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Spoken like a true resident of the First World. When progress is so ubiquitous in your environment that it becomes invisible, it's easy to forget that people d
by pcstl 7y ago
Spoken like a true resident of the First World.
When progress is so ubiquitous in your environment that it becomes invisible, it's easy to forget that people die of easily treatable diseases in places that don't have so much "technological progress", that people still starve because of a lack of "economic growth", and so on and so forth.
- JoeAltmaier 7y agoActually not so much any more. So-called third world countries have moved decisively in the first-world direction for a century. Of course there's still rationed health care and narrow food choices. But easily-treatable diseases? Starvation? More rare by the year.
- pcstl 7y agoAnd that's exactly my point. We are making actual progress, we are changing people's lives for the better, but if you live in the first world, you won't feel that, as most of the Big Issues of human life have already been solved. The first world is currently struggling with Big Issues that are a level above that, such as global warming, which the average person doesn't feel impact their life so directly. That is why technological progress and economic growth matter.
- oldsklgdfth 7y agoI would argue that the struggles you mention, i.e. starvation and disease, are more prevalent as a result of industrial development. Large scale starvation is a result of centralized farming and disease stem for population density. Small scale tribes don't face these issues chronically, they either overcome them or they don't. I would also argue that specifically global warming is a direct consequence of technological progress and the industrialization of society. Human pollution would not be a problem is it weren't for materialism. Technology provides comfort, as some expense. Either reliance on a central supply for food, water, electricity. Or in the form of pollution and exploitation of other humans. In your opinion what is the ultimate value of colonizing mars for example? edit: I am also from a "developing" country where the struggle is clearly visible.
- pcstl 7y agoAlso, please do not condescend to me by saying stuff like "so-called third world countries". I live in a third world country and I will call third world countries what they are. People suffer here under corrupt kleptocrats every day, and I will not have people try to deny that suffering by saying stuff like "so called third world countries", implying that the "third world" is actually doing great or something.
- JoeAltmaier 7y agoNo idea I was pushing your buttons. Sorry. Actually I don't see where you did use that term?
- pcstl 7y agoI didn't. Guess I assumed I had used it based on your response. Sorry for overreacting.