243. Taking candy off a baby

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In fact, off all babies. Our generation may be guilty of the biggest theft in human history, which we seem to be perpetrating with little compunction. We have built wealth on a recipe of low taxation, dressed with unaffordable pensions and garnished with energy gluttony. We cap it all off with unsustainable natural resource exploitation and suicidal environment destruction. We are well off, live comfortably, but are creating a World in which our children will be poorer than we are. A World in which they will have to pay the taxes we did not, to fund services not only them, but also us will need. A World in which they will have to work longer to cover our pensions. And where only their ingenuity and self-restraint may repair, or mitigate, the abuses we are mindlessly perpetrating on the nature that sustains us. They will inherit the Earth from us, a bankrupt estate besieged by impatient creditors and devoid of value. Do we have the will to change our will, while it is not too late? 

Length: 995 characters

Location: Hereford, UK

Comments

Connachtach said…
Cogent if a little depressing. It's not too late - and with Biden in the White House maybe there is a bit more hope ....? Simon Worrall
December 5, 2020 at 8:58 AM
SantiDominguezV said…
Well, Simon... Depressing is one way to look at it, but problem solutions come from the initial step of problems recognitions. Biden will make a difference for sure, but much more is needed. The biggest problem is the absolute refusal by baby boomers to accept higher taxation to improve investment. 80s and 00s politics ingrained in people staunch individualism and a disregard for 'Big Society' which drive them to oppose their interest even to that of their children. We will not give up a single comfort to improve their future. There is a feeling of entitlement, we should be able to have it all, enjoy our excessive way of life and still have a good future for our children. Square the circle... Have our cake and eat it... Sounds familiar? Brexit is just one excellent example of such folly. The good news is that it is down to us. We can make taxation, investment and long term planning politically necessary in the same way as we make them unacceptable today. First step, open our eyes.
December 8, 2020 at 12:40 AM
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