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Pissed Off for a Better World

2015-09-25 · letter vlog · Hank · 3:52 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Global development · mode: Advocacy & fundraising · tags: timely hook, civic or action cta, heavy topic

Answering John's good-news video on the day 193 leaders sign on to the UN Global Goals, Hank argues that good news fails to move people, and urges viewers to get angry for a good reason, hold leaders accountable and share the goals.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Thanks John for his good-news video; we are biased against good news, so it's hard to care

  • ★★ Hank thanks John for his video explaining how much better the world got in the last 15 years, which suggests we can make it even better in the next 15. — 00:00:01 · John Green
  • ★★★ The problem with John's video is that it is about good news: we are cognitively biased to be uninterested in and skeptical of good news, especially large-scale news, so it is hard to care. (hedged) — 00:00:10

00:00:30 — Things still suck: not outrage for its own sake, but anger at dying children, gender inequality and unsafe water

  • ★★★ As 193 world leaders sign on to the UN Global Goals for the next 15 years, Hank says he doesn't care how much better things have gotten, because they still suck. — 00:00:30
  • ★★★ Hank doesn't like outrage for outrage's sake or news riling him up about things that don't matter much. — 00:00:40
  • ★★★ Hank wants to be angry that children are dying, that gender inequality exists nearly everywhere, and that 6 million people will die this year (2015) without access to clean water. — 00:00:46 · child mortality
    • a number in question (doubtful): "6 million" — check against the recording

00:00:58 — The 17 Global Goals; zero chance unless people care; pissed off for a good reason; hold leaders accountable

  • ★★★ There are 17 Global Goals, each with distinct targets, that the UN asks every nation on Earth to help achieve by 2030. — 00:00:58
  • ★★★ The chance of achieving the goals if nobody cares is zero; everyone needs to know about them, since they are achievable, but only if people hold their governments accountable. (hedged) — 00:01:05

  • ★★★ Hank invites viewers to discover the joy of being pissed off for a good reason: not against another group of people, but in agreement with everybody on Earth. — 00:01:19

    “discover the joy with me, of being pissed off for a good reason”

  • ★★★ Every child should go to school, no one should be hungry or in extreme poverty, and corrupt governments and greed should not stand in the way of the goals. — 00:01:27 · education, extreme poverty

  • ★★ Achieving the goals won't matter, Hank says, if they are built on an unsustainable exploitation of the planet. — 00:01:34
  • ★★★ For the world to make the investments the goals need, we have to care and hold our leaders accountable; and caring means being angry, because it is infuriating. (hedged) — 00:01:41
  • ★★★ Hank tells viewers to get angry: choose the Global Goal that resonates most, draw it on their face with eyeliner or Sharpie, and share it on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. — 00:01:52 · Sharpie, Instagram, Facebook

00:01:53 — Draw a goal on your face, share it, print a poster at globalgoals.org; sign-off

  • ★★ Hank asks viewers to share the Global Goals by printing a poster at GlobalGoals.org and putting it up at school, at the office or around town, or showing it to their mom. — 00:02:09
  • ★★ The world must hear about this, Hank says, because we have gone halfway and that is not far enough. — 00:02:17
  • ★★ Hank asks viewers to go to globalgoals.org, find out what the fuss is about, pick a goal and draw it on their face (or have a friend do it, since that is hard), and tell people why to be a little angry and a little optimistic. — 00:02:25 · optimism

00:02:43 — After the sign-off: amazed at progress, not tongue-in-cheek, the UN's plan inspires him, apology for yelling, the goals are his top wish

  • ★★★ After the sign-off Hank says he is honestly amazed at how far we've come, with infant mortality down and education and access to clean water up. — 00:02:45 · progress, child mortality, education
  • ★★★ Hank stresses he is not being tongue-in-cheek: if we are going to get angry about anything, this is the stuff to get angry about. (hedged) — 00:02:51
  • ★★★ The problem is big, hard to grasp and seems impossible to affect, but we can; the UN exists for a reason, and the Global Goals are an actual plan that amazes and inspires Hank. — 00:03:09
  • ★★ Hank hopes whoever is watching will be inspired to share this with the people around them and in their community. (hedged) — 00:03:22
  • ★★ Hank apologises for yelling and says we can do this, but only if we hold our leaders accountable and really want it to happen. (hedged) — 00:03:31
  • ★★ Of all the things Hank wants to happen in the world, achieving the Global Goals is number one, and he jokes he will never be angry again if we pull it off. — 00:03:43

In the description and comments

  • ★★ Hank asks viewers who promote the Global Goals to use the hashtags #globalgoals and #nfgg so the brothers can see what they're up to, and maybe retweet or share it. — video description

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Sustainable Development Goals

Also: Organizations: Facebook · Instagram · Snapchat · United Nations

Concepts: child mortality · education · extreme poverty · gender inequality · human impact on the environment · hunger · moral outrage · negativity bias · optimism · political corruption · progress · water scarcity

Products: Sharpie

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