Comment Re:Oh god.. (Score 2, Insightful) 659
We. Are. Fucked. The best thing you can do is just get yours -- live your life under the radar, grab a bag of popcorn, and chuckle bitterly at the evening news.
You affect the system that your are observing. The fact that your destructive conviction is shared by so many people is a large part of what is destroying us, both as a nation and as a species. You belief is also easily falsified with a simple look at history. I would suggest, for example, Howard Zinn's "A people's history of the united states", for example. The first few chapters would suffice.
The reality is that we have a very destructive (to others and self) culture and set of values. While it's true that we will likely never eliminate cruelty and greed and other self destructive behaviours, at present we embrace a culture and belief set that seeks to maximize these beliefs. Some people engage in their selfish, harmful behaviour out of a strong conviction and indoctrination into the free-market ideals, or delusional belief that their leader, nation, religion, idealogy... can do no harm. Others follow your path. They see that problems exist, but choose to just give up, and embrace selfishness and short sightedness. Despite all the evidence that their own prosperity depends on empathy, on community, on coexistence with others, They say things like "the best thing you can do is just get yours".
Maybe you're just lazy. Maybe you're just an asshole who gets off one the suffering of others, and assumes everyone else is like you. More than likely though you're a victim of our fucked up media system, which is entirely dominated and controlled by gigantic corporations, who's only purpose is profit, and are therefore motivated to keep you isolated, uninvolved and inactive.
The solution is educate yourself, and get active. Being active and helping your fellow man actually makes you happy. Research has shown it, so you even have a selfish reason to stop being so selfish and lazy. Nearly everything good we have as human beings comes from the hard work and dedication of ordinary chumps like us, who get fed up with inequality, injustice, degradation, waste, corruption, etc. When people stop thinking "man I wish it was ME with my boot on HIS neck", and start thinking "Man, why the fuck should anyone have their boot on anyone's neck?", that's when things get better.
So stop being a victim and start being a part of the solution.