Colloquial Rants and Reasoning: End Civilization as we know it Part 5

Charity and Welfare/Love and War

Charity and Welfare

I think civilization as we know it should end because it has created the need for charity and welfare. No offence to anyone who gives their time to helping their fellow humans, you are the kindest, most beautiful people in the world, but charity rarely gets to the root of why these people needed charity to begin with. It is usually simply an attempt to help people re-adjust to civilization, to get em over the hump, back on their feet so they can continue participating in a system that failed them before.

“True generosity consists precisely in fighting to destroy the causes which nourish false charity. False charity constrains the fearful and subdued, the "rejects of life," to extend their trembling hands. True generosity lies in striving so that these hands--whether of individuals or entire peoples--need be extended less and less in supplication, so that more and more they become human hands which work and, working, transform the world.”~Paulo Freire

If your charity is not addressing the root causes of what it is meant to alleviate, is it real charity? When you look at the big picture, charity as we know it is like slapping band-aids on a severed head.

In addition to creating the need for charity, civilization is poorly equipped to deal with it. It requires people and so much of our time is dominated by the pursuit of money, household chores and child rearing that when we have a little free time, we want to relax and get some enjoyment out of life. How many times have you thought to yourself, “I would like to help those starving children” or “I’d like to volunteer at the animal shelter, but do I have time, can I afford it?” There are people who earn a living working for charitable organizations, but for the most part there is no money in altruistic endeavors. This isn’t to say people don’t want to help each other, they just really feel they don’t have the time to do it or they can’t afford to do it. Most of us really want to care for and love one another, but civilization gets in the way.

Love

I think civilization as we know it should end so people can stop thinking they must settle for loveless or even toxic relationships to survive. We all see it. People stay together all the time because they’re afraid they can’t make it on their own. Humanity is denying itself love in support of a system. Hmm, (tears up, shakes head). Seriously?! (Composes self). It doesn’t have to be this way. Additionally, I think it should end to spare people from suspecting their lover or spouse is in it for the money. Again, as far as anyone REALLY knows this is the only life we will ever know. Do you not want true love in your life? Would it not be great to eliminate the possibility of our children from ever having to deal with either side of this situation? Civilization fosters dishonesty; it’s rife with it.

War

We are all too familiar with the dishonesty in the world. It brandishes its ugly head through every imaginable facet of civilized life. We’re told as children to be honest, but many prominent members of the society at large are thieving, backstabbing scoundrels. To me, nowhere is this dishonesty more deplorable than when leaders misinform their people to garner support for war. I think civilization as we know it should end because it wages unjust and unnecessary war. We’ve all heard the political spin “If you don’t support the war, you don’t support the troops” or “They’re fighting to protect our freedom” or “our interests”. I do not doubt many men and women joined the military to protect our freedom, but once they are in, they have no choice in the matters of who to invade. Upon their joining they forfeit the right to decide whether or not the conflict they’re in is just or necessary. I should make clear that I have never fought in a war, but I imagine it would be a lot less grueling if I actually knew and believed in what I was actually fighting and possibly dying for. I'm not saying we shouldn't support our troops to defend the people, but I have a hard time believing that any American conflict in recent history has done anything to keep us free. Regardless of what leaders say to gain the public’s support, they've all been about power and resources. If anything they've made us less free, made us more enemies and robbed us of our loved ones. Also, war is not the sporting event some seem to think it is; real people suffer and die, people who might otherwise be friends were it not for being born in the wrong place, at the wrong time, under the wrong leader or if your leader hadn’t convinced you they were enemies.

War puts our troops in harm’s way. It disfigures and dismembers them. It causes post traumatic stress often ensuing in drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and an ever increasing suicide rate. They’re often forced to murder innocent people (AKA collateral damage) many of which are children. War kills our men and women! There should be NO doubt of a wars importance BEFORE war is declared! And all the people should have an informed and significant say in the decision. After all it’s everyone’s loved ones who are being shipped off to fight and possibly die! The way I see it, supporting a war (especially an unjust or unnecessary war) is a show of flagrant nonsupport for the troops!

Works Cited

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Kawagley, Oscar. "A Yupiaq Worldview: A Pathway to Ecology and Spirit [Paperback]." Amazon.com: A Yupiaq Worldview: A Pathway to Ecology and Spirit (9781577663843): Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley: Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2012. <http://www.amazon.com/Yupiaq-Worldview-Pathway-Ecology-Spirit/dp/1577663845>.

"The Original Affluent Society--Marshall Sahlins." The Original Affluent Society--Marshall Sahlins. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2012. <http://www.primitivism.com/original-affluent.htm>.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization