2-12-89 Sunday. I had to laugh at what I saw and heard on television yesterday. There was an appeal for money to help famine-stricken individuals throughout the world. The spokesperson did not claim that it was our duty to give money; nor did she cite the bad consequences if we (individually or collectively) do not. Instead, she talked about how good it will make us feel if we give money to the relief effort. There were even vignettes of other ordinary people, each explaining in the most poignant terms how giving money had soothed their consciences, made them able to sleep at night, and given them an emotional glow. Example: “I feel so good now that I’ve contributed to the relief effort.” Isn’t this ridiculous? It’s as if the only effective relief campaign is based on feeling good. If you do X, you’ll feel good; you want to feel good; so do X. The irony is that Americans are persuaded by such arguments. They wouldn’t even listen if the spokesperson claimed that we have a duty to render assistance; nor would they be moved to give money by a recitation of the pain, suffering, and death that others experience daily. Feeling good. That’s the touchstone. That’s what moves people. That’s what counts. I hate to be cynical about such a tragic situation, but there it is: an indictment of contemporary American society.
Twenty Years Ago
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