What "crimes against humanity" are we as 21st century humans responsible for?

Things such as witch hunts, the slave trade, imperialist massacres, Jewish persecution, imprisoning homosexuals all seemed normal or at least permissible to the people that existed during that era. If everyone is doing it, and it is part of normal life and it is within the law, then there would be little to protest about.

So what do you think humanity will look back on in 100, 500 or 1000 years and think "wow, how did people allow X to happen? How could they all sit by and let that happen?"

Mine would be:

Global warming. Some people treat recycling and being environmentally friendly like it's an additional "good thing" you can do but isn't essential. Nobody seems to want to actively confront the fact that the way we live has to completely change; if we carry on the way we are lots and lots of people are going to die and most of them will be poor.

There are others but I think this is the main thing our era will be viewed with just total astonishment that we allowed this to happen despite knowing the consequences of our actions.

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The Iraq War

america will go down in history as a despicable nation with the blood of millions on their hands

Reply 3

Aphotic Cosmos

Poverty: the idea that somebody can be so disadvantaged, usually through no fault of their own, as to be unable to function in society to their full potential would surely be incredulous to an advanced human society. It's a waste of perfectly good human beings and creates innumerable social problems.

Reply 4

jesusofsuburbia

Original post by Aphotic Cosmos

I think it's easy to be critical and hold up false idylls when the reality makes them not at all feasible. History is plagued by people and movements offering an unobtainable utopia. Ask Lenin, ask Hitler. Saying "there should be no poverty - it is bad" is patronising, naive, vague and way too complex a problem than you make it sound. imo

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 5

jpye11

Lack of action to prevent global warming, over population and the dramatic rise in power held by multinational corporations.

Reply 6

Strüberry

Toss up between social inequality, religious fundamentalism, Guantanamo and JBiebz.

Reply 7

Emmak7

The huge amount of anti depressants that get prescribed by GPs.

Reply 8

Marc Fiorano

Letting women think it's acceptable to be fat and changing it to the term 'curves'.

The good news is that they will most probably (and hopefully, for the sake of the human gene pool) die of coronary heart disease, heart failure, cholesterol, diabetes etc.

Nothing more amusing than when a fat girl says "EHHH WHY YOU CALL ME FAT? :angry:

I'M CURVY FOR YOUR INFORMATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

:rofl:

fat bitches be loco.

Reply 9

SnoochToTheBooch

Original post by jesusofsuburbia

I think in the future one of the big things people will look back on and think is barbaric is not so much our crimes against humanity, but rather crimes against living things in general.
The way we treat animals, especially tasty ones, is really disgraceful, and people just aren't aware of the things that go on. I'm all for eating meat but a lot of it is produced in a very cruel way that sacrifices as much compassion as is legally possible, to maximise profits.

Reply 10

Emmak7

Original post by Marc Fiorano

I'M CURVY FOR YOUR INFORMATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

:rofl:

fat bitches be loco.

Uhhh that depends. You can still be fat (not obese) and healthy.

And I'd like to add to the list the objectification of women in the media.

Reply 11

hungryaardvark

the internet. clearly.

Original post by Strüberry

Toss up between social inequality, religious fundamentalism, Guantanamo

None of these things are unique to the 21st century. They've existed for centuries and probably for centuries to come.

Reply 14

jesusofsuburbia

Original post by NapoleonDynamite

The Iraq War

No way will that be in the worldwide (let alone national) consciousness in 100 years from now. Global warming will because we're participants in the potential deaths of millions because we're too selfish to change (me included).

Edit: the only addition I have is animal torture. We buy food from tortured animals, knowing they've been tortured but accepting it anyway. You don't have to be a vegetarian to be appalled by the way we treat our animals.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 15

Snagprophet

Well I'm pretty sure at least one person has be physically hurt, that is a crime against humanity.

Reply 16

Craig_D

Not a crime against humanity, but I have a feeling that eventually everyone will be vegetarian, or at least will eat only artificially produced meat, and will look back at our generation and see us as savages.

Reply 17

Aj12

Original post by NapoleonDynamite

The Iraq War

Leaving dictators in place.

Reply 18

TheHistoryStudent

Depends entirely on the world-view of the future.

But if I were to guess, I would also say global warming, or possibly something to do with economics - as they're the kind of areas where some fundamental change will occur at some point in the future (especially climate-change/global warming) which we have either a) put off or b) been too pre-occupied with other problems to do anything about.