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Tuesday 11 July 2017

243. Sustenance - Sanitation – Safety - Is this too much to ask in 2017?

Rummage through my blog posts and they bang on about the injustices and madness of the world, using satire, allegory, metaphor, anecdotes, facts, figures, provocation, humour and sometimes just anger to make a point. But one thing is for sure; my sense of frustration comes from an absolute belief that it does not have to be like this. It should not be like this in 2017.

Below is a photo of me with my grandson. I’ve just washed my hair and we are cuddled up on my bed.THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY ANY CHILD ON THE PLANET SHOULD BE WITHOUT CLEAN WATER, FOOD, LOVE & SECURITY.

Many commentators still argue that ‘wealth creators’ need to be free to make unfettered profits and be rewarded by keeping what they make because the economic “trickle down” effect benefits us all in the end. Rubbish. That has never happened in the history of the human race. Often they don’t make money; they exploit the people who do. Many of the world’s current richest oligarchs made their billions by appropriating their country’s natural resources i.e. stealing from their fellow nationals.

And yes – there are exceptional entrepreneurs who try to use their money for good. But, if we live in the hope that enough good people get rich, we will be waiting a long time for things to change on the ground.

As the world spins faster, signs that inequality is the route of human misery have never been more obvious. From people-trafficking and the thousands of watery graves in the Mediterranean to those exploiting children in refugee camps to poverty and starvation in countries rich in natural resources, the evidence is grim. Globally we have de facto slavery, the new growth of sweatshops, even here in the UK e.g. in Leicester and the Cannibal Economy (see blog 208) all around us.

There is no justifiable reason why so many of our fellow humans have to live in fear, insecurity, deprivation, exploitation and degradation. We know the answer. The tiny minority at the top of the pile need to have a lot less so that the overwhelming majority can have enough. It is that simple.

The innate selfishness and greed of many with power and influence, coupled with the inertia of the comfortable folk in supposedly democratic countries, maintains the status quo. Sadly, it is a status quo that increasingly suits a smaller and smaller elite.

There are multitudes of good people out there. Like you, I meet many in my daily life. I even think the good folk are vastly in the majority but for some reason, at present, their voices seem to be drowned out (see blog 152 – Could the nice people speak up please.)

N.B.This blog is taking a break until Tuesday 5th Sept but I shall say prayers for the millions around this supposedly civilised world who still do not have a basic, wholesome living environment; sustenance, sanitation and somewhere safe to rest.

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Amanda is available for public speaking / lunch or dinner comedy-entertainment /panel discussions etc. Inquiries to Caro Day - edinburghfft@gmail.com