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Steven N.'s avatar

Great read and I think this points to a drastic issue with our current connected society. I see it in my 29 year old roommate. People are so concerned with what is happening 5000+ miles away they ignore what is happening. 1 mile away. People would rather connect online (yes, pot, kettle, black) then actually talk with their neighbors. You get pithy statements like: "Justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Really?? A murder in the Triangulum Galaxy is a threat to justice in Phoenix?

As a group, we need to start focusing on making ourselves better, then our families and then our communities. We need to work from the inside to the outside.

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Dawn's avatar

These people haven’t read Charles Dickens and it shows. (Remember Mrs Jellby from Bleak House?)

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Notes from the Under Dog L.'s avatar

Even if they don't have time for Dickens, there's Chicken Little.

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David Lean's avatar

From Charles Dicken's Bleak House. The chapter title is "Telescopic Philanthropy" which is Dicken's coinage for the phenomenon.

"... In-deed! Mrs. Jellyby," said Mr. Kenge, standing with his back to the fire and casting his eyes over the dusty hearth-rug as if it were Mrs. Jellyby's biography, "is a lady of very remarkable strength of character who devotes herself entirely to the public. She has devoted herself to an extensive variety of public subjects at various times and is at present (until something else attracts her) devoted to the subject of Africa, with a view to the general cultivation of the coffee berry—AND the natives—and the happy settlement, on the banks of the African rivers, of our superabundant home population. ..."

https://www.thecircumlocutionoffice.com/bleakhouse/charles-dickens-telescopic-philanthropy/

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Steven N.'s avatar

Interesting. I have not read that story of Dickens. Will need to read it to learn the reference.

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Michael Berkowitz's avatar

I confess that I haven't read it either, but I've read about the character. And yes, there's a lot of that going on.

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GR's avatar

I think the saying was "charity starts at home"...

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Michael Berkowitz's avatar

We do need to focus more on the things nearby that we can affect. That doesn't mean, though, that we shouldn't donate to help Ukraine or be politically active. Figuring out what to do and how to do it, how to prioritize and what's likely to be true -- those things are always going to be difficult. So mostly we need to get used to doing difficult things.

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Anthony's avatar

The farther away and more vague the cause, the easier it is to manipulate.

"Social justice" can mean anything at any time, and there is an army ready to take to the streets the moment they are told to.

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Madjack's avatar

I love humanity, it’s people I can’t stand

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Kevin Durant?'s avatar

“we need to start focusing on making ourselves better, then our families and then our communities”

——————————————-

This sounds like……….THE PATRIARCHY!!!!!!

😱😱😱

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Bernd Fouquet's avatar

If it's true I don't care what it sounds like.

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