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Charity Quote by Bill Maher

“They" hate us because they feel--and "they" are not wrong--that it is within our power to do so much more, and that we practice a kind of passive-aggressive violence on the Third World. We do this by, for example, demonizing tobacco as poison here while promoting cigarettes in Asia; inflating…” quote by Bill Maher
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““They" hate us because they feel--and "they" are not wrong--that it is within our power to do so much more, and that we practice a kind of passive-aggressive violence on the Third World. We do this by, for example, demonizing tobacco as poison here while promoting cigarettes in Asia; inflating produce prices by paying farmers not to grow food as millions go hungry worldwide; skimping on quality and then imposing tariffs on foreign products made better or cheaper than our own; padding corporate profits through Third World sweatshops; letting drug companies stand by as millions die of AIDS in Africa to keep prices up on lifesaving drugs; and on and on. We do, upon reaching a very high comfort level, mostly choose to go from ten to eleven instead of helping another guy far away go from zero to one. We even do it in our own country. Barbara Ehrenreich's brilliant book Nickel and Dimed describes the impossibility of living with dignity or comfort as one of the millions of minimum-wage workers in fast food, aisle-stocking and table-waiting jobs. Their labor for next to nothing ensures that well-off people can be a little more pampered. So if we do it to our own, what chance do foreigners have?””

Bill Maher

About This Quote

Source TV: Real Time with Bill Maher, 2013

We exploit the Global while claiming morality, creating passive‑aggressive violence.

In simple terms: We harm others while pretending to help.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and stop hypocritical actions.

Themes

hypocrisy global inequality exploitation

Mood

critical reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • ethical consumption
  • policy advocacy
  • fair trade
  • health equity

Key Concepts

Moral inconsistency systemic oppression consumerism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What personal comforts enable global harm?
  • How can we align actions with values?
A Different Perspective

Convenient comforts often outweigh distant suffering.

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