Or to be in a Ukrainian in the artificial Ukrainian
famine 1932-33, or in a Soviet gulag, or a Russian
peasant, and later intelligensia in the occupied
territories of the Soviet regime.

Dear Foxy,

There are many examples of inhumanity, but we are most aware of it when it happens to those we relate to or identify with.

Interviewer: Mr. Gandhi, what do you think about Western civilization?
Gandhi: I think it would be a good idea.

When those we relate to or identify with are the ones who act without humanity we are less aware. If we are aware we may find excuses.

Whoever we are or whoever we relate to there always seems to be an 'other'. Can we sympathize with the abused child that was Hitler? The abused child disappears and is replaced by the monster.

Dear David F.,

My father raised me to always ask the question
Why? - and to look not only on both sides of the coin
but around the edges as well.

A monster is a monster - no matter who they may be.
It helps put things into context to learn more
about them.

I watched the film about Putin last night on Chanel 24.

Hi david f,

"One measure of a society is how it treats those at the bottom. To be a slave in a southern plantation, a Jew in a gas chamber or a slave in a Roman salt mine are examples."

Does our treatment of those "at the bottom", the starving, the displaced the sick, make us better, because we treat them better by degree, no plantations, gas chambers or salt mines here, well.? Is out treatment of the poor of the world simply pandering to our own self-righteousness. And when the impact of that treatment impacts adversely on ourselves we then turn on those we claim to be helping.

Regarding Mahatma Gandhi?

One of my favourite quotes is:

"You must not lose faith in humanity,
Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the
ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."

Dear Paul1405,

The downtrodden of the world exist. What can we do about it? We can feel guilty, but it doesn't help them. We are removed from those who exploit them. We eat the chocolate produced by the exploited. Does that make us exploiters? If some are treated better by degree that is better. I don't think there can be a society where everyone is treated fairly. We can only be less unfair. We can be kind to those that are close to us and to others we encounter.