Money doesn’t buy happiness but poverty sure can bring misery. It looks like we are moving into a recession with fuel bills unpayable for many, wages stagnating and inflation rising to levels not experienced by anyone under 35.
Many people will be in dire need. How will we as a country react? Will our government carry out its first duty of protecting the vulnerable or will those in need be labelled as scroungers, too lazy or feckless to look after themselves? The early signs are not promising with even Martin Lewis attacked by the right-wing press a liberal pessimist for sounding the alarm.
It is inevitable that more people will be going to their GP’s seeking help for their mental health from a system already breaking under lack of investment and increased demand. For those who can easily weather the coming economic tsunami, it is easy to say, “well, I made something of myself, so why should I help those that haven’t?” This presumes a level playing field of course, Whilst we are all too aware of any unfairness in our lives, we are impressively ignorant of our privilege, exalting our hard work as the only differential between us and the irresponsible “them”.
The greatest myth is that we can all succeed; the “American Dream” is now deeply embedded in the British psyche. But for everyone millionaire in their mansion, there needs to be a thousand people doing the dirty, unappreciated and poorly paid graft that puts his steak on the plate. The philosopher, John Rawls argued that all inequality was borne of chance. Wealthy well connected family? Chance. Intelligent? Chance. Skin colour? Chance. Gender? Chance. Even our work ethic, he argued is a personality trait that we just happen to have.
If wealth inequality is seen as down to chance, what changes might we make? Might the lucky be more willing to share and appreciate their good fortune with the unlucky? The start of the pandemic saw a brief spirit of togetherness amongst many at a community level. Will this crisis bring something more lasting? It must.