What's wrong with the world? How do we change

What do you think's wrong with the world, and how do you think we can change it?

..and dont say by nuking the planet...

It goes without saying that the media takes on a major role in the problems of the world today. If you've ver sat through the six o' clock news, you know what I'm talking about. It's all violence and shit.
I like my action and my horror movies, but there's a certain extent to which things cannot be passed. One of my biggest problems is with rap. I loath rap simply for the things it says. Every CD is just people saying "I'm gonna kill ya.... WATCH OUT!" The old stuff, from Tupac, I love, but all of this new stuff is just horrible and I don't see the attraction that so many people seem to have to it.
I also think that controversy over certain subjects has become excessive. We fight and we fight in an attempt to overrule something that the president says. In the end, nothing is ever gonna happen. Yesterday, I was in the car with my brother and we were listening to a news station and the leader of one of the protest groups against the verdict of the Teri Shiavo case said, "If she dies, there's gonna be hell to pay!"
Well what the fuck does that mean? If she dies, it's over. If the president was wrong in making this decision, it'll go down in history as another presidential fuck up.
There's just too much seperation in the world. We've got rappers who shoot people, rockers who stab people and jump off of things as the biggest one for teenagers. For adults, I think it's just the simple fact that most of them can't accept the truth for what it is, and they'll fight to the point of blood or death to try and change something that can't be changed.

The media contributes, but that isnt the source. Our president influences..but it isnt the source. The reason people cant change anything is because they fight for the wrong reasons. For themselves.

Which yes, is lack of truth. But people are not naturally trusting and open. You have to persuade or force reason on them. Which again, is wrong.

Our influences are our problem, i think. We always choose the wrong shit to follow or believe.

Whats wrong with the world is not media, the president or anything big for that matter. It comes down to us individuals, we're selfish, greedy people who do not know how to care for anyone except ourselves. We don't know how to handle life or the world. Even though we have evolved into such superior beings, our minds and hearts didn't. We still have the natural instinct in us to care for ourselves. We can't change this world. The world won't change until we change. The question is "will we change?"

Unless there is some dramatic change in man's genetic makeup, the answer is no.

Genetic make up, once again..has nothing to do with it.

We have to make a concious decision to change. We have evolved, but certain things limit what we know, should and can be.

If a man loves his family, and fights to protect it, its because of instincts. Instincts caused by genes.

If a man doesn't give a shit about other people, its because he has no instinct making him care.

Let's say, for example, that there is no law and no president or anything of that matter. Most people think that there would be chaos and they see that concept as rediculous. These are also the people who refuse to admit that there already is chaos in the world.
I think that the basic instinct for self-help is an asset to the problem, but so are larger figures. Sunitha, you said that the media and all of those things have nothing to do with the problem, well they do, because these larger positions in society are occupied by normal human beings. As it is, these humans already have that basic instinct of selfishness, as we all do. Now they have power, so the selfishness grows stronger.

That's a very good point Cujo0424. "Now they have power, so the selfishness grows stronger." When these selfish human beings are given power in one form or another it leads to corruption. This is exactly what is happening in 3rd world countries. These countries are corrupted partly because of the ineffective law enforcement that is comprised of selfish, greedy officers who will use their power to further their self interests. And it all comes down to the individuals who form these larger institutions.

Well, although I will not defend the state, I will say one thing: those peoples without a state to defend them are dead.

