Part 2 of a three part interview with George Ridley.
If you haven't already, you may want to read
Part 1.
What is happening at present in New Zealand?
Trends under the present system:
- Deterioration of the environment
'Band-aid' regulations fail to stem the trend.
- The transfer of wealth upwards
There is an ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor.
- The erosion of democracy
There is a widespread feeling in the community that the ordinary
citizen
has very little, if any, influence on decision making. Decisions are
often
made behind closed doors - in cabinet or board room - sometimes
overseas.
- The break-up of communities
This is especially evident in rural communities as people are forced
to
move to the cities by the lack of job opportunities and the closure of
such
places as hospitals and banks.
- Erosion and denial of the sense of the spiritual or sacred
The intrinsic value of intangible aspects of life is lost and the view
promoted is that only money matters. For instance historic buildings
are
destroyed and replaced by huge modern buildings which are hopefully
functional but lack the variety and atmosphere of the older
buildings.
Often they are in the inner city which is oversupplied with office
space
and stand partly empty.
- Feelings of incapacity and helplessness
A large section of society has ceased to believe in personal worth and
ceased to hope for a better way of life.
What are the obvious resulting problems?
Poverty and the poverty trap
Families have been living too long in crowded, sub-standard housing
and
struggling to pay for the essentials. Too many are unable to free
themselves from the poverty trap and make a fresh start because they
lack
the extra money needed and because they have lost confidence in their
own
ability.
Many beneficiaries feel that there is a stigma in being on a benefit
and
tend to withdraw from community activities.
People who have been unemployed for a long period find it particularly
difficult to get work.
Employers agitate for the removal of the minimum wage. Even those who
have
employment often receive such small wages that they have to go to
foodbanks
to feed their families.
As people drift from the rural areas to the cities in the hope of work
they
are cut off from supportive communities and those communities grow
smaller
and weaker. The new urban dwellers seem often to be known only by
their
IRD number.
Loss of self esteem
Many people feel that receiving a benefit carries a stigma and that
their
work is not valued.
Unpaid work needs recognition.
Unpaid work in the home, among neighbouring families or in voluntary
organisations goes unrecorded and unrecognised. Government support
for the
disabled, those with health problems and the elderly has been reduced.
This means that the work of the volunteers is of vital importance in
reducing the costs to society from illnesses aggravated by loneliness
and
lack of care, crimes arising from despair, and suicides.
Inequity between the sexes
Women tend to feel that they are regarded as of little worth because
they
are the majority of the unrecognised voluntary workers. Also the only
work
available to many of them is paid at a lesser rate than is paid to
men.
Stress
In addition to the loss of self-esteem, struggling to survive
financially,
having little hope of ever gaining employment, living in a society
where
constant advertising promotes consumerism as the key to happiness -
all
these tend to produce ever increasing stress.
Crimes associated with poverty and/or drug taking
People driven to despair by poverty commit crimes that they would not
have
contemplated if they had satisfying work to do and a fair wage.
Despair and
boredom lead to drug taking and users often resort to crime to support
their habit.
Problems in the education system
The education system which is geared too much to learning 'facts' and
skills supposedly needed in the workplace but not to people's real
needs is
failing young people.
Truancy in schools is increasingly common. Where both parents are out
all
day children can play truant without their parents' knowledge. Living
in a
hopeless situation of poverty and/or benefit dependence can take from
the
children any incentive to become educated in a system which seems to
have
no relevance for them.
Youth suicide
Stress and a sense of futility have led to an increase in youth
suicide.
New Zealand's youth suicide rates in recent years have ranked among
the
highest in the OECD countries.
Problems in the health system
Thousands of people are coping with ill health because they cannot
qualify
for treatment in the public system and cannot afford the cost of
private
treatment or health insurance.
Insecurity among senior citizens
The inability of the political parties to come to any agreement about
superannuation payments as the proportion of senior citizens increases
has
led to great anxiety for superannuitants as they try to budget for
essentials, for health care and for electricity costs which are being
increased just as the weather is becoming colder. Many live in fear
of
'home invasions' as crime increases.
An unwieldy welfare system
In June 1998 over 800,000 people were drawing welfare payments. The
multiplicity of welfare schemes and the large number of recipients
require
a huge staff to administer payments.
The search for an escape
The desire to escape from tension and hopelessness leads people to
find
excitement and a financial solution through gambling, or relaxation
through
alcohol or through smoking cigarettes or marijuana - all addictive
pursuits
which often lead to the problems of ill health or debt.
An irrelevant measure of the well being of society
Governments measure the well being of the people through the Gross
Domestic
Product or the Gross National Product - measures based on total money
spent
and taking no account of social or environmental matters.
The loss of democracy
Individuals feel increasingly powerless as right wing politicians
lobby
hard to reduce the power of Regional Councils, to step back from MMP
and to
reduce the number of representatives in Parliament.
Congested and unhealthy cities
The drift to the cities has led to overcrowding and the increasing
numbers
of vehicles cause ever more pollution.
A general lowering of moral standards
The present system promotes competition and individual self-interest
to the
detriment of cooperation and compassion.
A new direction is needed, but what options are there?
Read Part 3 of the interview with George to find out the ways in
which he believes a
changed taxation system could assist the future of the planet and its
people.
