Comment by smaudet | Hacker News Reader

Comment by smaudet | Hacker News Reader

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"what the ones who are fine are doing differently"

* enslaving other peoples - either indirectly through foreign sweatshops or directly by exploiting e.g. a younger generation - see parenting and house price inflation - rents are unaffordable as housing prices inflate and also mandatory because housing is no longer affordable for most, families cannot start when people don't have the financial stability or social backstop to do this. Some of these jack-asses have recently been attempting to forcefully impregnate women to "fix" this, that will go about as well as it sounds. * being older/part of a club - having wealth and connections is something you build over time, and gives you advantages others cannot replicate. You can't just "do something differently" if that requires suddenly coming into wealth and influence.

Maybe you should not feel fine, and maybe you are a (quickly) shrinking has been "majority".

Social data (not online social media but actual census etc) seems to be on my side, not yours.

I can't help but think you're making a lot of not particularly charitable assumptions about people who opt out of online culture in this comment.

To be fair, they aren't talking about those who "opted out of online culture." They're talking about those who "shrug at politics and social fads and war and rumors of war, and are just fine."

I too could be fine with the world if I just ignored everything outside my tiny little bubble. And maybe that's what you're arguing for, the "I've got mine" sentiment? But not everybody can just ignore systemic injustice and not try to cause change, however small.

I think you are probably correctly identifying their argument. I think there's no contradiction between recognizing that there's little you can do about national and international matters, and being concerned for the welfare of those you can actually help, among your friends, neighbors, and community. That's not "I've got mine," but as the prayer puts it, "the wisdom to know the difference."

Most people who worry about “systemic injustice” do nothing to change it. They just enjoy whining online to the benefit of no one.

My feeling is that the people who don’t pay attention to online fads are the people most likely to do good and right wrongs where they can (within their direct community) instead of the people that complain perpetually online about global events they can’t do anything about.

"But not everybody can just ignore systemic injustice and not try to cause change, however small."

Its also that, the majority ignoring what "they cannot change" at least directly, is a part of the problem. The majority really should not be "OK", and also able to say they do not condone the more horrific injustices. The majority can change the supposed systemic issues, they don't.

The OP in this instance (not the article) makes reference later to the "wisdom to know the difference", which is merely another way of saying, they are unwilling to rock the boat because they are too comfy to do otherwise. The argument about personal family etc., while true, is tangential to the point that you should not be "OK" - OFC everyone must put family, friends first, and crucially _once those are stable_ you can affect the most more change more broadly, not sit on your hands and say "I'm fine".

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