Corona - Whingeing

Corona has disrupted everyone's life. I listened to a man on radio 4 today who had literally lost his successful business overnight & didn't get any support from the Government. There are apparently thousands, even millions, in this situation. Unsurprisingly the man was devastated. I have friends who work in the Arts who are in this position. A few may have savings, but if so, they were for the future, not day to day living for months. Some may have skills with which they can generate some income. Some have neither.

Conversely, the Government have given billions to airlines, which are private companies run by very wealthy individuals, with no strings attached. Private companies should be just that. They can't have their cake & eat it. In many cases the cake was more a gateau with plenty of cream for the top echelon.

The airline bosses whinged to government & the government opened it's coffers willingly. Just like it did for the bankers. The money it gave was our money - yours & mine. From taxes. How dare they? Whilst ordinary people struggle to keep going, to feed families, to get through from day to day. Facing goodness knows what tomorrow, because surviving this will take a lot for a great many people. The 2010 Child Poverty Act pledged to end child poverty by 2020. They aren't going to make it. The Conservatives abolished it in 2016.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/uksectoraccounts/compendium/economicreview/february2020/childpovertyandeducationoutcomesbyethnicity

Most people I know don't whinge. Most of them just make the best of it. They follow the guidelines & advice. They look out for others. They try to do what is right. There are a few who do moan & say poor me, why is this happening to me? 'Twas ever thus - They were always inclined to do that & probably always will be. They don't have the capacity for real empathy or seeing how fortunate they really are compared to many others.

Whingeing is never pretty - but the wealthy whingeing is downright sickening. The wealthy should be using the money their businesses have made for them over the years for the good of others. Seeing the profligacy & ostentation of some of the really rich "in the time of Corona" is even worse than normally.

No one actually needs millions or billions for personal use. That money could get us out of the hole we are in, & will be in for years to come, in a flash. But it won't happen, because there simply isn't enough philanthropy & sharing of wealth. There are 54 billionaires in the UK today. In 2018 there were  357,200 millionaires in London alone. Of those 4,750 were worth $30 million or more.

Frankly I think that is obscene. But I would, wouldn't I? I'm a liberal socialist.