware of what's
going on over there.
 
TylerDurdenPSSC said:
Thomas said:
I don't think the films are the 'wrong' way to go about fixing things. They spread awareness, the most important part. If people don't know about it, nothing will be changed.

I suggest you all check out IC, then get back with opinions about it after you've seen it.
Click to expand...

That's just it, I'm already aware of what's
going on over there.
Click to expand...
Understandable, but before you categorize the film, check it out. Brush up on the situation and get personally invested. All the money through IC goes to building schools in Uganda and to sending people over there to experience what life is like and create change in their communities. Even if you don't like the DVD, it's a good cause and your money is doing something. Fighting through education is much more effective than people think.
 
Well, regardless as to whether or
not I want to see the film, I'm pretty
sure I'll be seeing it anyway.

I hear a full-length feature film is in
the works for the end of the first
quarter for '09.
 
I've seen 2 different films by them. I'm guessing your girlfriend wants you to see it?
 
Thomas said:
I've seen 2 different films by them. I'm guessing your girlfriend wants you to see it?
Click to expand...

No, not so much, she knows how much
I know on the subject after the discussion
that we had... I just see us going to the
movie together, seeing as it's apparently
going to have more content.

I don't even know how she stood the thing.
She hates the news, hates history, not to
much of a fan of learning or researching the
things I find interesting.

Regardless, I'm sure I'll see it, I'm a bit nosy
when it comes to movies, I like to see what
the fuss is about.
 
It occurs to me, that this isn`t a Borat-movie.

I can only speak for myself, so when I see that kind of movies, I feel bad for about 1 week, and then the next disaster arrives in form of earthquake, kolera, ebola, war, flood, the annual plague or similar, and I`ve forgotten all about it.

...actuall, if it were a Borat-movie, I`d probably remember it for a long time.
 
Thomas said:
TylerDurdenPSSC said:
Thomas said:
I don't think the films are the 'wrong' way to go about fixing
things. They spread awareness, the most important part. If
people don't know about it, nothing will be changed.

I suggest you all check out IC, then get back with opinions
about it after you've seen it.
Click to expand...


That's just it, I'm already aware of what's going on over there.
Click to expand...


Understandable, but before you categorize the film, check it
out. Brush up on the situation and get personally invested. All
the money through IC goes to building schools in Uganda and
to sending people over there to experience what life is like and
create change in their communities. Even if you don't like the
DVD, it's a good cause and your money is doing something.

Fighting through education is much more effective than people
think.
Click to expand...




Yes, channels for education and the act of educating is a big
part of the solution, and [to repeat myself] the education that
works is not about raising awareness to get "good people" to
"do the good thing". What really works is raising all ordinary
people's awareness that they are no longer insulated from all
these problems, and that their own material comfort and well
being are at IMMINENT risk, not abstractly at risk 'someday'.

People will act in their own self interest, and even then only if
the risk is acute [otherwise denial and procrastination rule]. I
am quite aware that I implied above that "good people" and
"ordinary people" are not interchangeable descriptions. Not to
deny some overlap, but numbers-wise, the overlap is way too
small to move the mountain. Faith never moved a mountain
like a coal mining company can. "Ordinary" people do what
ever seems to support [or improve] their comfort level, and
will only act if that is acutely threatened.


 
Yep yep...its the 'Pleasure-Pain-Principle'. Most organisms will continue to do something as long as it pleasurable. As soon as it becomes painful, they will stop. Or, they will do a thing until the pain of doing it out-weighs the pleasure; at which point they usually stop.

Like rough sex. As soon as I get slapped in the face, I call it quits... :lol:

But seriously, Golem's right. Self interest is a much better motivator than calling on 'good' people to do the 'right' thing. Most people feel they have their own problems to worry about and can hardly spend their precious time and money on hut people living halfway across the world....especially if they don't see how it affects them directly...
 
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