The Hypocrisy of Self-Gratitude

I've let this slide for a while, but it's time to speak up. Since the most recent earthquake in New Zealand it's become impossible to ignore the disgusting hypocrisy of people in this country and the modernized Western nations in general.

When a major earthquake struck Haiti a year or so ago, there was a huge reaction and outpouring of support to 'help'. Every worthless celebrity and average 'slacktavist' couldn't shut up about how important it was to donate money to help Haiti. Money, it's always about money. The reality is, Haiti was a shit hole long before a natural disaster came along, and it will continue to be a shit hole into the distant future. No amount of money is going to change that. Whether it was caused by some pathetic form of white guilt or just some selfish need to feel better about oneself by sending $20 off into the ether just to say, 'I helped'.

Now, two major earthquakes, larger in magnitude than what struck Haiti, occur in the area of Christchurch in the last six months. Where is response from the people of this fucked up country?? It doesn't seem to have the same value to help a small, modernized country as it does a cess pool, third world 'nation'. People in New Zealand are effectively being punished for being industrious, hard working, and actually maintaining building standards that ensure everyone's house doesn't fall over in the first stiff wind to come along. Sorry New Zealand, you don't have your hands out to the rest of the world everytime there's trouble so no one cares about helping you. Where are all the Facebook pages and P Diddy on TV begging everyone to help? No where.

I could write a book about this, but I won't. I simply have faith in what I've seen on my visits to NZ, one of the most beautiful places in this world. Like anywhere else, every person in NZ is not a saint. But what they do have is a majority population of tough, self-reliant people that don't sit around crying with their hands out when times are tough. They get off their asses and do the work that needs to be done to take care of themselves and their country. A work ethic a lot of people here could learn from.