Should millionaires protest to #EndAusterityNow?
Yesterday, quarter of a million people marched in London against austerity cuts. Among the protesters were millionaires Russell Brand, Charlotte Church and author Owen Jones. Can these people speak out for the poor with a silver spoon in their mouth?
William Wilberforce was a wealthy northerner, he was a white, evangelical Christian and he fought tirelessly for the abolition of slavery. Did the press say, 'this dude isn't black, he doesn't own slaves and isn't a slave himself; why on earth is bothering with this petition and using his MP influence to change the law?'
Lloyd George was a liberal politician and the first Welsh Prime Minister. A womaniser and a radical. When he introduced the welfare system, did the world say 'what does Lloyd know about being poor?' He gave the vote to women and even allowed them in Parliament, but he's a man?! How outrageous!
Thomas Coram was a sea captain. He wasn't a poverty stricken mother forced to abandon her children, but he still started the Foundling Hospital to care for and educate abandoned children.
Jeremy Bentham was a well to do philosopher and the spiritual founder of UCL. He may have had a teapot as a pet, but he was no criminal. This didn't stop him reforming the prison system and fighting for the abolition of the death penalty.
All these people are incredible and changed the world for the better. What heroes they are to ordinary people. Just because they didn't suffer from the affliction they were fighting for/against, doesn't mean that they are void of humanity. Without the help of these key influencers, I'm sorry but our voices will not be heard.
You can protest all you want. You can sign every petition. You can blog the hell of any issue and you can wear all the badges. Unless you are in power and have influence, you won't affect change.
True #EndAusterityNow #AusterityMarch pic.twitter.com/YGzrlIOSd5
First published 21/06/2015
Is this the queue for the foodbank? #endausteritynow #junedemo #imtheretoo pic.twitter.com/osZbu7ApZQ
— Zenscara (@zenscara) June 20, 2015
Yes they should. I know the press will be having a field day, condemning Rusty and Char as hypocrites. After all, they're rich, they live in gentrified areas that have priced the poor out of the area and they can afford private healthcare - their lives will rarely be touched by the public sector. However, just because they managed to break out of their working class shackles, doesn't mean that they've stopped caring or they have no comprehension of fairness.William Wilberforce was a wealthy northerner, he was a white, evangelical Christian and he fought tirelessly for the abolition of slavery. Did the press say, 'this dude isn't black, he doesn't own slaves and isn't a slave himself; why on earth is bothering with this petition and using his MP influence to change the law?'
Lloyd George was a liberal politician and the first Welsh Prime Minister. A womaniser and a radical. When he introduced the welfare system, did the world say 'what does Lloyd know about being poor?' He gave the vote to women and even allowed them in Parliament, but he's a man?! How outrageous!
Thomas Coram was a sea captain. He wasn't a poverty stricken mother forced to abandon her children, but he still started the Foundling Hospital to care for and educate abandoned children.
Jeremy Bentham was a well to do philosopher and the spiritual founder of UCL. He may have had a teapot as a pet, but he was no criminal. This didn't stop him reforming the prison system and fighting for the abolition of the death penalty.
All these people are incredible and changed the world for the better. What heroes they are to ordinary people. Just because they didn't suffer from the affliction they were fighting for/against, doesn't mean that they are void of humanity. Without the help of these key influencers, I'm sorry but our voices will not be heard.
You can protest all you want. You can sign every petition. You can blog the hell of any issue and you can wear all the badges. Unless you are in power and have influence, you won't affect change.
True #EndAusterityNow #AusterityMarch pic.twitter.com/YGzrlIOSd5
— Timothy Powell (@TCP1980) June 20, 2015
First published 21/06/2015
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