I love it when people ask questions like:

“Should global warming really be our priority?"

Followed by:

"Money spent to reduce carbon emissions would save far more lives is used to fight malaria, malnutrition, water pollution, and HIV. And while helping Third World nations develop their economies and infrastructures may result in higher emissions, it will also help these societies deal much better with future problems, including global warming.”

Okay.

Where is your money to fight malaria?

Where is your donation to the cause against malnutrition? And water pollution? And HIV? Where is your foreign aid money? Third World loan forgiveness? Debt relief?

They say the perfect is the enemy of the good.

But that’s never the choice with these types of arguments.

It’s never the Perfect versus the Good.

It's a false choice.

It’s the Good, or – (because the Good isn’t Perfect) – Nothing at all.

Which, of course, is what they really want.

And, of course, isn’t limited to politicians and pundits and multinational corporations.

You always see people criticizing others for doing good.

Or trying to do good.

Because it’s not perfect. It’s not really altruistic. It’s counter-productive. It’s selfish. A waste of time. Misplaced. And all sorts of rationalization, guilt assuaging, spite and petty jealousy.

“While one who sings with his tongue on fire gargles in the rat race choir, bent out of shape from society’s pliers, cares not to come up any higher, but rather get you down in the hole that he’s in.”




[Bob Dylan, “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” Bringin’ It All Back Home, 1965.]