I think anothe major problem is that there aren't any more people who have the balls to say, "Fuck that, I've got my own opinion." Everybody draws themselves to one group or another. We've got an astronomical population, most of which can be politically divided into republican or democratic. There should be some sort of "I don't give a shit" political position. I think that for most people who divide themselves into these catagories have to deal with the fact that this party has some things that they like, and some things that they hate; though, they have more respectable qualities than the other party, so we stick with this one. I think that republican and democratic parties should remain, but people should be able to diverse from the two options, and form parties of their own. Sure, we can keep the same policy of only three candidates, but more options.
Concerning the dictatorship in other countries, I think it's comforting to know that someday, somebody's gonna start up a shit storm that's gonna sweep up that whole policy. It may be a future president of ours, it may be an average man or woman, but someday, it'll be over with.
When taking a course for my CPR certification, they taught us that when somebody is in need of resusitation, you need to POINT at somebody and tell them to call the police, because if you don't, everybody will think that somebody else is calling the police and they don't have to. This is going on in the world today. We think that somebody else will do something about these issues, so we don't bother. What we need to realize is that every contribution to any cause you choose could have an outstanding effect.

Well, seen as how we can and have identified a problem..then it is possible we can act on it. Attempt to correct a wrong. Instincts exist..but we decided whether or not to act on them. Instincts are the basic fuel for response. but since we can see past instinct, we're more capable to more things.

Cujo, i completely agree. But its not a shit storm we want. We cant just run up in there with a goal for controversy. but a goal for bettering it. Which will be, a controversy.

Controversy is inexcapable. Controversy will be started as soon as word were to get out that somebody were doing something to change the world.
Now, when I said earlier that we need people to make attempts to change the world, I think I should clarify things to pull away from the thoughts of a vigilante. I saw the movie "Falling Down" and that kind of person freaks me out. Somebody who's so desperate to change the world that they resort to violence.
It disgusts me that there's even controversy over violence. Violence should simply be avoided, there shouldn't be a debate as to whether or not it's necessary - just get it to stop as soon as possible.
The biggest problem, though, as I mentioned earlier, is when people get drunk with power and start to do stupid shit, that's when bad stuff happens. Like those teachers who find so much pride and obtain arrogance by knowing that they're a high authority figure to people who are barely even a quarter of their own age.

So true.

We need more compassionate influential figures. Better role models. People who arent so consumed by their own agenda.
Thats whats so terrible, some people work so hard to reach a place or position in the world...that by the time their done, its like they were conditioned to become the same people who drove them to change the world. Its sick. You cant ever go out with plans of taking on the world. Because that will debase your character and what you believe in. You have to stay grounded on your beliefs and take it small peices at a time. Otherwise you'll get overwhelmed with information and drive that will only bring you down. Its good to remember what made you want to change things. In a way, we're lucky to be under the thumb of a higher power. Its gives the perspective they dont have, to see their faults. If we dont keep viewing things as a life threat to us, then we loose true interpretation. So i tell anyone attempting to change the world to keep what keeps them going, and when they reach a point of control, not to abuse it. Never stop viewing issues as life or death, even when you reach a comfortable state.

I agree that we NEED influential figures, as well as figures of authority. You're also right about not becoming them. But I think that what we may not realize is that the person who inspired us to be whatever it is we've become at the point in life we're discussing, was one of those people who let power go to their head. We try to emulate the characteristics and certain other traits from these people because we see them as a master of the art. Therefore, we don't realize what we've become. It's like a when a little kid goes to school and starts making sexist and racist comments. They heard those comments from their parents. In a child's eyes, his or her parents are masters of the most important and significant art, the art of life. If these people got so far in life by referring to women or men negatively, or insulting somebody because of race, then the kid will surely turn out just as fine as they did if he acts as they do.
And also, since we all do it, let's not deny that we SOMETIMES try to act more experienced in a certain subject than we really are. When we do this, we use information we heard from somebody or something else. If I wanted to act like I knew more about literature than I really did, I would perhaps repeat something I heard a critic say to make me sound more experienced (which I actually did once). But when I did it, I didn't really understand what it was I was repeating. I didn't realize until later that I could have said something horrible and not have noticed it.
I think maybe if these dictators try to run a country like their masters did when they were apprentices, they may fuck everything up.
Oh, and by the way, I read some of the comments you made on other philosophy threads, Ekimup. If you get time, I'd like you to check out the thread I just made. The one called "Would you tell?"