Wealth of world's 10 richest men doubled in pandemic, Oxfam says - BBC News
If this article on the BBC website doesn't make you angry, upset, or simply incredulous then I'm sorry to say it but there's something wrong with you! The inequalities highlighted are incredible, that even while the World is suffering and struggling wealth simply attracts wealth, power attracts power, while almost everybody else gets poorer.
But, I will admit that the first thing that struck me when I first saw the head line was that they're all men!
There are so many inequalities, between the global south and the global north, then between groups in each of those, men and women, black and white, but mostly between the rich and the poor. We often get upset by the oppression of the minority group we feel we most closely identify with, so a white woman may consider herself a feminist oppressed by men, while happily ignoring the racist oppression of her black sister. Yet, it is money that gives power, it is money that allows oppression, and all that money seems to still be concentrated in the hands of cis gendered straight white men. This doesn't mean that all cis gendered straight white men are rich oppressors, not be any means, but it does mean that for any one who isn't cis, white straight and male life is a little harder ~ or a LOT harder.
I don't want anyone to think that this is yet another attack on Cis, Straight, White, Men there are all too many in this country and others who fall into this category yet are in poverty, are struggling to work out how they fit into modern society, who struggle through education, who struggle through lack of economic opportunity, whose very life is a constant struggle. They are just as much part of the oppression by the rich as every other group.
Yes, of course we need to address all of these individual inequalities, certainly we need to address racism, homophobia, misogyny, islamophobia, anti Semitism etc. etc. etc. and Yes we need to stop poisoning our planet, we need to find new sources of power, we need to find sustainable ways of reducing and disposing of our waste, but most of all we need to be looking at the big picture, the big picture highlighted by this simple illustration of inequality.
The rich are getting richer at the expense of the poor, they are concentrating more and more power in their own hands disenfranchising the poor. This is happening across the World, it is happening in every Country, in every City and every community. It's time to ask ourselves what sort of a World we want to live in, what sort of a World we want our children to grow up in. Those of us who get the chance to vote, when we have the opportunity do we vote to improve our own lives or the lives of the most vulnerable in our society, do we vote for our own tribe (as embodied by a political party) or for the good of the Nation? do we vote from prejudice or on the policies presented? It's time we realised that the vast majority of the World has a common enemy, economists, political thinkers and religious leaders have been telling us this for millennia, the rich are not our protectors, they are our oppressors! ~ and it's getting worse.
While I am thinking about getting angry the more eagle eyed amongst you might have noticed a new "Friend I like to Visit" on the left, I have linked to the blog of my friend Sophia. Unlike Paula's Place her blog tends to concentrate much more on politics, and politics as they impact on Trans People. I don't always agree with her, her style is very different to my own, but she is always well informed and insightful.
No photos, no cartoons ~ it's just not funny
1 comment:
Your comments no doubt apply to a lot of rich people, and it is true that a lot of poor people are getting poorer. A few factors have to be taken into account, however, if your comments aren't going to be misconstrued. First, we must ask: are the poor getting poorer as a direct result of the rich getting richer? In some cases, probably, where the rich person is also amoral. However, there are exceptions, eg Bill Gates, who was a philanthropist to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Besides, if the wealthy man invests his wealth in job creation for fair wages, he is actually helping to alleviate poverty. All I'm saying is, we need to be careful not to tar everyone in a certain category with the same brush. Ironically, Paula, you're careful to avoid this with gender and colour, but not wealth.
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