The lies, propaganda and the promotion of inequality all wrapped up in the Budget

By Lucette Davies

I will admit that I watched George Osborne’s Budget speech with an air of fear surrounding me.  As I explained in a previous post I was truly scared that welfare reforms would force me into  taking drastic actions that would be truly detrimental to my life, happily they haven’t, at least not yet.  But I watched with horror as I saw how welfare reforms were so often justified by running down those who need welfare.  Iain Duncan-Smith got close to leaping into the air and cheering with satisfaction, it was hard to feel that his joy was not linked to forcing an ideological change that the Tories have yearned for.

Duncan-Smith demonstrates the double standards that exist between rich and poor

By Lucette Davies

Tory Party welfare reforms have caused untold misery for the people who claim both in-work and out-of-work benefits.  Iain Duncan-Smith described a recent petition signed by 200,000 people as “disgraceful”.  The petition called for him to  release details about the number of people who have died after being found fit to work.  He has spoken time and time again about: “making work pay” and reforming welfare to stop anyone feeling: “they can get something for nothing”.  But it seems he is exhibiting that  set of double standards that now pervades British society.  Double standards shown, not only by the government, that allow the wealthy to get away with expecting something for nothing.

We need to tackle inequality and break down barriers that divide us

By Lucette Davies

Rachel Dolezal, an American Civil Rights Group President is making headlines today as her parents have spoken out about the fact that she is only pretending to be black.  My reaction is that this is something she has decided to do and her parents need to respect her decision.  Aside from that, this raises the very important question of whether she needed to pretend she was black.  Is American society placing so much emphasis on the importance of skin colour that only a black person will be listened to regarding civil rights?

Reassessing the importance of accruing wealth

By Lucette Davies

To be honest this video that I am sharing here is one of the most powerful and thought provoking presentation of ideas that I have ever seen.  It has left me feeling almost shell-shocked and questioning my own way of being and my  beliefs about the world I live in.  I feel I want to share in this post my own reactions to this short film.  But please do watch the film it says more than I can ever say.

As the government cuts back the people fight back

By Lucette Davies

On Saturday thousands of people, from all walks of life, gathered in London to protest against the next round of austerity measures that are due to hit the country soon. In other towns and cities, smaller groups also took to the streets with a spirit of solidarity and a determination to fight against cuts that will hit those least able to afford it hardest.

Relative poverty in the global village

By Matthew Hynds

Here’s a riddle for you: How can I be on an average income, and also among the richest 1% of the population? Answer: because I live in a rich country.

If I lived in Tajikistan, which has the lowest average earned income, at around £1700 per person per year, then I would find myself in the top 37% of the world’s earners, as calculated by http://www.globalrichlist.com/. That means that nearly two thirds of the world’s population are living on less than that. From research commissioned by the United Nations Millennium Project, we know that 2.7 billion people live on less than $2 per day, and one billion people live on less than one dollar.

The greed of the big pharma corporations leaves disease untreated

By Lucette Davies

Meningitis in an infant can be fatal and if the baby survives there is a real risk that they may be left with some deformity.  Parents will be relieved to hear that a vaccine for Meningitis B has now been developed.  But, I can’t imagine how angry they must be to know that their children cannot yet have the drug as the government cannot agree a price for it with the pharmaceutical industry.

Court of Appeal ruling against wheelchair users on buses

By Eddie Saint-Jean

The Court of Appeal recently ruled that wheelchair users have no automatic right to designated wheelchair spaces on buses. One might immediately think ‘well what is the point of them?’ it would seem they are now only accessible by the grace and favour of able bodied passengers.

Climbing the social ladder is getting harder and harder

By Lucette Davies

Money has always bred money and advantages create more advantages.  Looking at this another way you can say that without money you cannot get money, and disadvantages will bring about more disadvantages.

I believe that this has always been the case but the more I look around me the more I feel that social mobility is getting harder for people who are starting at the bottom.