Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Progress

It really burns me to see people pushing their beliefs and lifestyle on others especially when what they are selling is a load of horse shit. I feel it's particularly irresponsible to convince those in under-developed countries that our way of life is the ideal. Just look at how well we've exported our plastic garbage, manufactured entertainment, and selfish profit motive overseas. In doing so, we've messed with their perception of happiness and created in them a burning desire for materialism and consumerism. And they have no idea of all the dysfunction that emanates. This is not to say that we should not be grateful for the rights, freedoms and opportunities we have. We are fortunate in so many ways. But there's also a dark side to wealth. And we hide it so well -- the waste, the debt, the exploitation, the meds, the destruction.

When I hear others singing the praises of 'progress', I want so badly to cast a spotlight on the other side. A balanced viewpoint would curb people's enthusiasm for our destructive lifestyle. Perhaps it's just human nature to want what you don't have. I just feel like they are impressionable and that we are corrupting their spirit. Instead, we are the ones that need to take a page out of their lifestyle and learn from their simplicity, connection to nature and altruism.

This isn't a particularly uplifting post tonight, but I needed to get this out of my head before I go ape shit on my French prof again. Progress is not building a 900km highway in Africa, it's feeding and educating the planet.

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