"Fuck 'em," he said, "if they say you're just writing a check. You're making a difference."
You're not just writing a check. You are the check.
No. You're just writing a check. Rich people can do that. All the world's problems can be avoided by writing checks for large amounts of money.
"Oh, my God! People are starving you say? Here's a check for 2,000 dollars so I'll never have to think about it again. It's ruining my appetite. The mere thought stains my designer tuxedo! Waiter! Caviar, please!"
Rich western hemisphere-ers also have a Savior complex. Remember Invisible Children? The blonde haired, blue eyed, dancing, boy wonders that thought that just by raising awareness about a bad guy on the other side of the world would somehow stop his misdeeds. Something to the extent of, 'Uganda isn't taking advantage of this horrendous human being through a slick marketing campaign. So we'll raise money, pay ourselves 70% of the funds raised and then funnel the rest of the 30% into Uganda's corrupt government. Everyone will think we're saving the world and we can feel good about ourselves for making a slick video about the beauty of human life starring white people and then make a real life black guy the bad guy.' Just like every Hollywood turd pile ever made.
He wasn't worried about the fines. All the money you raised to help him get Kony affords him the luxury of naked meltdowns that we regular people wouldn't dare.
I'm not saying it isn't noble to worry about what's happening in the world. I'm not saying you shouldn't write checks to do some good. I haven't said what I'm saying, so here it is:
The arrogant rich say continually that America is the richest country in the world. Why, then, is there a war on our own poor? Our schools are turning into prisons. Our poor students are being taught that there is no hope except for prison. We have hungry children. We have shanty towns. There is hopelessness in America. So when you're wining and dining with all of your glitzy Hollywood pals remember to get your head out of your ass and realize that not every American is as lucky as you are to just be able to write a check and be baptized of any guilt.
Sean Penn should return his estate to the heirs and descendants of the Vallejo Family, from whom it was illegally taken after the surrender of the Republic of California to the aggressor from the East, the USA. Alternatively, he should return it to the survivors of the Native American tribe from whom the Spaniards stole California AND he should be giving nearly all of his millions to the poor wherever and whenever he encounters them. or should I say US?
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