"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Thursday 16 July 2015

GRANDFATHER'S WISE ADVICE

16.37 lives by the advice of a grandfather who lived through two wars and a Great Depression. 

I've never understood why catastrophic and utterly destructive events are described in superlative terms. Wars are described as Glorious ,Great, Heroic and The  War To End All Wars.  

Grandfather's advice  also noted how governments skew facts to portray things in a different light so people can be persuaded to deny  reality. 

I grew up in the aftermath and  terrible despair of World War 1, during the terrible depression, the Second  World War and lived through years of austerity that followed to pay off debt for the conflagration .

I know how  the Greeks are feeling. 

The only people with secure jobs and "holidays" were policeman,postman,firemen,teachers and the like. 
 
In return for security and benefits ,like one week of holiday and miniscule pensions (superannuation) , wages were a paltry sum. 

Some things change. Some remain the same. 

Government at all levels skew facts and  people appear content to accept it. 

In Aurora,  the treasurer provides tables at budget time that suggest excessive taxation does not create hardship. 

The majority of residents have post-secondary education. Inckmes are higher than average so it 
doesn't  matter how high the taxation, they can afford it. 

One can understand where he is coming from. His income is well above average. He doesn't pay Aurora taxes . Apart from members of Council, he likely knows few who do. Certaily not his immediate superior. 

Obviously , he never identified with moi and never  heard a whimper from the others. Councillor Abel was certainly content to echo his support for the philosophy. He stated he had never met anyone who complained about high taxation. 

In the last eight years I never heard either Mayor or  Councillors disagree with the  theory .

Except for moi. I lived through the aftermath of one horrifying war, grew up during a dreadful depression, experienced  the awful reality of the Second War to End All Wars, sparked by stupidity of the ending of the First War To End All Wars. 

I endured twelve years of  continued threat of war and austerity that followed to pay off the debt for the war. I finally left to find something better. 

It  turned out to be a wise move. 
I found it . 
I was given an opportunity to respect and defend it. 
For which I will be forever grateful. 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, it was 10:50's grandfather.

myonlyphoto said...

... because, and I will speak for myself only, I complain at home, most of the time our family feels that there is so much we can do. Perhaps this may change in the future. This is to comment on "He stated he had never met anyone who complained about high taxation."

Anonymous said...

13:11
Picky, picky,

Anonymous said...

I wonder at Cllr Abel's pool of associates if none complain about high taxation. Perhaps they do and he choses or is unable to understand.

Anonymous said...

Funny! I've never met anyone who hasn't complained about the taxes they pay.

Anonymous said...

I don't believe for one second that nobody has ever complained abut high taxes with him. I'd like to know how many other members of council would say the same thing.