The Illusion of Being Powerless

One reason why people give up on causes is because they feel powerless. If you can't change anything, why bother trying? It's just wasted effort, right? The world is too big, and too messed up, so best pull your head into your little shell and look after yourself and yours.

On which I cry shenanigans, bullpucky, and utter ridiculousness.

I am an American. Though I am a student with no steady employment, I am still one of the richest people in the world. I have free access to clean water, good food, a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and even spending money. I have enough of an education to allow me to comprehend arguments and make my own. I have access to various forums to exchange opinions with others and make my voice heard. Unlike many other people in the world, I have elected officials who ostensibly represent my interests, and the freedom to lobby them without fear of reprisal. The government to which they belong is one of the most powerful in the world. The economy in which I participate in a day-to-day basis is one of the most powerful in the world. My political decisions, and my economic decisions, have an enormous amount of weight compared to those of most of the rest of the world. I suspect this is true for residents of most developed countries.

With great power comes great responsibility; I can use my dollars to help fix the world, support low-impact food sources that are fairly traded and ethically sourced, buy clothes made by employees paid a living wage, and contribute to public transportation. I can lobby my elected officials to support renewable energy products, end tax breaks for polluters, and increase foreign aid. Or, I can use my dollars to have a less positive impact, to buy toys, gadgets and luxury items that I don't need, foods that contribute to the clearing of the forests and the pollution of our waterways, and lobby my elected officials to make sure I get mine, to make sure we cling to the increasingly indefensible and unsustainable status quo.

No matter what I do, my actions will have an impact. I am not powerless. The question now becomes, what kind of impact do I want to have on the world with my power? Do I want to have a positive impact... or a negative one?