Shut the F Up

Do you know how extremely fortunate you are?

Perhaps you need a reminder.

I know a person who whines continually about how hard life is. This person has their own house. Their own car. Their own housekeeper. They live alone. They go on extended paid vacations overseas. They buy expensive clothes. Eat at expensive restaurants. But life is so very hard, don’t you know? So difficult to find a work life balance.

I know a man who works 3 jobs to support himself and his family. He works when he is so sick he can barely stand up. Because if he doesn’t work, he doesn’t get paid. And if he doesn’t get paid, a whole lot of other people don’t eat.

I watched a young man stealing menstrual pads in the drug store. Stuffing them into his pants and sleeves. Why would a man steal that? Because he and his partner are broke.

To all you self entitled spoiled brats out there, you need a wake up call. A hefty reality check.

Maybe we can’t solve poverty on our own, but we can be damn grateful for what we have, and not ever forget it.

Next time you go to whine about a privileged first world problem, check out what life is really like for a large portion of the population in one of the richest nations on earth.

And shut the F up.

Adopt a Granny

Did you know that in Canada there are over two million senior citizens living on $18,000 or less per year? That is, 15% of all seniors live in poverty.

Can you live on 18K or less a year?

A large percentage of these people are single and women.

If ten million dollars can be raised to support an illegal protest, then surely people could spare a hundred dollars or so a month to help a senior.

I have said it before. A small amount of money can make a huge difference in someone’s life. And it is often the lack of a bit of currency that denies people a decent life and robs them of their dreams.

I know seniors are not as cute as a puppy or as endearing as a child, but they are just as in need of housing, food, medicine, care and companionship.

You are probably not aware of a seniors needs. Adults tend to hide their poverty.

So if you know of someone, and it could be your own granny or grandpa, that could really benefit by you buying their medicine once in a while, pay their rent for a couple of months, buy their groceries for a few weeks, or just give them some extra cash to do with as they please, it’d really be appreciated.

Adopt a Granny today.

What a Dollar Can Do

Imagine if everyone in this world received a basic income.

For the want of a very small amount of money people cannot move forward in their lives.

It usually does not take much to have peace of mind. Enough to pay the rent. Enough to buy food. Enough to make a dream come true.

If everyone had enough money for their basic needs, what do you think this would mean?

No more poverty. It’d reduce crime.

Most people are not lazy. But most people are desperate and living on the edge. If they have a guaranteed income, it gives them freedom to become all that they can be. How could this not benefit the entire world?

The ones who do not want to work, this is totally okay. I mean, think about it. We already have that. What harm is in it? Most people want to have purpose and to be contributing to society. So most will continue to work. The ones that don’t, so what? They are in the minority.

I think this pandemic has exposed the huge flaws in capitalism. That the rich get insanely more rich, and the poor insanely more desperate.

The people who resist basic income are the uber rich because they want to enslave people. Their employees. There are very rare exceptions to this.

What if people could no longer be enslaved? What kind of revolution would we see in the working world? I envision a much safer, freer, compassionate working environment. Why do employers feel they must control their employees like they are children? If they have what they need, are treated like adults, and enjoy their work, and have respect for their bosses, a good job will be done.

What kind of revolution would we see in fixing the global messes we have of pollution, climate change, despots, dictators?

Before you dismiss universal basic income, give it a lot of thought how it would affect your life. What would you do with it? Make a dream come true? Go back to school? Quit your soul sucking job and do something you enjoy? Donate the money to charity? Volunteer? Work less hours and contribute more to friends, family time, strangers?

Obviously, the money has been there this whole time. It just hasn’t been used properly.

Poverty In Our Own Room

In this world of an ever increasing divide between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have nots, we tend not to notice that poverty can be right in our own rooms.

The people we work with.

Our friends.

Ourselves.

How many wealthy bosses and business owners, world leaders and politicians don’t even notice the sometimes wide spread poverty of their own employees or constituents or worse, don’t even care. Many have been rich a long time and have no understanding on any level of what it means to struggle financially. To not be able to pay bills, make ends meet, save money. To not have any future.

There is a failure to see that poverty is not just the masses of people living in horrific conditions elsewhere in the world. It is right under our noses.

Poverty is on the increase in our country, not just for the unemployed and seniors, but prevalent in the working masses. Single parents forced to sleep at work because they are homeless. People walking for miles to work because they can’t afford transportation. People without heat or electricity or water – right here in our own country. What about people who are wiped out by hurricanes, fires or ill health who have no “emergency fund” or insurance. The “emergency fund” and buying insurance by the way, are just clever ploys to make us think financial difficulties are our fault (good luck trying to collect from insurance when you need it too). The real problem is low wages and the resulting debt load (how the F can you put money away for a ‘crisis’ or afford insurance, when you can’t put food on the table). How can your wages compete with runaway inflation (look at the cost of food, housing and transportation-out of control and caused by greed).

Totally disgusting that many states and provinces have blocked the increase of minimum wages. Corporations, governments and banks have enslaved the majority of the population with debt. Debt is no longer a symptom of overspending on luxuries, that was back in more prosperous days – now it is a necessity in order to survive.

