Things for you to really think about.

[Tokioka]

.Higan Bana.

More like 63 billion..... The population of China is 13 billion, I'm sure of it.

Well I've looked it up and the actual world population is 6,477,388,053. So you're definitely wrong and by a very, very long way too. 13 billion in China alone? Riiiiiight. Check out this website if you want proof http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

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That is...so cruel and selfish of you. >.>;; Yes, you might not know them. But what if they were your family? What if you were born like them? Would you still not give a crap about it?

So I was being cruel was I? I thought that's how you'd respond, but I was only conveying my true opinions. Selfish, eh? Well the whole point of what I wrote was to illustrate the fact that the people in the pictures aren't my family. And that the 'if' factor can't really be used to argue your case. Sure, if I was born into a poor family in China, then I'd be sad and stuff but, and this is my point, I wasn't. I was lucky enough to be born into the western world. It's not my fault that so many chinese are living in poverty. It's not my fault that they're starving. They were just unlucky.

Quote:

Let me put it this way: In the cities, everyone is rich. But in the countryside, almost everyone is poor...some of them have never even seen lights and doesn't even know what electricity is. You can at least do something right now, even if you can only make a little difference. Can giving up part of your allowance kill you?

Yeh, it wouldn't kill me, but why? Why me? Because I saw the pictures? I don't think so. At this very moment in time, I just don't care. I've got enough things to worry about, enough things on my plate. Is it a money matter? Hell no! I've got enough money to buy loadsa stuff. But this money isn't for donating. It's going towards uni and my livelihood. The thing is, I don't need to do anything, I'm not obligated. I'll donate in the future, just like my parents do, but right now, I just wanna concentrate on myself.  

[Minielf]

Whoa, I think you're seriously overreacting there Higan. Toki's right. There's only 6.4 billion people on the planet now, not 63 BILLION. Hell, the entire earth would become a wasteland before humanity reaches such a staggering proportion. And no way does China have 13 billion people. In fact, I'm not sure if it's even 1.3 billion. The Chinese government's one-child policy, still in strict force, implemented 25 years ago, has had a massive effect on the country's birthrate. China's population is now growing at a measely 2.1% a year, and overall, the average person in China is becomming steadily wealthier.

But I do agree that there are countless poor people in China, just as the millions upon millions of Africans that are dying every year. (yes, a million children die each year in Africa). It is tragic that the West is incapable of giving out so much as a penny that every single one of us earns to these poor souls. It takes a massive event like the Tsunami to galvanise world charity. But the far greater humanitarian tragedy is overlooked. I can't say how great the poor situation in China is because I haven't read your post fully, but unfortunately for China the lives of the poor there are in the hands of the government.  

[Darkaznstargoddess]

I'll have to agree with Tokioka, Charles and Niph.
Cities rich? Doubt it, take a look, we have homeless people in countries that are 'rich' in the cities. So why help other countries when there are people that need help in your own country too?

Hm.. Are we truly cruel and selfish? Realistic maybe?
There is just so many people we can help and billions more that we can't help at all. We could send money but that money isn't going to buy them a life time out of poverty, they'll have to put some effort into it themselves too. It would be like letting someone mooch off you a lifetime but you have to worry about yourself along with it.
Such as employment and taxes..
<<; It's not like the current American deficient is going down with this stupid war still going on.
 

[Niphredil Ithilmir]

o_0 DASG's pet is an egg.

Anyhow..

@Higan - I really don't think it's a matter of cruelty. Me and my family worked hard to get where we are; I don't see how anything should be detracted from that just because there are people less well off. There will, eventually, be something we can do (remember me, guys, I'm gonna change the world xD), but for now - let's just be realistic.

@Charlie - Partly agree, but a little OTT, non? xP  

[killedvictim10]

I'm truely touched, because that I live in Canada I don't know much about what goes on in China.
I'm Chinese and I just feel like I should know this crying
Thanks for sharing those pictures [.Higan Bana.] I really appreciate it cry  

[Flammable Bait]

If we cure suffering this generation, The next wouldnt know what suffering is. Thus making what we think of as a moderate life to be suffering.

