Blood Diamond (30/06/2008 01:24)

As a nation, the British see themselves as above most other nations; as a western civilisation we all live comfortably in our central heated housing, in front of our computers that we brought after making a living, sending our children to school and really not giving a damn about others. ive been privatly educated and intend to go to study at a good university intending at the end to earn a good living and settle down with a wife and some children.

But in the grand scheme of things does this really matter? we are naieve to others struggles and as we attempt at being the best nation out of the wealthy west what does the individual strugle really achieve? In the world what does our own personal problems really matter. okay so we can't affoard that next pint of beer, or we can't affoard to live in a huge, posh house or can't afford that bit of cheese that looks so good. but what do these problems really matter in comaprison to those in africa, those whose lives have been lost attempting to give us those primark clothes, or that gorgeous diamond that we see walking down the city street. We take so much for granted, flushing the toilet, ridding our lives of our waste watching well-made movies and complaining when there is homosexuality on the television. To ensure we live like we do look at the struggle our grandfathers made in the world wars, look at what our government percieves as a real threat to us; the amount of children boycotting school.

but what about those who do not have access to a school in a different country; what about those whose family they will never see again because they have been seperated due to the war we have imposed on them? in our democratic sociery will our single vote, our little 10p in the charity box at the petrol station really make a difference? of couse it won't. the only way we will make a difference is if we collectivly strive to help others. there is no need for poverty or for war, for violence or hatred. sure he did something you don't like or apprechiate, but why hate him for it? it's not worth your while. why have nuclear weapons? if we all got rid of them there would be no need, and our intentions although may appear to be good at first glace to stay on top of the world and 'police' it, do we really need all we have? do we need people sitting on huge sums of money? don't get me wrong, capatilism is fantastic and it works to an extent. But take a look at what it's done to us, we're greedy, we're agressive and we're lazy.

The British government needs only to give out 1% of its GNP, along with most other western countries and give it to africa, those 'havenots' however we have said we are unable to do this until 2012. how many more lives need to be lost, how many more times must we see death on our news screens and in our newspapers until we finally decide that we as individuals and as a collective are not doing enough. Once i start getting a wage and am able to make an influence in this world, although uit may only be a tiny spec, i will do my part to help those in need. those on our streets in england are there because they put themselves there; drugs, crime and all that jazz. but those suffering in Africa are doing so because of us. because we wished to impose our rule on them a hunfred years ago. well, its time to stop it. and the only way his is going to happen is if you help me, and you help your friends and family understand the need and the strugle and the simplicity and lack of actual effort it will take for us to make a difference. don't sit and watch it on tv and continue eating your food, think about the monstrosities that are being committed, and remember how it was our ancestors who put them int hat position. it's time for us to reverse their undoing, and help them become something worthwhile, instead of just 'black africans who are fighting a civil war'. it's our fault.