Friday, May 06, 2005

"Our Economy is the Healthiest." Yeah. So What?

Originally, I wanted to title this post "Shouganai ne", Japanese for "it can't be helped". I also considered "Sigh" and "Yawn" to emphasize the fact that the elections result in the UK are no surprise to me, even if I hoped things would turn out in another fashion--if I hoped that people might open their eyes and see beyond the narrow path that their field of vision is reduced to. But then, watching a debate on TV, I was once more forced to hear that absurd sentence: "and of course one of the strong points of his campaign was centered on the fact that, thanks to his governing the country, its economy is the healthiest, the strongest."

Oh, great.

Companies are well and good, thriving even. That's so nice to hear.

Tell me, how are the real, normal, common people's lives affected by this healthy economy? How have their lives become better?

They have not?

Oh, that's so bad.

How have their jobs become more stable, more secure? How has it become more difficult to fire people? How have those who've lost their jobs been insured that they will keep getting help until they can find a job THAT MATCHES THEIR RESUME and not whatever trash thing that gets tossed their way?

They have not?

Well, really, that's too bad.

How have people's wages and work conditions grown?

Much worse?

Really, really, that's too bad.

How about the essential pillars of society that are Education and Health Care?

They're the worst around? Worse than in all those countries that are belittled because their economic growth is weak, much weaker than the UK's?

Oh, that's so bad.

This is for Mr Blair and all the believers in the almighty supremacy of economy: your mantras and dogmas are no good. Your economy is no good, serves no purpose if people are forgotten and sacrificed on its altar. Economy is useless and worthless when all it does is strengthen the differences between classes.

When it serves only to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.

When people are made to serve it.

When people are dumped and are marked with the label of "drifters".

When men and women are trashed like garbage, flushed out like excrements by a society that rejects them once they've ceased to be useful to it.

So, a healthy economy? Yeah. Sure.

Remind me again, what does it matter to me?

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