I came across this blog entry The Reason Obamaism Won't Last - in the middle of the euphoria of Obama's election as the president of the USA. Whilst I have my own reservations about the elation of this momentous occasion, I still recognised the significance of this election.

However, the blog entry got me thinking, after all no-one can be trying to better one's life without learning from the world around us, learning and observing - for learning is one of the most precious gifts we humans possess - but - so is empathy and kindness. Like many people who have the guts, opportunity or just the plain luck to be in a position to better themselves, the writer of this blog makes the same mistake of assuming that all other human beings are lazy and everyone just wants to sit around and get paid.

Whilst there are many people that are a risk averse, we have to recognise that people who are hard working and risk averse allow us who have the guts to put ourselves and sometimes everything else including out families on the line the opportunity to truly shine. There can be no rich people if everyone else is rich as well. Even in a country such as The UK and many parts of Europe with the social safety net, many people still choose to work - so much so that governments have to subsidise their low incomes with some sort of social top-up. For many people, the holding down of a job provides some pride and reason in their lives. Some people like doing things that don't pay well, others don't like it but do it anyway because they are scared to make the sacrifices necessary to change their situation but all add to the fabric of a society.

I doubt as rich as he may be that the writer of that blog article would like to have to walk/drive past the dead bodies of people who have starved to death in his streets. As a civilised society we need to ensure a minimum liveable standard for all our citizens. That is the baseline, the lowest common denominator, from which everyone starts - where they go from there is up to them. Many people deserving of that kind of opportunity (in the 3rd World for example) do not have that safety net.

Tax is the price we pay for the opportunity - if we take no or small opportunities, then we pay small tax but if the society we live in allows us big opportunities, then our overheads will also be higher. Simple as that. After all what will you do with your billions - like Bill Gates probably give it away to causes that should have been funded by tax in the first place? If the problem is how the tax is distributed - i.e. to really lazy people, it the system of defining who gets the benefits of the tax that needs fixing - not the denial of help to those who will need it only for a while before jumping and flying up right behind us.

May you find the balance.

[First published on my Talking2Myself blog on specified date]