At least they did till the Virus arrived…
The poorest people are afraid of earning nothing and finding themselves in the ‘workhouse’. A hundred years ago in the UK if you couldn’t pay your way you ended in up in a segregated, slavery workplace institution. Your children were traded as servants or received apprenticeships they had to earn their way out of. The fear of this still exists in the UK’s collective mind-set.
Eventually the social developments of progress and democracy influenced this state of affairs and the welfare state was born.
Let’s look at 2020, the world of minimum wage, payday loans with exorbitant interest, bailiffs and evictions of families with no money. Universal credit, food banks and so many more examples.
If the poor rise up and say to the rich we are on general strike then chaos and the decline of the UK as we know it will begin.
The high earners and capitalists need to be careful what they wish for. Their schemes for tax avoidance are going live to haunt them.
Then in 2020 the Corona Virus arrives and guess what? It does not respect rich or poor, developed nation or the rest of the third world. It says ‘I am a virus which will affect anyone that gets in my way’.
Sounds familiar doesn’t it.
The heroes of the hour are the nurses, doctors, cleaners, shopkeepers, delivery drivers and everyone keeping essential services running.
The politicians say no-one will be evicted during the crisis and no-one will have their electricity or gas cut off. A payment will be made to all so they can eat.
The Corona Virus in one week, in March 2020 has done so much for the tears of the poor.
By Shirley Roberts
