Just the other week I ran into someone I’ve known for quite some time. Someone I’ve always thought of as being self-centred and, by and large, thinking only, or at the very least primarily, of himself.
He didn’t let me down.
We talked about immigration which, as we all know, has done so much to enhance wonderful countries such as the USA and Australia to name but two. My friend’s view as a person resident in a first world country was that entry should be allowed only to those that “will help me improve my lifestyle.”
“We can’t be expected to look after everyone even if they are economic or political refugees, and even if they come from Ukraine.”
I was almost speechless at this view expressed by a man that has never suffered any disruption to his own life and has never given so much as a single thought to the likely motivations and desperation behind those that become refugees.
The conversation moved on and eventually turned to his latest acquisition: a late model 4x4 luxury car that many would term a gas-guzzler. I was stunned when he said that he regretted having bought this car. I was sufficiently naive to think he had finally realised the obvious: a gas-guzzler is not good for our planet.
Once again I was wrong. My friend’s regret was that fuel prices have risen to such a significant extent that it is costing him twice as much to fill his tank as it did a few months ago. Environmental considerations had not even entered his mind.
My speechlessness continues. How can we ever progress our civilisation in the face of selfishness such as this?