"Have" Guilt, I Sorta Haz It
On this weekend devoted to consumerism and gluttony wrapped in a veneer of family-based sentimentality, I'm trying to look beyond to the consequences. Last night, the PBS World channel showed an episode of Independent Lens called "Objectified", about industrial design and its challenges. One of the important points from that program is the fact that most objects today are made for the 10% in this world who are "Haves" and are often designed in ignorance of the needs of the 90% of the world who are "Have-Nots".
I realize that I definitely am a "Have" and as such am in true ignorance of what it means to be a "Have-Not". But I'm sure that everybody reading this also understands that I don't want to experiment with "Have-Not"-ness just for the sake of understanding my fellow man and empathizing with him.
The Internet itself, and everybody who uses it, is by definition a nation of the "Have". There are NO voices from the "Have-Not" camp anywhere to be found, and chances are they would not be welcome. So the politics of the Internet mean nothing to the rest of the world. But at the same time, the power of the Internet can be used to make many many more people into "Haves" if it is used intelligently. I personally don't think I have the power or the resources to do any good for the "Have-Nots" in this world, but at the same time it shouldn't hurt me to try thinking in their terms every so often.
I realize that I definitely am a "Have" and as such am in true ignorance of what it means to be a "Have-Not". But I'm sure that everybody reading this also understands that I don't want to experiment with "Have-Not"-ness just for the sake of understanding my fellow man and empathizing with him.
The Internet itself, and everybody who uses it, is by definition a nation of the "Have". There are NO voices from the "Have-Not" camp anywhere to be found, and chances are they would not be welcome. So the politics of the Internet mean nothing to the rest of the world. But at the same time, the power of the Internet can be used to make many many more people into "Haves" if it is used intelligently. I personally don't think I have the power or the resources to do any good for the "Have-Nots" in this world, but at the same time it shouldn't hurt me to try thinking in their terms every so often.