I couldn't agree more Mr. Hermann. Our society in this regard flags two artistic memories--one in film and one in song.



The former was the scene in the 1960's make of H. G. Wells's THE TIME MACHINE. A young woman lost her footing and is being swept away to drown. She reaches out a desperate hand to those who could easily save her, but rather look on in mild curiosity without lifting a finger. The time traveler is aghast and after yelling a useless chastisement that is merely shrugged, he dives in himself to save the young woman's life. -- Really, the time traveler needn't have bothered traveling about 180 millennia to find such a society, he need only needed to go as far as the 21st Century.



The latter was the song, Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends (oh in this society to even have a circle of true friends--for from there at least we might rebuild the world!):



"Look outside the window, there's a woman being grabbed

They've dragged her to the bushes and now she's being stabbed

Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain

But monopoly is so much fun, I'd hate to blow the game

And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody

Outside of a small circle of friends



Riding down the highway, yes, my back is getting stiff

Thirteen cars are piled up, they're hanging on a cliff

Maybe we should pull them back with our towing chain

But we gotta move and we might get sued and it looks like it's gonna rain

And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody

Outside of a small circle of friends



Sweating in the ghetto with the panthers and the poor

The rats have joined the babies who are sleeping on the floor

Now wouldn't it be a riot if we really blew our tops?

But we've got too much already and besides they've got the cops

And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody

Outside of a small circle of friends



Oh there's a dirty paper using sex to make her sales

The supreme court was so upset, they sent him off to jail

Maybe we should help the fiend and take away his fine

But we're busy reading playboys and the Sunday New York Times

And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody

Outside of a small circle of friends



Smoking marijuana is more fun than drinking beer

But a friend of ours got captured and they gave him thirty years

Hey maybe we should raise our voices, ask somebody why

But the protests they're all such a drag, and besides we're all too high

And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody

Outside of a small circle of friends



Oh look outside the window, there's a woman being grabbed

They've dragged her to the bushes and now she's being stabbed

Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain

But monopoly is so much fun, I'd hate to blow the game

And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody

Outside of a small circle of friends