I am also reminded of the fanfic where Lex started doing Superman's taxes and got him tax refunds despite Superman not having an income. Amusing indeed.
At the point where Superman is also voting, paying taxes, bills, and attending jury duty, then one would assume that he also feels a kind of kinship with his bretheren, in which case, yes, it would be his social responsibility to save his fellow man and help out when others need his help. Again, this needs to be in the context of him having connections to the people around him beyond what his current Superman persona poses. Just like only citizens have the right to vote, so should only Superman be preaching his high horse when he's experienced the trials and tribulations regarding what humans must endure. In the same vein, it would then be the rest of the world's social responsibility to save his ass when he's writhing in pain from kryptonite.
After all, if you were to see someone curled on the sidewalk in pain, wouldn't you feel compelled to help them? Either call them a doctor or help them into the infirmatory? And is Clark Kent's "journalistic integrity" any more different than any other journalist trying to hunt down corrupt politicians? I think here the question should be more a question of: does he have a responsibility to go beyond what his fellow humans could, simply because he has the ability? The answer...depends on your own world view.
The second case: When being asked, there exist an unequivocal need from the party being helped. Unlike saving someone from drowning, one cannot simply assume a war means intervention is needed. Has the middle east conflict taught us nothing? Actually, I would realy like to see how Superman plans to solve that particular problem should the UN ever come to him. Surely even he must realize diplomacy is needed in that quagmire.
As for trying to find the line to the level of social responsibility, it should be easy enough to ask yourself this: if someone else had the ability to butt into the problem that you were solving and solved it, would you feel grateful or resentful? If the former, then obviously Superman ought to step in, if the latter then Superman should keep his big nose to himself. "Do unto others" and all that.
I'd like to see Superman getting his just due already, hopefully involving some enlightenment of how much of an ass he'd been running around thinking he knows best.
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At the point where Superman is also voting, paying taxes, bills, and attending jury duty, then one would assume that he also feels a kind of kinship with his bretheren, in which case, yes, it would be his social responsibility to save his fellow man and help out when others need his help. Again, this needs to be in the context of him having connections to the people around him beyond what his current Superman persona poses. Just like only citizens have the right to vote, so should only Superman be preaching his high horse when he's experienced the trials and tribulations regarding what humans must endure. In the same vein, it would then be the rest of the world's social responsibility to save his ass when he's writhing in pain from kryptonite.
After all, if you were to see someone curled on the sidewalk in pain, wouldn't you feel compelled to help them? Either call them a doctor or help them into the infirmatory? And is Clark Kent's "journalistic integrity" any more different than any other journalist trying to hunt down corrupt politicians? I think here the question should be more a question of: does he have a responsibility to go beyond what his fellow humans could, simply because he has the ability? The answer...depends on your own world view.
The second case: When being asked, there exist an unequivocal need from the party being helped. Unlike saving someone from drowning, one cannot simply assume a war means intervention is needed. Has the middle east conflict taught us nothing? Actually, I would realy like to see how Superman plans to solve that particular problem should the UN ever come to him. Surely even he must realize diplomacy is needed in that quagmire.
As for trying to find the line to the level of social responsibility, it should be easy enough to ask yourself this: if someone else had the ability to butt into the problem that you were solving and solved it, would you feel grateful or resentful? If the former, then obviously Superman ought to step in, if the latter then Superman should keep his big nose to himself. "Do unto others" and all that.
I'd like to see Superman getting his just due already, hopefully involving some enlightenment of how much of an ass he'd been running around thinking he knows best.