That works the other way round, If there was no good/moderate lifes and only suffering, the suffering we know know would be conisdered as a privalige  

[Tranquil_Waterz]

The biggest problem at hand, I believe, is human apathy. As bystanders of this situation, we tend to overlook these problems and worry about the matters and affairs that pertain only to us and the small community of our comfort zone. Our concerns are primarily defined as limited to our own confined borders of our lives, and in saying so, we, as overseers of our own world, are "near-sighted," so to speak.

Born and raised as an American, I have known our society to be one that is highly democratic, guided by principles of social equality, freedom in many different aspects, and respect for all individuals within the populace, as they are the rights granted and reserved for us by our government. However, at the same time, we tend to take advantage of and exploit these special privileges to our own interests, and the result is that we wallow in our own pleasures and develop a closed mind to what is happening in the outskirts of our own society. Perhaps it is by these values and ideals that one exercises that suggest the self-centeredness of our humanity in general and characterizes us as being immoral and unethical to a certain degree. And the fact that America, being the most economically and technologically advanced nation on the face of the globe, may have something to do with this.

To put it bluntly, humanity, in the overall scheme of things, is inevitably greedy and selfish by nature, especially when many of us have not and will possibly never experience the struggles and hardships that others in overseas nations and third-world countries are currently going through. I speak on behalf of all circumstances of difficulties, whether it'd be ones involving social inequality, human rights, poverty among families, civil war refugees, natural disasters which leave individuals surviving on very few resources, or those living under the dictatorship of a totalitarian regime.

In generations to come, struggles in the face of adversity will continue to endure unceasingly, and so will the extent of human greed and self-indulgence in times of matters so serious as these. I cannot say when this course of life will take on a different path and when things will change for the better, but one thing's for certain: If there is to be any change at all, there must be a revolutionary reform within the country's own system of government. That is, if any kind of radical movement were to take place concerning the society's own form of administration to its citizens. Our own American government is one that is a separate entity by itself, so we cannot call to reform or force them to change their policies or course of action.

However, within our capabilities to make a difference, there exists a small trace of hope for the good, and that would depend upon the foundation of world awareness and the extent that others will take in their willingness to contribute little by little to gradually change the lives of these people. Awareness is the first and foremost step, and the second, most importantly, is the call to action that many have neglected and therefore gone on with their lives without so much as a small gesture of the finger to offer assistance. Without awareness, however, there would be no action. Metaphorically and geologically speaking, awareness is like the base and the support of a mountain upon which layers of sand, pebbles, and dirt - that measure the degree of action taken - pile high during the long and continuous progression of time periods. In saying so, I applaud those who have taken the initiative in an attempt to increase awareness among the general populace in order that action could be taken, whether that would be characterized by minimal or massive amounts. Whether someone chooses to be apathetic or not is apparently out of our control - we cannot govern people's motives. But we've done what we can to spread the word. Let's just hope that others will listen and act upon it.

Thank you, [.Higan Bana.], for presenting to us this article and translating it for us English-speakers. You have shown your concern about this particular issue and have enlightened us about this situation that I myself was oblivious to in the past. I will now do what I can to find out more information and spread the news as well. biggrin

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*Whew* This was a really long post...When it comes to voicing out my opinions and sharing what I feel, I tend to be a real "blabbermouth".. sweatdrop lol  

[BlacksandBlues]

Please... about the first few posts that conflict slightly, please let me tell you a short story here.... (this is a story I have heard, so it's not exact, and I can't tell it very well, so it's a basic summary):

There was a man that was taking a walk one day, thinking about things and relaxing. He soon reached a beach, which was empty. However, he suddenly noticed a girl walking along the shore, occasionally bending down to pick something up and throw it into the sea. As the man got closer, he noticed that the girl was picking up stranded starfish that had been washed up on the shore, and was throwing them back into the sea.

