There’s been a lot of talk about Benefits Street. How about Parasite Street instead?
A new website is seeking to turn the conversation about scrounging in Britain on its head.
Parasite Street shows that state welfare for landlords, bankers, corporations and companies that under pay their staff amount to fifty-four times more than benefit fraud. So, it asks, “shouldn’t our priority be on eliminating subsidies to the rich?”
Meanwhile in Ireland, Michael Taft published research today showing that high earners have seen their weekly earnings rise much faster than lower income groups.
While managers and professionals have seen a 10% increase in their income during 2010-2013’s austerity, clerical, sales, service, production, transport and craft workers have either seen marginal increases or a decrease.
All while young jobseekers have seen two cuts to their benefits.
Taft’s blog is well worth following for more gems like:
- The poorest income bracket in Ireland pays as much tax as a percentage of its income as the richest.
- Profits for Irish business have risen 21% since 2007.
- Over 1.1 million people in Ireland suffer from deprivation.
In Ireland, as in Britain, we have a media and political system of, for and by the rich which represents the worldview of the minority who have it good. In that climate it’s easy to forget sometimes that 50% of this country have a gross income of less than €18,000 per year.
But we all know Ireland is one of the world’s leading tax avoidance hubs.
So, who are we gonna believe? The media, politicians and their demagoguery? Telling us to aim our anger at people on benefits?
… Or what’s stark bleedin obvious once you look beyond their spin and at the society we actually live in.
The divisions that matter are between the top and bottom.
Comments
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/thinking-the-unthinkable-to-cut-dole-queues-29924374.html
Didn’t they make a program something like that before? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SKg6-kNskw
Just found out today that I will be bankrupt when retired due inequitable tax management by the Govt of divorced families……. Blood Boils!!!!!!!!!
Scumbags all.
You’re right to point out the perverse focus on the poor who receive welfare over the rich but what sin has the buy-to-let landlord committed that should earn then such opprobrium?
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