Global Problems We All Ignore While Sitting Comfortably in Our First World Bubbles

A business man with his head buried in the sand to represent someone who ignores problems.Photo byrangizzz via Shutterstock

The world is not okay. Here are some of the biggest problems humans worldwide face that we don’t often pause to consider.

Civil War

Some countries are currently engaged in devastating civil wars. Ethiopia is struggling to regain stability after a two-year battle and a conflict began in Sudan this past April.

Because these wars aren’t a threat to our national security like the War in Ukraine, they’re often neglected.

Military Dictatorships

We all know the awful conditions faced by North Koreans, but they’re not the only country suffering under a military dictatorship.

We all forget about the people in Africa and Southeast Asia who lack freedom.

Human Rights Violations

Nearly every country is guilty of massive human rights violations. Far too many countries treat women as second-class citizens, and even Western countries are working to restrict bodily autonomy and voting rights.

People worldwide suffer unjust imprisonment, forced labor, and forced mutilation.

Climate Change

The world's climate is changing. Hurricanes pummel coastlines around the world while rivers flood and fires rage. Drought destroys crops as the oceans slowly get warmer, destroying the abundance of sea life. The temperature is changing, but we all hide our heads in the sand.

Human Trafficking

Slavery may be illegal, but it’s thriving right under our noses. According to the Guardian Group, human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world.

The American Association of University Women estimates nearly 25 million trafficking victims worldwide, and 50% were trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Long-Term Care Facilities

Long-term care facilities hit a little closer to home. People fear death on such a massive scale that they’d rather have their relatives live in a vegetative state for years than let them pass gracefully.

And the worst part? They rarely even visit. These folks are stuck, barely alive, and all alone.

Cobalt Mining

We all love our cheap and accessible electronics but don’t give much thought to how they’re made. Cobalt is a necessary ingredient, but many companies use child labor to retrieve precious metals from dangerous mines.

Countries on the Verge of Collapse

Some countries may not officially be in a civil war, but the conditions are so atrocious that they might as well be. Haiti and Somalia are basically ruled by criminals at this point.

Epstein’s Empire

We all know how awful Epstein was, but we also know that his empire didn’t just collapse. No one knows his true reach or how many rich and powerful people utilized his services.

We can’t know for sure that it didn’t end with Epstein.

Poverty

Forty-four million people around the globe live in poverty. Although the highest rates come from South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, it’s a global problem.

In the US, homelessness rose 6% in the last five years.

The End of Global Democracy

Fascism is rising around the world. An election in Nigeria was blatantly stolen. Right-wing extremism is growing. Voter rights are systematically being destroyed.

Not only do people not seem to care, but they also seem to welcome it while shouting about freedom and liberty.

Mental Health Crisis

The depressing world leads to yet another crisis: rising mental health issues. More and more people suffer from anxiety, depression, and other disorders, and due to the lack of affordable healthcare, they can’t get the help they need.

Why Don’t Americans Care?

It’s misleading to say Americans don’t care. Some Americans are suffering from the global problems on this list, and those who don’t may have other worries.

Here are some significant reasons we can’t make room for these global crises.

We Don’t Have the Bandwidth

The world has so much evil that we can’t think about it all. We all only have so much time, money, and energy; it’s impossible to think about everything going on in our daily lives, much less in the lives of others worldwide.

We’re Struggling Too

Many Americans are suffering from these global problems and those that aren’t have their own struggles.

Stagnant wages, a toxic work culture, loss of human rights, climate catastrophe, and other problems affect Americans daily. We can’t help others when we can’t even help our own communities.

Not Sure What To Do

We hear stories about the atrocities happening in other countries but feel powerless to help. What can we do about ethnic cleansing in Africa, female oppression in Afghanistan, or child labor in India?

It’s hard to think about these problems knowing we can’t do anything to solve them.

It's Happening Here Too

The harsh truth is many Americans celebrate some of these global crises. Fascism is on the rise in the US, with millions of supporters. Millions of people voted against women’s rights. US citizens engage in human trafficking, buying and selling other humans as if they’re cattle. We continue to buy cheap products made from forced labor overseas. Some people are even hoping for a civil war.

We can’t begin addressing global problems when facing these same issues in our own communities.

Is There Hope?

It’s not all hopeless. The world is on the brink, but we’re not at the point of no return.

We can get our country back on track and lead the world to a better future. To do so, we must develop empathy for our fellow man, even those who don’t share our values, beliefs, and backgrounds. We must vote with our dollars, becoming more conscious of how our purchases affect the global community.

And finally, we must prioritize humanity. We elevate status, money, and even our personal beliefs over human dignity to the detriment of all. We must reflect upon our true values and support candidates, policies, and programs that put people first.

Yes, There is a Real Poverty Trap in America

We often think of thrid wold countries when we talk about poverty, but it's thriving right here in the US.

Here's the truth about America's Poverty Trap.

This article was produced and syndicated by Partners in Fire.