Weapon of mass dissent.

I agree...this photos are amazing. Quite a remarkable trip that he took - and encouragement to all of us to do something productive about the injustices or tragedies of every-day life.
 

True. So often I think we get caught up in the petty pscyho-social dramas of upper middle-class American life. To get outside our bubble, our own limited view of things is most likely life-changing. I haven't really witnessed real suffering like this guy now has, but it's nice he's exposing it to us second-hand.

It's sort of like the Buddha, who I believe was kept sheltered from all suffering--old age, disease, infirmities--by his father the king. But the Buddha grew curious about what was outside the pristine palace walls. There he found impoverished, dirty, dying people everywhere. It was that moment which forever set him on the path to trying to end suffering in the world.

It seems once you experience or know real suffering the journey to enlightenment begins, the fundamental need to at least try to help others is recognized.