29

A Broken System

For a long time we have had stability in our lives, here in the UK, through the industrial revolution. We have seen the birth of the revolution and the end of the revolution.

Manufacturing has left this island and with it the last vestiges of our creativity.

What do we create here to pay for the goods we consume. Not enough. Yet this country has once again seen a huge influx of other nationalities to take advantage of the rights won by the last generations who worked through that revolution.

Yet without manufacturing who is going to sustain the system?

This week we see two great milestones in the press relating to this.

One is the cost of care homes; who will pay in the future for these establishments? Who will pay for the care which we thought was our right?

Attached to this debate was the plight of the elderly in this country, many of whose children no longer live in this country, but abroad, leaving elderly people to live out the rest of their lives in isolation and loneliness.

Is this the caring nation we envisaged we had?

What has happened to the family unit?

Have our lives become so busy that we do not have time to look after our own family members?

Was there a time before care homes?

Yes there was, we had hospitals to care for the chronically sick and those who were not chronically sick were cared for and cared for their families.

It is no good waiting for the authorities to repair the system. They will just complain that they do not have the money to pay for it. But systems cannot cure loneliness, only people can do that and many people have time on their hands which they should give willingly to others.

People have become isolated in their little bubbles. People have been persuaded by the media that they ‘deserve’ the best, they should be going on a cruise or having prime time with which to eat their’ dine in’ meals. Don’t we all deserve the best?

Well those elderly people who do not see anyone unless they drag themselves out in all weathers or go without human contact for weeks on end deserve also.

There was a time before television, a time when peoples ‘ time’ belonged to them; now it belongs to whoever is putting on the best show at the moment and all those people must eat in in their own homes and be thoroughly independent, must not be a drain on their families or on society.

This is the attitude which has destroyed our family units and the only people who can get it back is us the people.

I refuse to give my time to a television company. Prime time to me is when I am talking to another human being. Prime time should be used to care for our families in whatever way we can, be they young, middle aged or elderly.

We all need one another,  at sometimes in our lives more than at others. But never forget we were all young once, and we will all be old once, if we are lucky enough. Or is it unlucky enough?

The other news item which should send a shiver down the spines of every person in this country is the advertisements now being shown by “Save the Children” asking for charity donations to help children in this country not to go cold this winter.

We no longer help disadvantaged countries, it appears the balance has now tipped and we have become one of those disadvantaged countries. Well some of us have already it seems.

So do we sit back and wait for a system which cannot support itself to repair itself? Or do we each and every one of us do what we can to alleviate the suffering in our own country, the suffering of the young and the old.

Utility companies are faceless corporations. Many of the people who work for these utility companies will also go cold this winter as they cannot afford the cost of fuel on the wages they get.

There is something wrong, but only people can help other people to feel wanted and it is up to us all to support one another to the best of our ability in spite of a crumbling system and politicians attacking one another while these atrocities go on.

MP’s and AM’s do not have to worry about the cost of fuel as those who are unemployed, redundant, sick, elderly, on a low wage, or too young to care for themselves have to. But we all have time to share and we must now use it to the best of our ability to see that we are not complicit in people going hungry, cold or lonely on our doorsteps.

Forget politics, it is a talking shop, action speaks louder than words.