I Often Wonder What Is The Point Of It All...
I would not end my life but when I see and hear what many people live like from day to day and what our politicians have planned for many I do wonder what we get up for? For many they are on a treadmill, in a rut. For others they spend their lives trying to keep warm, have a roof over their head and food on the table. One small change is enough to send that fragile life spiralling out of control.
It could be a loss of a job, illness, an accident...so many reasons...
I have mentioned the Food Banks in the UK and only a few posts back one in the town where our Prime Minister lives and represents.
You and I know that we are often fed by the media and those in charge, a rosy view of life in countries that are said to be rich and abundant.
The stories that trickle out of Greece are frightening, people are suffering in Portugal, Italy and Spain(occasionally there will be a protest and people will go on the streets to make their feelings known)but then it goes away again for a few weeks and then another happens...
The United States of America is struggling too...yes. some are doing very well. But I would suggest many are just "Getting by" and cosmetically they look as though they are doing ok but it will just take one unexpected "Blip!" to change things.
Then there are those already affected...
I see that NPR are broadcasting a documentary 'A Place At The Table' but will it change anything?
According to the US Dept of Agriculture's own statistics, 50 million Americans are "food insecure"
I see many of the comments being left reflect what many in the UK are experiencing...and just in case someone feels that it is only one parent families with many children, there is even a US policeman saying that his wage once paid for a month of groceries, now it will only cover two weeks...
Trailer for A Place At The Table
Poverty
Wealth Gap
This is not officially available outside the UK and even then is only on the player for approx 7 days but here's a link anyhow...
This World - America's Poor Kids
I understand it can be viewed via the PBS website in the States...
It could be a loss of a job, illness, an accident...so many reasons...
I have mentioned the Food Banks in the UK and only a few posts back one in the town where our Prime Minister lives and represents.
You and I know that we are often fed by the media and those in charge, a rosy view of life in countries that are said to be rich and abundant.
The stories that trickle out of Greece are frightening, people are suffering in Portugal, Italy and Spain(occasionally there will be a protest and people will go on the streets to make their feelings known)but then it goes away again for a few weeks and then another happens...
The United States of America is struggling too...yes. some are doing very well. But I would suggest many are just "Getting by" and cosmetically they look as though they are doing ok but it will just take one unexpected "Blip!" to change things.
Then there are those already affected...
I see that NPR are broadcasting a documentary 'A Place At The Table' but will it change anything?
According to the US Dept of Agriculture's own statistics, 50 million Americans are "food insecure"
I see many of the comments being left reflect what many in the UK are experiencing...and just in case someone feels that it is only one parent families with many children, there is even a US policeman saying that his wage once paid for a month of groceries, now it will only cover two weeks...
Trailer for A Place At The Table
Poverty
Wealth Gap
This is not officially available outside the UK and even then is only on the player for approx 7 days but here's a link anyhow...
This World - America's Poor Kids
I understand it can be viewed via the PBS website in the States...
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 10:44 pm
7 Comments:
Its not actually a 'tax' is it? its a reduction in your free housing benefits. The idea is that you give up your multi bedroomed house to some family that needs it.
But being a typical socialist that does not apply to you does it? oh no.
You know the working are quite happy to keep you in your present easy no worries lifestyle but the persistant moaning from you is rather insulting to us who have to work to keep you warm and fed.In fact instead of maoning about how bad things are why don't you do something about it yourself?...that will fall on deaf ears wont it?
It is very complicated and many affected are not "Socialists" Many are working or have had some major event change things, it could be illness, loss of a job, so many reasons.
Many who move into smaller properties, it actually ends up costing more than leaving people be.
I'm not moaning...
Keeping me warm and fed? Eating lots of food on offer/reduced. Not using the heating much, wearing more clothes etc...usually from charity shops...
Also the amount of smaller properties to downsize to are so rare.
Using my own town as an example 8 were built in the last few weeks but instead of creating perhaps 16 one bedroom properties or converting existing larger builds to free up properties already built, they have gone and built 2/3bedroom properties again.
And singles/couples are still being put into larger properties and they are being affected by the new tax. Technically it isn't a tax but it is still like one.
In the end the view of such things depends on personal circumstances.
I wasn't talking about this on this post either, it was about food banks and the need to ask charities for help.
And I hope that you think I am fair in that I published your comment and did not delete it or was selective.
For anyone wondering what the Bedroom Tax is(especially if living outside of the UK)
Here's a link you can cut and paste to explain what it is all about and the pros and cons of it.
http://fullfact.org/factchecks/bedroom_tax-28748
Found another link that may be of interest...
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011-ia.pdf
I hope this shows how fair I am even if you disagree with me or feel you must "Have a go!" I can almost feel your indgnation and see you with your arms folded.
I haven't heard the terms socialists and communists for such a long time...
Extremes of political dogma(left or right)are as bad as each other and both involve controlling of the masses.
I would say that all the main parties lean to the right so any view that takes a different tact will be seen in the way that you suggest.
We are tending to go back to the situation we had politically where workers had few if any rights and were exploited and we had only two main parties the wiggs and the tories(Liberals and Conservatives)
The Labour party cannot be said to hold the ideals of why it came into being...
By the way back on food banks...
http://fullfact.org/factchecks/food_poverty_living_standards-28692
I'm watching a documentary on the BBC not available outside the UK but it may turn up on a network outside these shores all about child poverty at an all time high in the States and one adult in twelve are unemployed or unable to find long term employment.
Scary stuff. If you want to try and find it, its called This World - America's Poor Kids.
ANON: "You know the working are quite happy to keep you in your present easy no worries lifestyle..."
JAN: Trade ya'! Any day. :o)
You folks who really believe this are completely ignorant and know not of what you speak.
Thankfully, you've never lived with a disability without family or friends to help you.
What is wrong with the world when the troubles are blamed on the poor instead of where the blame truly belongs?
These times remind me very much of this quote from Charles Dickens:
"At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge, ... it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."
"Are there no prisons?"
"Plenty of prisons..."
"And the Union workhouses." demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
"Both very busy, sir..."
"Those who are badly off must go there."
"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."
"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."
I would have hoped the human race had progressed in the years since this passage was written.
Guess not.
Jan
Powerful post Jan,
I can't decide. Perhaps we did become more caring but things have gone full circle and its true that history repeats itself. And we have entered that period once more...
I don't see myself as a socialist or a communist, is wanting people to have a life of some quality wrong?
I know things will go wrong in the next few years and I will have to find a way to cope. With or without Mum's little amount of savings.
I would have been ok until 2016. But I will come off virtually everything. But within months have to reapply but I will be affected by all the new rules that are being introduced because I will be treated as a new claimant rather than an existing one.
Even my bus pass could be short lived and more of what they give they want to means test. And they say within a very short time retirement age will not be 65 but 70 and it could be put back further.
If you are 61 you are not affected by the bedroom tax but I have seen(I forget where)that has or will soon be extended so you will have to be 65 before it doesn't affect you.
They keep moving the goalposts.
And all the main parties are similar. Actually many of the policies that are hurting the public were started by the previous party/government that supposedly is more for the workers and the disadvantaged.
This present government has introduced some more ideas of their own or have just taken the previous ideas a bit further.
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