During summer last year I pointed out in this knife crime blog that greedy bankers and business would cause us major misery (see business killers post).
Well, then the whole world financial system crashed - which, despite my prophetic-type comments, surprised the heck out of me!
Now, as the mess caused by a greedy financial system and money-obsessed business machine starts to roll out, causing abject misery for millions, there are still business people out there saying, "Glad I'm not among those poor little people struggling on next to nothing. Imagine, no job. Must be their fault. They need to get on their bike. I worked to get where I am, I deserve to be in a safe, secure position."
You know, the kind of selfish rhetoric that bounces round those self-interested types.
Well, it just occurred to me that perhaps it really is time that the high salaries, bonus mentality etc and the capitalist gearing that ensures corporations hoover money out of society, country economies etc, even poor and sick people's homes, must stop.
What gives someone the right to earn more than the nurse, dustman or the toilet cleaner? Better use of brain power? I'm not saying the lazy and criminal etc should be rewarded - some pushing, penalty and punishment is surely required at times.
But who says law-abiding, honest people, hard-working families, deserve so much less than the business people who are obsessed with the luxuries of life, at the expense of others?
More equality is required. Love is missing in the economy. I don't mean elimination of reward for good work. But it is obscene for a few to be able to acquire the trappings of massive wealth while others barely get by, perhaps starving or near the breadline.
I refer back to what I said a while back - those in authority, societal leaders, especially those at or near the top of the financial or wealth tree, need to realise the reponsibility they have to ensure a moral, accessible economic system that allows those in the poorer sections of society to aspire to better lives, to be able to do worthwhile work. In the current recession, livelihoods, skills, decent lives are being shattered and it's going to get worse.
At the moment, we have a prime, terrible example, how the so-called cleverest, best and honoured in society just stripped the system to a shambolic state barely deserving the words 'human'. What a bunch of bankers. Remembering this is a knife crime blog, it's worth considering the analogy that they may not hold the knife but they are at least partly responsible for the reasons why misery is caused, why crime happens and blades are in people's pockets.
Mind you, after saying all that, you must all realise that it can be pretty easy to rant on in this vein, casting about for some people or something to blame. I don't pretend to be highly knowledgeable about all of this but I can't help feeling that, despite all those great brains out there, we seem to be in a situation where the blind are leading the blind - straight into some pretty crap ditches.
I suppose, at the end of the day, if life was easy, we'd all be millionaires.
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I fully support the anti-knife crime campaign however this article is a left-wing rant. As much as you are entitled to your opinion i do not agree with some of your sweeping statements.
ReplyDelete"What gives someone the right to earn more than the nurse, dustman or the toilet cleaner?"
Every free citizen in the UK has the right to earn whatever they can or want to by whatever legal method they choose, have you any concept of specialisation of labour?
It is attitudes such as "I am ENTITLED to such and such" that cause the resentment in society, not the act of people actually obtaing it.
Part of the cornerstone of a capitalist society (which does create wealth disparity) is the fact that it is the only system in the history of humanity that fully outlaws violence (or the threat of) against the person.
I'm sorry at least some of this post was seen as a left wing rant. It wasn't intended as such. I more or less agree with Ross's points here. I hope I tend to espouse a Christian perspective, I believe, rather than political.
ReplyDeleteI do think that a lack of equality in society that means many aren't able to achieve better things is responsible for at least some of our problems.
That said, most people have individual responsibility and can choose not to be violent, stick a knife in someone etc.