What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

[tawnyfrog]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

...

and what are we doing about it?

...

[Popeye]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Great thread Paddy,

There is so much wrong in the world.
Arrogant government, having little regard for the views of those they supposedly represent.
The lies we are told.
Unreported genocide that I only hear about by accident, because the country involved has few assets that 'we' can exploit.
The current disregard of the wisdom of our older people and the lessons of history.
Why we put up with what we put up with.
How so few of our politicians stand up for the views they were elected to represent.
The wastefulness of our society.
The difficulty involved in making sure a free-range egg has been laid by a happy chicken.

Too much to say.......

[irishlady]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Just as I was aiming for a day filled with peaceful thoughts, bugger, I read this bloody good thread, and now I can feel the old internal thermometer rising.. URGH.... I agree with everything said, Popeye, yes , there is too much to say, Fan, there are so many people who DO, and we hear nothing of them, but vacuous leaders are spouting rubbish every minute....

What can we do???? Ah, well, can a single person do anything? No, but if people united and refused to budge on a certain issue, then we might see some progress and change.....

Right, I feel all fired up now, God help anyone who upsets me today!!!!!

[Rags]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Fan,
Was it Benjamin Franklin who said that all we need for evil to triumph is for good men to stand and do nothing.
Or words to that effect.

[blondie]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Lucky et al
I concur about animal cruelty, especially the predisposition now about putting "faux" fur on clothes and they turn out to be real. I spend a lot of time in Asia and I wish I could do something about their indifference to dogs (in particular) but any animal! I see a lot of designers are guilty of using dog fur on their products - MARCS, D&G, etc, etc...
please anyone google animals in asia; I can send more specific details but it is all true and worse; the reality is worse in the country...
love to you all for helping
blondie

[Cashregister]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Poverty and the absolutely unnecessary division between the first and third worlds due to the foreign policies dreamt up by the world's so-called "leaders", including the free trade agreements (what a joke), which keep the poor in their place just as brilliantly as colonialism did in the past.

Why is it so difficult for us to help one another instead of looking out for our own interests - globally and locally?

To all the people fighting against this life and societywithout depth, to the NGOs and the Human rights advocaters and the volunteers - keep it up.

To the politicians who are so anxious to maintain the status quo to protect their interests - be careful - life is precious wherever you are and whatever your creed - and people will fight for that life if pushed hard enough.

Cashy

[Popeye]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

I do what I can.....really....but I want to do more
How????

[Cashregister]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Do what you can, and stay aware. watch those politicians, watch what they do and say, protest to your local member, if you want to get involved volunteer. It does not have to have to be a gargantuan effort - it's changing the way we all think as a community that makes things happen. Sooner or later the message gets through that to give is far far better than to receive.

It's also been shown in many studies that volunteering is good for your health - physical and mental.

But really, every little bit counts.

[southernbelle47]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

My greatest concern is for all the people on this earth we call home.
We are so spoiled here in the USA and have been blessed with so much and yet it is not enough.
We wear ourselves out working for "things" and "stuff", never to be satisified..
Our marriages fail and our children grow up to model our lifestyle. We self medicate with food, alcohol, other drugs and possessions.
Hope your not sorry you asked!

:h Nancy

[southernbelle47]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Of course the war is on my mind as my son is a Marine...

[Accountable for Me]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

I would have to say 3 things that really bother me:

Child Exploitation

Animal Cruelty

and.... Immigration (Our laws for immigration in Canada are so lax...)

[kitkatsue]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

In thinking more about it, the means we use to enjoy this forum, ie computers the INTERNET. Which when used wisely is a great tool which I enjoy. BUT is abused!!!!!!!!! Child pornography comes to mind and it makes me sick!!!!!!!!! Not to mention the children and teens that fall pray to the pedophiles on line.
And if there is some way I could volunteer to help stop this I would.

[lorisunshine]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Well, Paddy, a can of worms indeed.
I could write a disertation on all the shortcomings of our species. Along that line I would, sooner or later have to make statements that would be of a political nature, which is a no, no, on an international board. Also I would have to address religious, economic and ethical issues and in the process of doing so step on too many toes, so I won't. Also, I have such a gift to put my foot in my mouth.

The one frightening and ever looming catastropy formost in my mind is the state of our beautiful little planet and what we, collectively have done to it in the persuit of consumption.

Scientists have been warning us of global warming for over 50 years, but nobody listened.