For want of sometimes a very small sum of money, a person cannot go forward in life, or worse, loses what little they have. Even if the rich do help, they want pay back, with interest.

Gone are the days – long gone are the days, when if you just work hard enough, get more education or kiss the bosses ass, you’ll be a success. Now you have to kiss the bosses ass just to survive.

Many of us will have to keep on working long past the point where we are physically and mentally able. Probably many are at that point now.

My Mom always said, charity begins at home. And we have a big problem, right here at home.

The answer to poverty in our own room is just that. Charity begins at home. We can no longer turn to our governments or politicians for help as they are greedy and self serving (politicians are just wannabe rock stars and governments serve big corporations). No, it is happening in the hearts and minds of ordinary people.

People rally together to help those in need. When we are made aware, we take action. Look at the website Sunny Skyz and you will see all kinds of people doing all kinds of acts of kindness that make huge differences in peoples lives.

A pair of shoes. A blanket. Another chance at life.

We can no longer look up to the big wigs, the bosses, the politicians, the corporations, the uber rich. We have to do it ourselves – and we are. In even small ways, every day, we can change the world into a much better place.

Our governments and world leaders fail us. They are not interested in our welfare or the worlds. Most of our leaders are self serving or dictators. The more we realize this, the more we can fix things ourselves. Right here in our own rooms.

Where Does It Start?

I got bent out of shape this week over a certain governments decision to lower the minimum wage, and stop overtime pay for teenage workers. I was even more upset by the support this received.

On many levels, this is just plain wrong. And stupid.

First of all, this is blatant discrimination, not that this is anything new in companies. They pay women less, ethnic groups less, seniors less. Why not teenagers too?

If you do the work, you should be paid for it.

Everyone jumps to the conclusion such a move will benefit small business. These types of decisions are not for small business. This is to win support from big business, after all, they are the ones who monetarily support politicians and hire most of the labour.

Most definitely these same companies are not cash strapped or too poor to pay people. They use the money saved from paying their employees to lavish CEO’s and shareholders with millions upon millions of dollars they did nothing for.

Politicians pull the ‘help small business’ bullshit card because people automatically root for the underdog. They forget who does most of the hiring; it is the Walmarts, Canadian Tires, Tim Hortons and the like. They are the ones who really benefit.

Having employees and despising that fact is common in all business. It is a version of the Fawlty Towers syndrome; this hotel would run smoothly if we didn’t have customers – this business would be rich if we didn’t have employees – better yet, have them and not pay them!

Kings and Queens, Lords and Emperors and the like from the beginning of time figured this one out – it is called slavery.

How prevalent and accepted it still is in our affluent societies. Many beautiful creations of human kind have been built from slavery. Is this something we should be proud of and continue?

Lowering minimum wage is one thing, but perhaps the most devious part of this plan is to not pay for overtime. Wow, you know what that means. If you do not do overtime when they ask, and they will demand it because they don’t have to pay you more, you will be terminated. They will need more employees to do overtime because they will hire less. This is the law of the land for most retail – do as we say or you are replaced, the bottom line is always money. Oh, I could go on about retail! We don’t have to pay you shit, we can work you till you drop and then, next!

Such seemingly little policies like lowering minimum wage and not paying overtime for teenagers can soon infiltrate a larger populace, namely the adult worker.

What is the real reason we have poverty in this world – especially in our own filthy rich country? Where does it start? Right here.

Free For All

Because I am a dreamer I believe in free education and health care for everyone (including veterinary care for our animals).  How this could become possible under our current systems, I have no idea, but that does not change my beliefs.

Going through a medical ordeal myself, I see the awesome technology we have for diagnosis and treatment, and the sad reality of how that is doled out.  Progressively medicare favours those who can afford it, as opposed to those who need it.  Although not so prevalent in my more socialistic country, it is creeping in none-the-less.

We have a desperate need to teach people how to get along, how to treat animals and be respectful of our environment.  All forms of formal education fail us, and higher education is only for the elite.

Education and health care are moral and ethical necessities.

Just as is saving our environment.

No longer options.

We cannot afford to idle our time writing up yet another report or debating these issues.   We need to take action.  NOW.

Our leaders fail us.  Politicians are too busy being rock stars, spending our tax dollars on self glorification, public relations and personal money making interests.  Meanwhile our infrastructures are crumbling (roads, power stations, city buildings, etc.), pollution, sickness and poverty are rampant.  Most, if not all of this, totally fixable and preventable.  We have no excuses left.  We have the technology and brains to solve all our problems.  We just have to do it.

Fortunately, it is beginning.  People like Bill Gates and Boyan Slat are welcome vigilantes.  Governments serve their purpose as policy makers and law givers and I have no problem with having high standards we must adhere to.  But we can’t look to our leaders for action.  Action has to come from people.

Imagine a world where everyone is afforded medical diagnosis and treatment.  Where every one is educated (I don’t mean just formal education – I mean also learned in how to treat others, animals and the environment).

Imagine our environment pristine, no longer there to be ravaged, but to be enjoyed.  We are self sustaining.  No carbon foot print.

And

Free for All.