Spoiled

It boggles the mind to realize how utterly spoiled we are in this country. We (the collective “we,” not necessarily you and me) behave as if the good fortune to which we have become accustomed is our birthright. We assume the ostensibly democratic system under which we operate is the best; and we assume it still exists as envisioned by the framers of the Constitution. We behave as if a bathroom and an HVAC system and tap-water at the ready are unquestionable resources that simply always will  be there. We don’t question the availability of septic or sewer systems, fresh water delivery, a reliable electric grid, vaccinations against horrific diseases, and a thousand other privileges to which we have become accustomed. We are living a delusion, a dream world that’s as spectacular as it is fragile.

I’m delighted to live in this dream world, where bathrooms and air conditioning and heating and fresh water and electricity and medicines are available. But I cringe to think that millions upon millions of other people don’t have it so good. By simple good fortune, I was born in a first world country to a middle class family. If I had been born in a farming village in Syria or a slum in Chicago, the things I take for granted would, indeed, seem like a dream world. I cannot understand why the primary aim of every government worldwide is not, first and foremost, to lift everyone up to at least a basic level at which fresh water and an adequate food supply and basic medical care are readily available. The middle class, as we define it in the U.S.A. is far, far ahead of that base level; resources ought to go first toward achieving a level of humanity that’s too often ignored.

I’m rambling. I do that sometimes. Maybe I’m just trying to get these thoughts out of my head so they won’t trouble me so much.

About John Swinburn

"Love not what you are but what you may become."― Miguel de Cervantes
This entry was posted in Poverty. Bookmark the permalink.

I wish you would tell me what you think about this post...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.