Why do we allow the horrific injustices in the world?

Why do we as individuals and as a collective allow the horrific injustices taking place across the world today?

I recently asked AI what were The five greatest injustices against humanity today.

ChatGPT, an AI developed by OpenAI, listed them as:

1. The Genocidal Violence and Occupation in Palestine
2. The Civil War and Ethnic Cleansing in Sudan
3. The Repression of Uyghurs and Other Ethnic Minorities in China
4. Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
5. Climate Apartheid and Environmental Injustice

Asking why we allow these and other heartbreaking injustices is one of the most painful and important questions anyone can ask.

I have been asking it for years. Not only of the collective but of myself. How can I sit by and not do everything I can to put end to injustices in this world? Though most of the injustices listed by AI above are on the other side of the world from where I am, there are many local injustices we can be fighting to bring to an end. Homelessness, poverty, violence against women, LGBTQ rights, First Nations rights, gender equality—the list can go on.

There is no single answer, or easy answers. This does not mean we should not ask the question.

It is a good question.

When I examine the depths of my soul to try to answer, the response that rises is, there is too much to be done. I am tired. I have no influence or power to create change. I am nobody.

Unfortunately, when we let ourselves be guided by that type of response the inevitable happens.

Injustice continues.

The greatest asset those perpetrating injustice have is the indifference or inaction of others.

Indifference may seem like a harsh word because ultimately most people care. Most people are empathetic towards the suffering of others. Deep down we are not indifferent, even though our actions, or lack of them, seem to reflect indifference more than they reflect a desire to end injustices.

Perhaps my self-reflection explains why individuals allow injustices, but what explains why societies, countries, and global alliances allow the ongoing horrific injustices to continue?

The imbalance of power. All injustices committed by one person, group, or country against another involves an unfair balance of power where one group has considerable leverage over the other. Countries like Israel, Russia, China, the U.S., and others can act in ways that would be condemned by weaker countries if they were to commit such injustices. These powerful countries have alliances that protect them, or veto powers in the UN Security Council. No one would imagine Israel breaking the international laws it does with its occupation and horrific killing of Palestinian people while using self-defense as its justification, if it did not have its powerful ally the U.S. behind it.  

Russia could never invade Ukraine if the rest of the world were willing to take the necessary non-military actions, such as extensive effective sanctions against them.

The geopolitical interests of the powerful nations invariably overrule moral concerns. Whether it is oil or other strategic interests, the powerful will turn a blind eye to injustices in other countries. No powerful country has a record of consistently putting moral concerns over injustices. This alone can be overwhelming and discouraging to individuals who want to fight injustices.

Media and information control: The news we see on TV, read in a newspaper or the internet is shaped by media bias, propaganda, and even censorship. What you know about a conflict often depends on what media chooses to show or omit. Media can use dehumanizing language to dull the public’s empathy (e.g., calling children “human shields” or focusing on “terrorism” without context).

Geographical and cultural distance: It is easier for us to view the suffering of people in the Ukraine, Gaza, or Sudan as abstract, disconnected from our lives. When it does not impact our lives, we are much more likely not to respond. When a marginalized group is of another culture there can be a disconnect because there is no obvious relatable connection. We sometimes seem to need more than the human connection. For examples, Christians in the U.S. might be more inclined to empathize with Christians in the Middle East than they are with other groups in the same area.

Emotional overload: Constant exposure to images of violence, suffering, and war can create numbness. People become emotionally overwhelmed or detached. We are exposed to hundreds and thousands of data points every single day. In this day and age, the level of exposure we face to things that would have shocked many decades ago has numbed us. The image of the naked screaming South-Vietnamese girl running from a napalm strike in the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph The Terror of War helped the anti-Vietnam War movement. Today, unfortunately, we see similar pictures on a regular basis. Though they may still disturb us, they do not motivate us to action as they once might have.

The distraction of everyday life: Most of us living outside of the areas where the five greatest injustices listed above are living lives that are not in any immediate danger. Yes, we may have stress from financial, relationship, or health related issues to deal with; however, our homes, hospitals, workplaces, and children are not being bombed, or we are not struggling to find housing or food. We are going about our lives preoccupied with regular every day issues. We go to work, spend time with friends and family, and fill our time with activities that make us happy. It is easy to focus on our small world.

If we want to end the injustices of the world, we need to be intentional about taking steps to so. Otherwise, things will remain the same.

Hope and Resistance Still Exist

Reading this post and examining the realities of why the horrific injustices are allowed to continue can be discouraging to those of us who want them to end.

Do not give up. Fighting injustices needs to be done because it is the right thing to do. We may not always bring the injustice to an end, but it must be fought—regardless.

Many people are speaking up—activists, journalists, political and religious leaders, aid workers, and ordinary citizens who protest, donate, educate, and organize. It’s important to remember collective action is powerful. Rights have been gained, wars have been ended, governments overthrown, and oppressed liberated.

Collective action starts with a series of individuals who choose to take action. You can be one of them.

Change can happen. Injustices can be stopped.

If you are asking why do we allow injustice, you have taken a step towards ending it.

 

Photo Credit: ChatGPT when asked to create an image reflecting the question, “Why do we allow injustices in the world.”