I was talking to a friend of mine in England last week. He is in his mid seventies and lives in a council house. Council housing is government housing. But unlike here in the US, it doesn't have the same stigma attached to it, or it didn't when I was young. It might today as Thatcher changed things somewhat so they could all become an "ownership" society.
But my friend told me that the council (the maintenance of these houses is actually contracted out to private firms) just remodeled his home. He looked after his sick brother so that was a plus in getting him this three bedroom place as it relieved the state of this responsibility.
What's more, he doesn't pay any rent or any council tax. "Why is that?" I asked him. "Because of my age." he replied.
So he has a nice place to live, recently remodeled and doesn't pay any rent.
Now I think this is good. He is at the apex of his life, and is able to live in relative comfort without being bled dry by a slumlord. This is what should await us toward the end of our lives after working and paying taxes all that time.
I said to him that he is lucky, if he were here in the US he might well be living under a freeway underpass. He certainly would not have health care most likely, and he would most definitely be working to put some sort of roof over his head.
Then he tells me that he is off on a vacation to Tunisia for a couple of weeks. He's been there before and likes it.
I was telling an American friend of mine about this and they were somewhat flabbergasted. Not only is such "welfare" looked down upon by the billionaires that run the country and own the media, but, good grief, he's going on a vacation too.
He should be suffering!
What sort of society is he living in that allows someone who isn't an investor or bond trader to enjoy in comfort their retirement years?
On another note. I was watching a film tonight, becoming very involved in its mysterious plot, when the movie was interrupted by advertisements for a product that makes a mans penis bigger. It was one of many ads on the same subject. It was a bit strange actually as there was this woman hanging on his arm who seemed very pleased, almost elated that her man was going to have a bigger penis. I am not sure this was a true depiction of reality.
Never mind. What bothered me was that when the ad came on, the sound emanating from the television increased in violume considerably. In other words, the goddamn volume went up.
I scratched my head. "How can the volume go up when I don't turn the knob or operate the remote?" I asked myself. I called a friend about this who said that it is done by the television company.
This made me think about something very profound. If I am free and in control of my destiny, how come an unseen force can reach in to my living room and, without my consent, turn up the volume of my TV? Is this the norm in Cuba?
Surely I cannot be free if a simple decision like turning up the volume of my TV occurs without my consent. Am I right in thinking about these things? Or is this normality and I am going crazy?
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