Hot winters

Is it that far? Are we on the brink of capitalism? Or rather at the beginning of the end? I hope so. Every day we are confronted with its excesses. The shameless hoarding of money at the expense of a majority who mean well. It seems like the world is "on fire" on several fronts. I am not just talking about the forest fires we are facing. 

The climate crisis is still not being properly addressed. First it was overshadowed by greed, then by the corona pandemic, and now by the general crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and skyrocketing energy prices. 

The bill for not addressing climate change properly will be large and will hit even harder than what we are experiencing now. It really is five past after twelve! But also on other levels. Besides capitalism, the current malaise is also, or mainly, the result of years of non-policy. By politicians who, through fear of losing votes, do not do what really needs to be done. As a result they not only maintain problems but also make them worse.

Helplessness

You also see a lot of helplessness. A prime minister who can only respond to the current energy crisis by saying that the next five to ten years will be hard winters, but that we as a country will pull through. If all Belgians were to receive his salary, that would be the case. In the current context, however, I have many questions about it. 

Ditto regarding the drug violence in Antwerp. You see politicians pointing fingers at each other. Not because they really believe it's the other's fault, but simply because they don't see a solution within the framework of the next election. And so they like to pass the blame. 

But make no mistake. In the UK we are now seeing what awaits us. A completely disrupted society. As a result of years of cost-cutting and the belief that a good society is one with as little government as possible. The health care system is on its last legs. As well as the entire service sector. The answer from the future Prime Minister of the UK is yet another capitalist solution (which isn't one): even more tax reduction. The result will be even less money for public services. Going back to Thatcher's recipes is not the answer; on the contrary, it is a continuation of what caused the current malaise. It is since Thatcher and Reagan that we live in a world where everything is about maximum profit for a handful of shareholders. We see the result of these policies every day now. 

Monthly payment

Meanwhile, the latest proposal from Eneco for our monthly repayment for gas and electricity has risen to over 600 euros a month. And it keeps rising. Despite our solar panels that have been generating quite a bit of power over the past few months. I cannot possibly imagine what someone without such an installation in an old house has to pay. As prime minister not getting any further than saying that tough winters are ahead looks more like guilty neglect to me! By the way, I don't need a prime minister to see that there will be severe winters. I can see that myself.

How do other people cope with this? 

At the same time, I wonder how all those families are going to cope. On the one hand, there is the cry that we are in the shit because of high energy prices. On the other hand, we go on vacation abroad en masse. We keep shopping every weekend until we drop, and we go en masse to one of the many expensive festivals our country has to offer. 

From which I conclude that apparently for many it is not such a problem after all, those high (energy) prices. Or are we doing something wrong? We both work. I work full-time, Nina four-fifths. In itself that gives a nice monthly income. And yet... right now my savings account is at 60 euros. Nina's will probably be at 0. So an increase to 600 € per month, forget it, that's just impossible. I really don't know where to get that from. 

We don't have a car, nor have we had a pool built in our yard. Nor a modest jacuzzi. We don't go out to dinner and have a drink at a cafe. Visiting an amusement park or something similar: Zero We go to the cinema on averagely once or twice a year. Although that has been a while too. We have never gone on vacation abroad with the whole family. 

Also no expensive racing bikes or glitzy motorcycles in our garage. No shopping trips on in the city. We lead a very simple lifestyle, without bling bling or luxury. Don't get me wrong, I would like to add two things clearly:

1.           I have nothing against people who do have all that. You are all entitled to it. Certainly no envy on my part in this regard. Please enjoy it.

2.           I do not mind a simple life at all. On the contrary, I think it suits my easily overstimulated brain very well. I have no need for much of the above. For years I did my bike rides with the cheapest mountain bike i could by. That simple bike gave me many miles of pleasure. 

More or less? 

I read some time ago that companies paid about 90% taxes on profits a hundred years ago in USA.  I certainly don't want to plead to go back to that. But the idea of reducing taxes to address the current state of affairs seems to me to be anything but the right one. The idea of letting the market play and fix it? No, I certainly don't believe in that. Today we see that 'the market' makes super-profits which doesn't flow back to society. Should the heaviest shoulders contribute a little more, it would make a big difference. Wouldn't it? When 2% extra taxes on millionaires are proposed, a large part of the current political class finds this a truly outrageous proposal. 

When I say "the heaviest shoulders" I'm not talking about the local hard-working. family businesses. They have a very hard time of it themselves. In addition to high energy prices, they have to reduce their production because of the many open vacancies. I am talking about the large multinationals that paradoxically, with one crisis after another, are making even more profit. Profit that then flows to a small group of shareholders. People who probably already have everything their heart desires, but find it important to have the biggest or the most? 

A healthy society is one where everyone takes good care of each other. Where everyone takes responsibility. Not one where everything is about growth. Today it is clear where the fetish of continuous growth is leading us. Please stop doing that!

But we are very far from that now. Despite the energy shortage due to high prices, I would like to make a prediction: Dear Prime Minister, we are just about to have some very hot winters. Unless you stop letting the lobbyists in Brussels fuck you in the ass. (sorry for this not-so-nice metaphor, but I'm too angry right now to keep it friendly and constructive all the time) Transcend yourselves and party lines and make sure you have a forceful policy. A policy that is good for everyone and doesn't let anyone down!