Just some rantings after watching Schindler's List.

Got the Schindler's List DVD a few days ago.

[Image source: http://www.cheznorfolk.com/top-10-movies-of-all-the-time/]

We watched it this afternoon...

It made me so furious at the Nazis.

People got killed for no rhyme or reason. Millions of them. Old people, men, women, and even children. Shot dead as entertainment for the soldiers, gassed, starved, worked to death as slaves... etc.

[Image source: http://www.kosherdelight.com/GermanyJewishHistoryAndHolocaust.shtml]

It was only because someone decided that he hated the Jews for doing so well in his country (while he didn't do so well). He forgot the fact that he wasn't from that country too. He came from somewhere else, just like them! And then there were the race and religion issues as well. Any reason he could find to rally support from the people who were already very unhappy due to the economy... just so he could pursue his political agenda and fulfill his great plans for Germany. He gave them "a reason" for their suffering and their failure, something a lot of people like to do - point their fingers at something/someone else when they fail to do well. Shirking responsibility and enabling them to feel better about themselves.

The Jews became the scapegoat for some people's failure. They became the "reason" for their unhappiness and anger. In fact, did the Jews cause those people's unhappiness and anger? No. Those people did that to themselves. They allowed themselves to become like that, to feel that way.

And the Jews suffered for it. Not because they did anything wrong. Just because they did too well in life and because they had a different race and religion.

It reminded us of the current political atmosphere in this country.

People hating foreigners because they came to "snatch our jobs", or like what they say, to "snatch their places in this country, their country".

Then, some so-called "politicians" play this up, fanning the anger and unhappiness among the people to their own benefit. This is not a unique situation in this country. I know in many other places, the same thing is happening as well.

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Why have people become so intolerant? Is it really because there are more and more people around, and it's getting too crowded?

Or have societies become too self-centred, selfish and mean? What happened?

Did our advancement cause that? Did TV shows, songs and games cause that?

There isn't any straightforward answer to that, isn't it?

Are we slowly going down the path of destruction? Just like how civilisations in history rose and fell?

I shudder at the thought of a World War III. If the people in the past were that cruel and evil when they were in a war, imagine how the people NOW would be like during wartime?

Who is to say that wouldn't happen at all? Look at all the volatile relationships between nations. Look at the citizens around the world... protesting, demanding, destroying and complaining. Never contented, always unhappy, perpetually mad at this world.

There are more and more campaigns calling for people to be kinder to others, to see the good in people... and to spread the kindness. I really hope those campaigns would catch on eventually.

I would really hate to see the kind of atrocities from WW1/WW2 happening to us. Singapore wouldn't survive for long. By then, maybe we might even be annihilated. There are after all, only a few millions of us. Perhaps even lesser than the amount of lives lost in WW2?

If only more people can see through the so-called politicians' selfish agenda and be more accepting of reasoning...

If only we can all have bigger hearts.