Negative emotions

Sadness -- frustration -- anger.

What makes me feel so badly is the terrible things happening to ordinary people all over the world, every day, more and more.

What makes it worse is knowing it doesn't have to be this way.

We have enough resources on this planet, right now, to feed, clothe, house, educate and give basic medical care to every single person alive today. But, because of the greed and selfishness of a very few -- and they are VERY few indeed -- we fail on a daily basis to do so.

Maybe everyone can't have an Olympic swimming pool, a three-car garage, organ transplants, world travel, and instant gratification of their every whim. I'd say it was a safe bet to say many, if not most people would let some or all of those things go if they knew they would live in a better, more productive, healthier and safer world. Which is what you get when you reduce the gap between the richest and the poorest, and allow the middle to grow.

I'm not talking about "class" here. Just money. And other resources, which money generally buys. Middle incomes can afford all the basics, and a few luxuries too. Plus help those less able to look after themselves.

Canada used to have a society closer to this ideal. We no longer do. I want it back.

My spouse is really good at delivering help one-on-one. Me -- not so much. I'm more of a big picture person.

So, while he builds stoves, gives micro-loans and fund-raises, I'm writing letters to politicians and supporting organizations like Planned Parenthood and the Centre for Information. Because if we don't start soon, that ability to support the planet's population will vanish.

In my opinion, those very few ultra-rich had better start watching themselves, because if the have-nots they've come to rely on for their wealth start to collapse, they'll go with them. And so will we all.

This makes me angry. So I do what I can. Maybe it isn't enough, but I'm trying.

aspiration to wealth as a character flaw

Excellent op-ed article in the Globe & Mail today:

When Wealth Became A Character Flaw

I find this particularly apposite, since I had an interesting exchange over the bridge table the other night. I've been playing bridge with the same group of women for more than 30 years. We've all moved in & out of careers over that period, some in & out of relationships too.

Last week, we had a spare who, let's say, is one of the privileged few who have never had to work for a living. Or do anything productive apart from producing children. A worthy occupation no doubt, but one that doesn't tend to broaden the perspective in & of itself? And one that all too many women must do in addition to a day job, so please forgive me for my obvious bias in the case of the privileged few.

The conversation turned to the economy, as it often does these days. And of course the claw-back of the bonuses for the Arrogant, Incompetent & Greedy bastards who have been instrumental in engineering the current recession.

I ventured the opinion that "nobody is worth more than $250K a year" and was immediately pounced on by the said privileged darling, whose husband is one of the moneyed classes. A real-estate magnate, no less. What surprised me was that a couple of others in the group chimed in with her. Now, nobody in our group is in that bracket, not by half or better. It's a good lesson in how people value themselves. I suspect that a great many people tolerate the inequities in income because they aspire to be one of the 1% themselves. More or less what is pointed up as a conclusion in the above article.

As for me, I remain more of an egalitarian thinker. Lately out of fashion, but I hope to see a resurgence!