Absolution from Responsibilty-The State We Are In

Picture Courtesy of Birmingham Mail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poverty is caused by the failure of society, but most importantly is is failure of government to accept responsibility to address the issues that require massive spending on its infrastructure and job creation which in turn builds a good economy. In 50 years the construction of what was built from nothing in 45 was demolished by capitalism in the last 37 years when Maggie Thatcher decended on Downing Street in 79 and continued under Blair and present Governments and opposition alike. The welfare state in 45  provided a basic safety net for those in absolute poverty,which was expanded over time to be more compassionate,caring and supportive for those who fell on hard times through no fault of their own,compared to its original inception by Nye Bevan.

 

So why are we here again? Well yes the banking collapse of 2008 didn’t help matters but that isn’t the real reason. Those in power have always tried to fix the so-called ills of society and failed miserably because they don’t understand what causes it,because they are untouched by it as they mix in different circles than the rest of us. Equally some working class are just as judgmental as their oppressors. The fact someone is born into different class should not absolve them from personal responsibility nor should working class be absolved from personal responsibility neither.

I grew up in the slum society similar to that depicted in Ken Loach’s ‘Cathy Come Home’ I was born into what many call a ‘dysfunctional family’ although I know well my parents did their best in difficult circumstances of high unemployment,poverty,homelessness struggling to survive. I as a adult, decided that I would not be like my parents and dragged my ass out of the gutter thanks to them grafting all hours often working more than one job and us kids fending for ourselves. At one point we almost got put in care too. As I started out in life working hard all hours of god send to make a life for myself. I met many people along the way many who were in a different league to me class wise, I could see past their false smiles as they frowned when they looked at me,due to my coarseness of being the rough diamond amongst them, the elite and millionaires with all their wealth on display. I remember one night going to a party with my other half at the time at some country house of their work colleagues ,it was like a different world to one I grew up in,their children were privately educated and well behaved and had social etiquette were finely turned out and high achievers. One thing during the night I observed was they lacked compassion almost robotic in their words and actions and I saw a flaw they lacked basic common sense because everything was done by Nanny and parents where so busy gathering wealth their children were paraded like prized possessions with no feeling or regard. This was like a freak show to me, polished front with a emptiness inside,while I feel I had substance but lacked the polished front.

It made me realise the one who was the richest in the room was indeed myself. I saw this guy ask where to smoke, I was so bloody relieved he had as I was crawling the wall for my addictive fix, so I followed him outside. There was that awkward silence in the beginning and then he broke that silence by asking how I made a living,as a female he was took aback by my answer, I drive a bus around London I said. After a few probing questions he became quite fascinated that a woman was doing what he perceived was a predominantly a male profession and we started chatting amicably as others came and went, indulging their addiction to tobacco and other substances beside drinking like fish and becoming quite intoxicated and letting their polished masks slip. I was like a crash course of social experimentation. By the end of the night we had broken down all those barriers but I was under no illusion that I would not ever be accepted in their circles,yet we discussed all topics including spirituality, humanity we all share etc even them laughing about the queen farting like anyone else as I pointed out when we are dead we all go same place , in the same body bag to mortuary,in same hole in the ground or oven, it is only the crematorial furnishing that is different. I quite enjoyed the evening and went to others after that, where I was greeted with affection,yet deep down I knew they saw me as the nights entertainment rather than the famous names playing live music in the front room, what they failed to grasp was they actually were my entertainment as I saw them making total plonkers of themselves as well as the sneaky infidelity  going on in the garden behind the trees and undergrowth and the shallow lives they lead.

I knew then I was glad I wasn’t like them, false plastic personas while their children were damaged through lack of love and affection and suffered from multiple marriage breakups due to infidelity and domestic violence.The whole thing was a deceitful illusion presented in a Harrods bag ,while I felt privileged with my Sainsbury’s plastic bag.

What we have now in society, is the very privileged running our country like a game of chess,deciding the fate of others without any real connection to the reality of peoples lives they have power to decide over.They are out of touch and have been all their lives with exception of a few working class who have found life hard in the political landscape. It is mass NLP of the nation convincing the poor it is their own fault they are in such a bad way, with those who made good thinking they can join in kicking the fallen claiming to be middle class,when they are not, with soundbites that reflect their own personal shortcomings through transference onto the poorest in society whom over the years are so downtrodden that they actually believe they have no choices left but to accept their punishment of being born into the working class .

We are not empty vessels like many up the ladder we are enriched by our experiences in life and are fully enriched in our own way. This to me is more worthy than a fat wallet or large house and flash cars etc, we adapt to our circumstances and manage far better than our counterparts, and most likely would manage the country far better for all than they do for the few given the chance,which is what they fear from socialism,democracy.I didn’t plan on being disabled or poor but it can happen to anyone at the flick of a switch.

Today we have unprecedented poverty not seen in 100years caused by the mismanagement of the 1% who’s sense of entitlement holds no bounds while preaching to rest of society we need to lose our sense of entitlement for the crumbs on offer. It is time to rise and take our country back, without punishing those who oppress us, but by creating a fair and equal society where everyone flourishes including them while we take a larger slice of the cake to benefit everyone including the planet we live on and animals too.

It is our collective responsibility to help others who have less,if you have more it is your responsibilty to give more than those who have the least to give, to provide everyone with opportunity and hope  for the future, generation after generation. Capitalism has failed society it is time to ditch it and create a new world we can all survive in ,where everyone has a roof,food,clothing and anything else that is considered essential for functioning in the world we currently live in, with insight to adapt for the future.

It is time to raise taxes or are we all too greedy and selfish to see we cannot continue along this path of low taxes and expect good services which are being starved of funding due to the mess we are now in with another crash around the corner?

It is Humanity,Kindness,Compassion for each other that will provide us with a new blueprint for our survival.

It is why we have not learned lessons from the past and until we do we will continue to make same mistakes and cause untold suffering to the many.