New Year, same problem

Happy New Year

Here we are, three weeks into a new year, and I feel my first rant coming on. As is often the case, the cause of my ire is the actions of Homo sapiens rectus – or the right wing politician, verily a different species of human. The context is the increasing use of food banks which is catalogued across this fair and pleasant land. The use even extends to people who are in full-time employment. Our local MP – a well-padded Conservative who claims (toeing the party line from Boris to Edwina via ‘Darge’ – the conjoined twins David Cameron and George Osborne) that this merely reflects the greater availability. He states that the good people who donate to Food Banks have been mobilised by efficient charities to create a supply glut. His compadres extend this to arguing a lifestyle choice on the part of the users – buy beer and lean on the food bank to feed the kids or go without beer and feed the kids on your own.  In effect, it is too easy to access support from a Food Bank – it should be much more difficult. Perhaps we need a few deaths from starvation just to be sure we are on the right side of the supply/demand surface. There are two obscenities going on here – the first is the obvious message going out to the donors that they are not needed, there are too many food banks. The second, the subliminal message that the donors are actually acting against the government wishes – after all, if food banks are a crutch for the ‘workshy scrounger’, then donation to a food bank is working counter to the policies aimed at forcing such folk to get a job. In effect, therefore, the Conservative party is telling people to stop donating because they are facilitating the abuse of the welfare system.

In the week of the celebrations for the birthday of Robert Burns, somebody might be moved to quote one of my favourite poems and wonder just how far are we from this ideal:

‘Then let us pray that come it may

(As come it will for a’ that),

That Sense and Worth o’er a’ the earth,

Shall bear the gree an’ a’ that.

For a’ that, an’ a’ that,

It’s comin yet for a’ that,

That man to man, the world o’er

Shall brithers be for a’ that.’

‘Bear the gree’ – be given value (roughly translated).

 Now, awa ye gan, tak a drap o’ kindness yet, an’ dream o’ better days.