The man watched her for a while as she continued to pick up and throw starfish back into the sea. After a while, he decided to go up to her and speak to her. So he did. "Excuse me, but what are you doing?" he asked her curiously.

"I'm picking up these starfish and throwing them back into the sea." The girl replied, smiling.

"But why?" the man asked, still puzzled.

"Because they will die if they do not go back into the ocean again. Starfish are alive too, like you and I. I want to be able to give these starfish another chance of survival." she replied once again.

"But why bother?" the man asked, surprised, "Think of all the other shores in the world, with all those stranded starfish lying there, dying. How can you, little girl, make a difference?"

The girl did not reply, instead, she bent down again and picked up another starfish. Slowly, she turned to the man, smiling. "Well, it makes a difference to this one." And with that, she threw the starfish back into the sea.

--

When I heard that story, I felt happy, and sad. I don't know why, i just did. It touched me. I can't remember who said this on the first page, but I do agree that what I, as a person do, will barely make a difference to those poor people in China. It's true that I will pity them, then probably move on. But I also agree with the girl that started this post (sorry, I've forgotten your names!). We can all make that tiny bit of difference, even if it's only so small. Because to the person, or group of people, that you aid, you will be making a difference to THEIR lives. I do believe that.

That's just my opinion though. mrgreen I hope you liked the story...  

[yalie5]

hmm... i've never been in here before. took me a very long time to read. i didn't even read all of it. lol. well sad, suppose someone will cry. but not much of a difference will be made. not enough people will care. sucks but that's the way life is. and wow. lots of people in china ne?  

[Tokioka]

*puts on best scrooge voice*

Charity? BAH! HUMBUG!! scream  

[Night Rain55]

Just looking at the pictures made me feel sick. I feel so bad how their lives are, compared to the ones in North America. Many Asian countries suffer the same thing. I just feel bad. I don't like the idea that American celebrities can go off and waste money like water. I wish they wouldn't use the money to buy a nicer car or a kazillion of clothing, instead they should of used that money to aid those people on the streets. Using too much money on yourself just leads to self-corruption. Having some money is good, but too much is terrible. But I'm not sure what difference we can make. In China, there's probably over thousands of people [probably more than millions] who need support. I'm not sure how a single person can make a difference. But if somebody started an association of some sort, then I'm sure that'd make a slight difference. If there were many associations of that sort, then a big difference will take place.  

[yalie5]

Night Rain55

Just looking at the pictures made me feel sick. I feel so bad how their lives are, compared to the ones in North America. Many Asian countries suffer the same thing. I just feel bad. I don't like the idea that American celebrities can go off and waste money like water. I wish they wouldn't use the money to buy a nicer car or a kazillion of clothing, instead they should of used that money to aid those people on the streets. Using too much money on yourself just leads to self-corruption. Having some money is good, but too much is terrible. But I'm not sure what difference we can make. In China, there's probably over thousands of people [probably more than millions] who need support. I'm not sure how a single person can make a difference. But if somebody started an association of some sort, then I'm sure that'd make a slight difference. If there were many associations of that sort, then a big difference will take place.

um... they do aid the needy. what i really hate are scammers who uses pathos to wring money out of suckers. saying it'll benefit the poor.  

[Cat-Whiskers]

By believing you cannot make a difference, you have 0% chance of making a difference.

By believing you can make a difference, you have a 0.00000000000000000001% chance of making a difference. (may be innaccurate, but you get the idea)

Seriously though? I'd rather take that near impossible chance than to not take a chance at all. Better die trying than to die doing nothing. stare  

[Niphredil Ithilmir]

I'm not suggesting we shouldn't try; I'm suggesting that.. well, of course you can go there personally and help on the small scale, but there must be something we can do on the larger scale to help everyone - it's like the starfish story, but different, because the starfish are left there by unchangeable nature but the problems these people face are created by other people, and they are not unchangeable.