Ignorance is bliss?

Today at lunch, myself and my friend were discussing the merits and demerits of China during Mao's reign (very profound I know).
My friend, let's call her Kate, well, she was saying how unfair it is that you're just thrust into whatever life is given to you, and how you have no control over it(with regard to government). I was about to respond but was interrupted by a painful sigh from another friend..'Laura'. She asked if we could NOT talk about this. When asked why, her response was
'I don't care, it has nothing to do with me'
'Right...so your government has nothing to do with you?'
'Nope'

....this completely shocked me. HOW have we become so unbelievably passive? In Ireland less than 100 years ago, our ancestors were fighting to their deaths for our independance.
Now that we have it we don't care?
Just because our economy and government is reasonably sound at the moment, it's unthinkable that the oppisite could ever occur. It's also apparantly irrelavant that an injust system exists in another country and others are suffering.

Should I lose faith in the human race all together? Are our needs so easily met that we've become just that self-involved that another persons misery 'has nothing to do with us'?