write.as/jonbeckett

I got back from travelling around the country with work a couple of hours ago. On the final leg of the journey home I picked up a copy of the “Evening Standard” that had been discarded on the train. It’s a free paper printed in London each day. After flicking through the first few pages, I folded it back up – rather more neatly than I found it – and placed it back on the adjacent seat for somebody else to read.

I’m not sure where to start. I thought journalism was about reporting factual, balanced stories. The Evening Standard was full of scare-mongering articles ahead of the general election tomorrow – warning that the Conservative Party might lose, and that the Labour Party couldn’t afford the promises in their manifesto.

Here’s my read on it : the south east of England is full of people that have made a lot of money through one way or another, and now they’ve got the money, they don’t want to give any of it up to anybody else for any reason. They still however want a world-class police force, free hospitals, free dental care, and an army of incredible teachers to teach their children.

Do they not realise that you pay for what you get? Are people really that stupid, or do they just become greedy, self interested, and short sighted as they get older?

We all read articles every week about what happens if you chase capitalism to it’s logical conclusion – it’s happening right now in the US. You end up with a “successful” (read: horrendously corrupt) business person making decisions that effect millions of peoples lives, mainly to help their friends, and business associates.

Notice I’m not taking a political side here – because it’s not about ideals – it’s about not complaining about the idea of paying more for nice things.

I know how I’ll be voting tomorrow, and it won’t be to help defend the people that live in ridiculous houses, with numerous cars, tutored trophy children, and that complain bitterly about paying any more than they have to in order to help anybody except themselves.