Tag: Money

The poor will always have you

The phrase, “The poor will always have you,” is an inversion of a well-known quote from the New Testament of the Bible, which in modern translations generally reads, “The poor you will always have with you“. 

This statement is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (26:11), Mark (14:7), and John (12:8), and is part of Jesus’ response to his disciples when they object to a woman anointing him with expensive perfume that could have been sold to help the poor. 

Origin and Context

Jesus’ statement is a direct allusion to Deuteronomy 15:11 in the Old Testament, which states, “For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land”. 

Meaning and Interpretation

When Jesus said this, he was not dismissing the plight of the poor or suggesting that poverty is an unchangeable fate to be ignored. Instead, the original context highlights several points: 

  • A Call to Action: By referencing Deuteronomy, Jesus was reminding his followers of their ongoing, God-given responsibility to be open-handed and generous toward the poor.
  • Prioritizing Worship: The statement served as a defense of the woman’s act of worship. Jesus emphasized that while the disciples would always have opportunities to help the poor, the unique, physical opportunity to honor him before his imminent death and burial was fleeting.
  • Critique of Motives: In John’s Gospel, the objection came from Judas Iscariot, who was a thief and did not genuinely care for the poor, adding a layer of rebuke to those who use concern for the needy as a mask for their own self-righteousness or misplaced priorities. 

In summary, the phrase is a reminder of the perpetual existence of poverty in a fallen world and a constant call for believers to show ongoing compassion and generosity, but it also establishes the importance of wholehearted devotion and worship of Christ.

I am not normally one for looking to biblical texts for inspiration but this just struck a cord with me this morning. Although I am employed (happyish in my work) receive enough pay to keep a roof over my head and to try to save money for rainy days and buy goods and services that I think I need in my life, there is very little leftover to do anything else with after that.

Not that I need more money for myself but there is also a complete lack of employment opportunities to move up any form of career ladder nowadays across Britain, even if I made the time and effort to apply for other jobs. Unlike in my youth, administration manager roles or project support staff roles roles just no longer exist in a way like they used to. I know people with a desire to work that are finding it extremely difficult to step into employment now and have never witnessed an employment market as difficult and competitive as the one that exists today.

There are ways and means of getting into work and you must go the extra mile if unemployed every time to prove your worth to potential employers. I have always looked to work in a place of my choice doing something that interests me as a volunteer when out of work and that has always proved so far to be an excellent stepping stone to employed work and also a huge motivator to get out of bed and rewarding me with enjoyment and self respect.

I had up until recently been contributing small amounts or money each month to the Green Party and also a charity called International Rescue. I stopped those payments recently and it has to some extent been playing on my mind. How can someone like me help people those with less than what I have.

I would like to think there are many ways I can continue to help others. Such as how I vote, what I advocate for in the political system. What I say on my blog, what I believe in and live by. Helping a friend with less cash than me with a drink on a night out or making sure they have enough money to safely get a taxi home or other little things like that are small wins that help the people that I respect and want to support.

Poverty has felt like a real life possibility for me at times one which could if I am unlucky enough or we are all propelled into some cataclysm come back top haunt me. I was homeless (for a very short time myself once, which lead to me having the home that I have now lived in for over 15 years provided by a housing association which I now also work voluntarily for on a scrutiny panel to help improve the housing association for others, they have helped me so I am helping them now. I have always found in life that when I can not afford to give to a charity or good cause financially I can always make up for by giving my time and effort instead.

I have also been on benefits in the past when out of work or unwell with which without which I could have had nothing although saying that I have always had the love and support of my parents. They will not always be around to help me though which does make me focus my mind on ensuring I am there to stand on my own two feet on my own. To think of safety nets is not just theoretical for me but absolutely vital in order to have gone from where I was to where I am today.

To pay my way in life and hold my own not relying on anyone now financially but myself is a huge achievement to me. Though some might see holding your own and paying your way as perhaps a form of failure to me it is a genuine success. Well it must be some kind of religious quotes day for me so I will bail out with another interesting quote from the bible. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.

JAMES – Sit Down (Original Rough Trade Version Music Video)

 We need to talk about wealth and tax the rich

It really is a taboo to talk about taxing the wealthy or super rich, let alone electing political officials that introduce such measures. Most people with millions and billions of pounds can not only afford to hire great minds and accountants to ensure they pay the bare minimum in taxes, they can also afford to fund political interests in both the left and right side of the mainstream political establishment to stand up and enforce a no tax policy for the super wealthy to such an extent that it is never mainstream enough political idea or policy that might be adopted by governments across the global mainstream of wealthy or developed economies and countries where such policies could truly save and enhance lives.  

In the US wealth is good and talking about taxing wealth in some way makes you a communist ,which is just nonsense, but again the propaganda painted like dirty mud on a wall it sticks backed up by both mainstream republican and democrat parties.  

In the UK the super wealthy people here are often landowners and royalty, asset owners and stripers but not really in the game of working or being out of work but like many with wealth very quick to judge those out of work or in low paid jobs. It is so taboo in the UK to say or even argue that the monarchy should pay its fair share of tax or live within the countries means and have money spent on it that the country can afford or even just pay for its own affairs AND be taxed too – such views are heresy and taboo.  No knighthoods for the PM that advocates the downsizing of a royal budget. Its in the interest of the wealthy of the UK to see the defence of the monarchy and the money that is spent on maintaining it and not taxing it as sacrosanct because it also keeps in line the rest of the population with the illusion that no super wealthy people should be taxed of their wealth especially the royals and their chums.

