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In a word the fix to sin is: Jesus.
Caring FRETTING for the hopeless and helpless is useless because there isn't much that YOU personally can to do for them.
Jesus said that we would always have the poor with us. HE would know. All the charities, shrinks, parents and prayers in the world don't PREVENT the ravages of sin; all they can do is somewhat ameliorate the effects.
Caring for things you CAN change in and around your life is far more efficacious. You can keep an eye on those around you and step in/pray/whatever when you see the need.
There's NOTHING I can do about the starving children, civil wars, Putin, the Russian Army, crime and despots in the world...except PRAY, donate and live my life the best I can...and staying close to Jesus is the key to MY inner peace.
The media WHIP us up hours upon hours DAILY because that is WHAT THEY DO. We are EXTREMELY limited in what we can do. Venting on FR isn't much of a solution.
Wars have been, are and ALWAYS will be a part of the human experience and taking sides on FR isn't of much use...well, not to me. When did we EVER have "world peace"?? Never. Wars will end when our good Lord ends our world...and not a NANOSECOND sooner.
Can YOU think of anything else?
Are YOU willing to lay down your life to kill a few of ISIS? Are you willing to subsidize yet another middle east conflict?
Abraham Lincoln once said that human behavior can be modified to some extent but human nature cannot be changed. He would know.
Thanks for you input, publius911. Time for me to log off.
Ukraine would be far from hopeless or helpless if the West would simply supply either modern weapons or means for Ukraine to obtain them, and perhaps some training in their use, in exact balance to the arms Russia is sending in. Ukraine can supply the manpower. The economies of the EU and the US dwarf those of Russia: With even semi-competent strategy and leadership (think "Reagan" or even "Bush") -- Russia would "fold" in short order.
As for what anyone can personally do, by showing public support for effective aid to Ukraine, politicians CAN still be pushed to act. If it appears most of public opinion is comprised of "don't care", not to mention out and out support for Putin, then politicians will act in their own interest. But if the public can be swayed to the side of providing assistance for the Ukraine to fight effectively, then Ukraine still has "hope".
There is another side to all this: US weakness and lack of honor (in this instance, to keep our side of the Ukraine disarmament "bargain" -- and it was a GREAT bargain for us, given the alternatives) is THE surest way to guarantee disaster for us. Without the US to lead, when international order breaks down, as it is beginning to, a medium scale nuclear war is almost certain to eventually occur. It likely won't even include us directly, but millions in the US may die, and almost certainly the world economy will crash in a manner so as to make the Great Depression look like a picnic.
Plus, yet another consideration exists, as paraphrased in a great line from Babylon 5: "We MUST give comfort, because very soon we will require it ourselves." The time WILL come when the US needs aid, from God and Man. (It can be argued that time is already here, but I am thinking "much worse". Say, the next Carrington Event, New Madrid Earthquake, or when Yellowstone blows big time.) If we have deserted our fellow Man, will Man or God aid us?
Jesus said that the poor will be with us always, but he also said that "inasmuch as you do this (help) the least of these, you do it to me."
My family recently learned that a friend has stage 4 cancer. There is only a little we can do to help, and seemingly not much hope. But, we do what we can. Should we stop?