Human Obligation

I have heard this phrase used constantly recently and it really bothers me. The only obligation a human/animal has is to him/herself. By that I am certainly not suggesting that charity is bad. In fact, I see charity as the best means to prevent the guilt people often feel by not helping those "in need" - the guilt which quite probably is created through social indoctrination. For those who have not addressed the nature of selfishness and still consider it to have bad connotations - everything you do is ultimately selfish and you will work that out by asking yourself the right questions...

e.g.

I want to help the casualties of the Japan earthquake.

why?

Because they are suffering.

Why does that bother you?

It makes me feel bad.

Why? (the final why here is simply to provoke thought, not to address the current topic)

Result - your giving to prevent yourself from feeling bad or to make yourself feel good. Undoubtedly selfish reasons. So still think being selfish is bad? You can't get away from it - everything rationally boils down to selfishness. So are you, whoever you maybe, here to serve me? Are you my slave and in turn am I yours? The religious lobby may answer yes, the rest of the sensible people would probably say no. Now you may think the use of the word "slave" in my analogy there to be over the top, but lets consider the conflict in Libya.

Mr Gaddafi does very bad things to people in his country so we are told (that was not sarcasm - purely noting that it is what your are told and not what you know first hand). You may or may not disagree with his actions. Regardless, the money you have taken from you in taxes is used to fund military action to "help" those who disagree with his regime and prevent him from oppressing his people. A note on taxes - remember you are forced to pay them, your only other option is to go to jail. So your forced to work for others - now that’s actually not far away from slavery, by definition. So why do we feel bad that bad things happen in Libya, really and honestly? Is it because you are socially conditioned to believe we have a responsibility to each other? Is the realisation that bad things happen too harder concept to deal with. Maybe it's because you would like to believe that if you were in that position that people would offer you help. A nice thought but if you live in the developed world - it won't happen and you know it. Thus it is irrational.

We, the western world are much much more civilised than a lot of Arab countries. Oooo controversial, true but also fact. Our treatment of woman, animals and each other impinges significantly less on our individual "god given" rights than it would if we were citizens of those countries. However, the arrogance of western leaders (which we blindly follow) allows them to police the world and tell people how they should live. What is best for them may well be something closer to "our" way but by forcing it on them is terrorism.

Once again, lets go kill some people for the greater good!

Nobody is obligated to do anything for anyone but themselves. I may or may not give to charitable causes to help people if it gives me some form of gratification but I will not pretend to feel things I do not because socially I am told to. If I don't feel them, does that make me a "bad person"? Well in the eyes of the socially conditioned, yes. Within my obligation to myself, I like to help and maintain happiness with my family, my girlfriend and her family and my friends...why? because it makes me feel good. My charitable contributions serve me in a similar but less saticfying way.

Edit: ...and by the way, if you really really are affected by the Colonel, go join the rebels - otherwise it really can't bother you that much.