Redemptive suffering
16th October 2005
A curiousity struck me today as I read the Sunday papers: famous folk were splashing their loud, vulgar millions on a prestigious 99-year leasehold condominium project, a project located beautifully in the midst of other steel and concrete towers, as well as within viewing distance of a mildly odour-giving body of water.
A condominium tower that hasn't even been constructed yet.
A few pages away, families in Pakistan were suffering from ever and ever increasingly absymal poverty,death and deprivation as a result of natural disaster.
Has the world descended to such a level that human beings would rather splurge vast sums on temporary yet-to-be-constructed, unessential living quarters than give a miniscule fraction of that financial outlay to alleviate the sufferings of thousands who collectively possess a slightly larger fraction of their assets, and now have even less than that?
I for one am willing to bet the entirety of my comparatively palty assets that an overwhelmingly large proportion of these 'people' have not spent a cent or a minute on helping these striken folk.
If I were in their position to be able to afford(and those who are taking out bank loans to buy can't) these ridiculously pricey condos, I would sooner spare a thought and a dollar on the suffering thousands than ostentatiously fling my money at something that is glamorous at best, and a travesty at worst.
Yet such people take greed and hedonism to new heights of abandon.
So don't blame me if I'd rather spend the day with a lifeless laptop than with an intelligent, wealthy, but ultimately hopelessly flawed and foolish human being.
Don't get me wrong. I'm one member of the human race, but less foolish by far.
To the people who I've gotten to know and lost touch with:
Lyrics from 'When All is Said and Done' by ABBA
Here's to us one more toast and then we'll pay the bill
Deep inside both of us can feel the autumn chill
Birds of passage, you and me
We fly instinctively
When the summer's over and the dark clouds hide the sun
Neither you nor I'm to blame when all is said and done
It's so strange when you're down and lying on the floor
How you rise, shake your head, get up and ask for more
Clear-headed and open-eyed With nothing left untried
Standing calmly at the crossroads, no desire to run
There's no hurry any more when all is said and done
A curiousity struck me today as I read the Sunday papers: famous folk were splashing their loud, vulgar millions on a prestigious 99-year leasehold condominium project, a project located beautifully in the midst of other steel and concrete towers, as well as within viewing distance of a mildly odour-giving body of water.
A condominium tower that hasn't even been constructed yet.
A few pages away, families in Pakistan were suffering from ever and ever increasingly absymal poverty,death and deprivation as a result of natural disaster.
Has the world descended to such a level that human beings would rather splurge vast sums on temporary yet-to-be-constructed, unessential living quarters than give a miniscule fraction of that financial outlay to alleviate the sufferings of thousands who collectively possess a slightly larger fraction of their assets, and now have even less than that?
I for one am willing to bet the entirety of my comparatively palty assets that an overwhelmingly large proportion of these 'people' have not spent a cent or a minute on helping these striken folk.
If I were in their position to be able to afford(and those who are taking out bank loans to buy can't) these ridiculously pricey condos, I would sooner spare a thought and a dollar on the suffering thousands than ostentatiously fling my money at something that is glamorous at best, and a travesty at worst.
Yet such people take greed and hedonism to new heights of abandon.
So don't blame me if I'd rather spend the day with a lifeless laptop than with an intelligent, wealthy, but ultimately hopelessly flawed and foolish human being.
Don't get me wrong. I'm one member of the human race, but less foolish by far.
To the people who I've gotten to know and lost touch with:
Lyrics from 'When All is Said and Done' by ABBA
Here's to us one more toast and then we'll pay the bill
Deep inside both of us can feel the autumn chill
Birds of passage, you and me
We fly instinctively
When the summer's over and the dark clouds hide the sun
Neither you nor I'm to blame when all is said and done
It's so strange when you're down and lying on the floor
How you rise, shake your head, get up and ask for more
Clear-headed and open-eyed With nothing left untried
Standing calmly at the crossroads, no desire to run
There's no hurry any more when all is said and done
posted by DP at
2:24 AM
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