--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a problem: No one cared about…" description: "\"“There was a problem: No one cared about human rights anymore, not at home or abroad. They cared about growth--hoped for and celebrated in all the news..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/daniel-alarcon-11254_development_there-was-a-problem-no-one-cared-about-h_2107908.jpg" --- # There was a problem: No one cared about human rights… ![“There was a problem: No one cared about human rights anymore, not at home or abroad. They cared about growth--hoped for and celebrated in all the newspapers, invoked by zealous bureaucrats in every self-serving television interview. On this matter, the filmmaker was agnostic--he came from money…” quote by Daniel Alarcón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/daniel-alarcon-11254_development_there-was-a-problem-no-one-cared-about-h_2107908.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/daniel-alarcon-11254_development_there-was-a-problem-no-one-cared-about-h_2107908.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/daniel-alarcon-11254_development_there-was-a-problem-no-one-cared-about-h_2107908.jpg) > ““There was a problem: No one cared about human rights anymore, not at home or abroad. They cared about growth--hoped for and celebrated in all the newspapers, invoked by zealous bureaucrats in every self-serving television interview. On this matter, the filmmaker was agnostic--he came from money, and couldn't see the urgency. Like many of his ilk, he sometimes confused poverty (which must be eradicated!) with folklore (which must be preserved!), but it was a genuine confusion, without a hint of ill intention, which only made it more infuriating.”” [Daniel Alarcón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques society’s neglect of human rights in favor of economic growth, and highlights a filmmaker’s conflicted, indifferent stance toward poverty and cultural preservation. **In simple terms:** People prioritize growth over rights, and creators may be confused about poverty versus culture. Key Takeaway Recognize and prioritize human rights over mere economic metrics. Themes human rights economic growth media responsibility cultural preservation ethical confusion Mood critical concerned Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - policy debates - documentary filmmaking - activist campaigns - public awareness initiatives Key Concepts ethical relativism media influence cultural anthropology Questions to Reflect On - How can media balance economic narratives with human rights advocacy? - What responsibilities do creators have when portraying poverty? A Different Perspective The perspective may oversimplify complex socioeconomic dynamics and ignore systemic causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) ## Related quotes > [If I cared for human approval, I would have been dead long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/if-i-cared-for-human-approval-i-would-have-been-dead-long-ago/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/human-rights-are-not-a-privilege-conferred-by-government-they-are/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Human rights they legalize rum & cigarettes, legalize gays & lesbian rights, the next thing coming is legalizing weed. Our way of life keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/human-rights-they-legalize-rum-cigarettes-legalize-gays-lesbian/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. 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Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Its up to any government to decide how to react to the denial of basic human rights anywhere in the world, including Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/its-up-to-any-government-to-decide-how-to-react-to-the-denial-of/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [When history looks back, I want people to know the Nazis weren't able to kill millions of people and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/when-history-looks-back-i-want-people-to-know-the-nazis-weren-t-able/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [“Whatever happened in those more than one hundred years, from the time my great-great-great grandfather studied law to the time when my own father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/whatever-happened-in-those-more-than-one-hundred-years-from-the-time/) [Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/) > [“. 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Reproductive rights are human rights, and I wanted to shine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayo-edebiri/i-found-out-about-sister-song-through-poppy-liu-who-s-on-the-show/) [Ayo Edebiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayo-edebiri/) ## More by Daniel Alarcón > [A novel is like an animal you have to hunt down and kill. If you let it sit for two days, it's got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/a-novel-is-like-an-animal-you-have-to-hunt-down-and-kill-if-you-let/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [I love to walk through the streets of Jesus Maria and Pueblo Libre. The Spanish colonial buildings are in bright colors, two stories high,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-love-to-walk-through-the-streets-of-jesus-maria-and-pueblo-libre/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [“They spoke without much fluency about a minor universe of events that affected neither of them: the vagaries of neighborhood life, people they both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/they-spoke-without-much-fluency-about-a-minor-universe-of-events-that/) [Daniel Alarcón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [I guess in my own life I don't really think much about manliness too much. I feel like a lot of men that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-guess-in-my-own-life-i-don-t-really-think-much-about-manliness-too/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [I want people to read good work. 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Sadly, Peru hasnt made the World Cup since 1982, so I guess I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/as-a-boy-i-wanted-to-be-the-peruvian-diego-maradona-sadly-peru-hasnt/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [Publication in 'The New Yorker' meant everything, and it's no exaggeration to say that it changed my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/publication-in-the-new-yorker-meant-everything-and-it-s-no/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [I have a love/hate relationship with the internet. It's obviously the central tool of how I work, and how I keep in touch with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-have-a-love-hate-relationship-with-the-internet-it-s-obviously-the/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [Radio is the medium that most closely approximates the experience of reading. As a novelist, I find it very exciting to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/radio-is-the-medium-that-most-closely-approximates-the-experience-of/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [I do feel fortunate to have some knowledge of the great Latin American writers, including some that are probably not that well known in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowledge-of-the-great-latin/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [“He admired this too: their ability to preserve joy at any cost, the way prehistoric man might have preserved fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/he-admired-this-too-their-ability-to-preserve-joy-at-any-cost-the-way/) [Daniel Alarcón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [I think probably the thing I'm worst at is the most ephemeral stuff, like blogs. I find it really hard to write. And I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-think-probably-the-thing-i-m-worst-at-is-the-most-ephemeral-stuff/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) [Explore all 61 Daniel Alarcón quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) ## More Development quotes > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. 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I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-bravo/a-lot-of-times-i-ll-show-someone-a-technique-i-got-really-good-with/) [Eddie Bravo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-bravo/) > [Thoroughly understand what it is to understand, and not only will you understand the broad lines of all there is to be understood but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lonergan/thoroughly-understand-what-it-is-to-understand-and-not-only-will-you/) [Bernard Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lonergan/) > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [When they started to drain a swamp where birds and fish had lived, for a new housing development down the road from his apartment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maile-meloy/when-they-started-to-drain-a-swamp-where-birds-and-fish-had-lived-for/) [Maile Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maile-meloy/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [The chances are that you have already come to believe that happiness is unattainable. But men have attained it. And they have attained it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-chances-are-that-you-have-already-come-to-believe-that-happiness/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [Firstly, economic globalisation has brought prosperity and development to many countries, but also financial crises to Asia, Latin America and Russia, and increasing poverty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-lindh/firstly-economic-globalisation-has-brought-prosperity-and-development/) [Anna Lindh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-lindh/) > [They are the gateway for our modern esthetic development, the prophets of the new time. 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