Since Covid-19 the amount of money that has gone to the super rich and already wealthy has sky rocketed and they will do all they can to keep hold of said wealth even though they will do vary little with it accept have a few more digits on a bank account or two.

When money is given an opportunity to be earned or provided to those that are deemed working class, underclass or even middle class the vast majority of that finance will be ploughed back into the consumption economy which will be good for jobs and consumer spending and retailers. But when money just becomes digits in a bank account sitting generating interest for the super rich, it has no capacity to oil the wheels of an economy like it can seeing real finance in the hands of those that are able to directly spend said finance into a consumption economy.

The UK labour government are bending over backwards at present to please people that have no interest in being pleased by them. You have Trump taxing the globe for trade arguments and divisiveness generating dollars for a US government that is presently stopping many good products and services it delivers to its own citizens as well as those around the world as a huge experiment in how to screw things up that will likely go badly wrong. You have Labour in the UK rolling out Austerity 2.0 for those on benefits in the UK there is no plan 1.0 let alone 2.0 on how to modernise the monarchy or increase wealth generation from the rich in the UK, you can in no way provide for a society by piddling around at the edges of an already failing wealth maintaining system as is the UK. Those across the globe that increase their own wealth and fortune at the expense of the spending power of others often seem more like black holes absorbing and destroying other areas of the economy and sucking out the life of all in their way without replacing the taken away wealth with a a positive generated benefit at all.

This is not just a collection of theories but an unsustainable model of consumption and wealth generation. Just as economic drivers and wealth holders do not care for the wildlife and environment that sustains us all, that their wealth generation has destroyed, shock horror they also do not care about the people damaged and destroyed in the process of this pattern of wealth creation either. Hence tax the wealth before it destroys us all and there is then nothing left to be destroyed or taxed at all.   

If governments are not their to save lives and enhance the way we live then what are we voting for at all, we don’t vote for slightly better terms or existence. We vote to be given an opportunity to be alive and thrive not just to survive or slowly be chipped away at or suddenly stolen from us until we die.

Running To Stand Still – Elbow

Talking about money

I went out with a lovely woman once for a time, who did not have a lot of money, but when she would get drunk on our way home from a night out, she would give money and spend time with the homeless on the streets of Exeter and talk to them. I though it to be the cutest and most revealingly thing about her true personality and absolutely adorable.     

This decade has been a weird one so far if I am honest and this year in particular when people talk about inflation rocketing up, I and many others are really feeling the pinch this year. Cash goes out of my account these days quicker than I dare to imagine it ever could. I am fortunate in that I have a reasonably steady job on the highest wage I have ever been paid and they plan to hopefully continue to increase my wage year on year, it just takes the bosses and unions a long time to each agree what that pay rise will be. But I am finding things a little challenging and costs come into your life that you were not expecting and things have to be bought.

I had someone come back to my house after an evening out a local bar back in July and it made me feel a little embarrassed about how old and tatty my lounge furniture is, I have had it all for about 12 years and the furniture was second hand from a charity shop when I bought it new to me, so I have been thinking of getting rid of it for a while.

So I finally bit the bullet and splashed the cash and I am getting rid of my old sofa and chair this week and having a new one delivered next week. The following week will feel weird having no sofa or lounge chair to sit until the new one is delivered. Also my dad is moving to Taunton to live with his partner in October and so I am always hoping my place is welcoming enough and clean enough for family to stay here when and if they need to. So it’s a sofa bed that I have bought that hopefully friends and family can occasionally make use of if they need to stay.

As well as the odd unexpected large item to buy, I do really notice this year more than most how utility bills and food bills have just rocketed up this year. Some of my friends are on benefits and out of work for a variety of genuine employment and health reasons and I do fear for their finances more so than my own. The government is not nor has it ever been geared up to help and support people in any great capacity it merely assists many that cannot work through employment or health reasons to survive and not actually live.

I will always do my best to stay in work, maintain my own health as best I can and look after myself and my work colleagues due to the simple truth that I cannot afford to be out of work. I am so privileged to have a housing association property that keeps my rent down, but there are many bills that we must all pay the same for. If I was on benefits and out of work I have no idea how I could pay for both a mobile phone and Wi-Fi at home. Both very much staple necessities of a modern life but how you pay for them on benefits I just have no idea.

The idea of being in my home 24/7 with no work, phone or Wi-Fi really is a scary poverty fearing potential reality for me if I ever were to become unemployed in the future. Both my parents love me very much but neither are in a position to financially support me if I were to get in trouble and so I very much do my best to support myself.

Though this should in no way be a poor me post, I have my health, a job that I enjoy that pays enough to keep the wolves from my door and a little bit more.

Money’s To Tight (To Mention) By Simply Red

ESG Investing Can Do Good or Do Well, but Don’t Expect Both

https://www.wsj.com/articles/esg-investing-can-do-good-or-do-well-but-dont-expect-both-11643033321?reflink=share_mobilewebshare