We already possess the technical capability to cut green house gases by an enormous percentage. There is no money in it for the Multi-nationals on a short term. There is no will by politicians to go there, because they are flawed humans like all of us and they want to be elected again. So we do nothing.

I think that each and every one of us can do their bit by exercising our citizen rights in our respective "democracies". Call your representative and beg, demand, scream, yell, tie yourself to a tree, that now is the time to cut emissions. We also must be willing to change our way of life TODAY.
If we don't do something drastic today, we will not have to worry about our accumulated wealth or the lack thereof. We will just go the way of the dinosaurs; but before we share their fate, there will be hundreds of years of death, starvation, forcible migration (not immigration) and misery unimaginable.

I am an optimist and I basically belief that the good outweighs the bad in mankind as a whole. We need to learn to share, because we are our brothers keeper. If we let our brother starve, he will take up arms, because his children are hungry.

As a first step anyone can do today is inform yourself and your children of the present state of affairs of our planet. One cannot fight what one does not understand. Everyone should see Al Gore's remarkable contribution to our education. Let's give this gift to our children today.

Do you all remember the first pictures that were broadcast from the moon, looking back at our magnificent blue planet. I had tears of gratitude in my eyes then and I am in tears now. I love our planet and we are so insignificant, if we look at the greater picture. We do not own our planet; we are just occupants for the time being. We have a responsibility to keep it pristine for all the ones yet to come and perhaps, one day our LandLORD will want it back undamaged.

Sorry to rant on so long, but it weighs heavily on my soul.
Love you all my global neighbors and friends,
Lori.

[Guest]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Hi Paddy and all who've responded here. I agree that we spend too much time watching, listening and generally seeming to be "impressed" by air-brushed airheads who seem to think that they are immune to life's problems just because they have money - not so of course, but by giving these useless idiots our precious attention we seem to distance ourselves from the "real, real" world.

BAD
I visited a neighbour recently and her young son, aged 8 was playing a computer game called "The Simpsons, Hit and Run" - I've not watched this cartoon, but I do know it's very popular with children and adults, also seems to be very topical and often hits out at politicians, etc, which is no bad thing. However, the youngster took great delight in showing me how you could kick people in the game, he seemed to enjoy kicking an old lady in a spotty dress and laughed like mad when she fell onto the pavement and rolled around. I said, "ohh, that's awful, don't do that" to which he replied "aw, it's only a game, no-one gets hurt really" - are we teaching our children that violence is acceptable, just because there's no blood or injuries? Not just acceptable, but amusing, entertaining - I despair:upset: Or am I just an old fuddy duddy? Yes, to both questions, I suspect!

GOOD
Watched a BBC2 programme last night "A Year in Kew" - apologies to the USA contingent, you've probably not heard of it. Anyway, very short item on a botanist at Kew Gardens who went over to Africa to help local farmers try to make better use of natural pesticides. The farmers had discovered that some kind of tree root stopped beetles laying their eggs on the corn seeds (maize, I think) but the farmers were mixing the ground up roots with the seeds which meant they needed a lot of roots, which meant the trees weren't sustainable (sorry, this is rambling on!!) Anyway, Mr Botonist from Kew comes up with the wizard wheeze to mix the ground roots with water and soak the seeds, does several experiments and hey presto - it works! The farmers are still using a natural traditional method, no chemicals are introduced into the earth and the crops are now so successful they have enough to feed their entire villages and a surplus to sell at market. Now then, that botanist will be congratulated by his colleagues, family, friends and anyone like me who watched the programme - but in reality (not a reality game show:H ) he has probably saved the lives of hundreds of men, women and children and allowed them to sustain their own way of life, he has also helped to protect the environment. Each village is passing this method on when they meet at markets, etc., One man's action causing a positive knock-on effect. Just doing his job of course, but a case of doing something worthwhile, don't you agree? And more deserving of recognition then the bimbos and WAGs who seem to dominate our TV screen - yes, I do switch them off as soon as their ghastly faces appear:H

Sorry for ramble, but Paddy, thanks for asking and some great responses so far. Off to play Hit and Run, must be some blonde bimbos to kick - sorry bad taste, only joking!!!

The Terror

[Guest]

What current world event affects/upsets you most and why?

Hi Lori - my post took so long to type you got in first, but I agree with everything you had to say. Maybe there is hope for us, eh?

TT