D Little wrote:I first read stuff like this 40 years ago as a young teenager, nothing has changed and it never will, inequality is part of life. Unless you live in N Korea or Cuba where they're all equally poor. Still, organise a protest if it makes you feel better.
This is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions and whilst I'm no fan of Mrs May and her govt to blame them is ridiculous.
As for austerity, whatever it means, it seems that people are very quick to blame govt who stop giving them other people's money. Our politicians are dreadful, too oblivious and scared to tell us that we're drowning in debt.
‘I first read stuff like this 40 years ago as a young teenager…’ Just when I was reading The Wealth of Nations, and that was baby stuff too.
‘…nothing has changed and it never will…’ Right. Wrong.
‘…inequality is part of life…’ Inequality of wealth, you mean? In a simple sense, obviously, as it is undeniably all around us. In another sense, the sense I believe you mean (‘the rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate’, i.e. a natural or God-given state of affairs), wrong again: it is the consequence of man-made political and economic structures.
‘Unless you live in N Korea or Cuba…’ Come on, you can do better than that: more bogies.
‘…organise a protest..’ Thanks, but I don’t need your permission for anything I do.
‘This is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions…’ Probably the most sensible thing you’ve written.
‘…to blame them [i.e. the government] is ridiculous’ Read my halfpennyworth again and tell me where I did that.
‘As for austerity, whatever it means…’ Well, it means different things to different folks: for some people it means low wages and zero-hours contracts; for others it means the ability to exploit people with low wages and zero-hours contracts.
‘…people are very quick to blame govt who stop giving them other people's money…’ Most of us pay various taxes and National Insurance, so when we receive benefits (if that’s what you mean) we are receiving our due.
‘Our politicians are dreadful…’ True, and the second most sensible thing you’ve written.
’…too oblivious and scared to tell us that we're drowning in debt.’ I’m not aware that there’s any attempt to hide that.