Contrast
Two flyers arrived today, tucked inside a free magazine. The first was for Centrepoint, a charity providing shelter, highlighting the real struggles some young people face this Christmas. Actually, all homeless people of whatever age, experience difficulties all year round, but the ‘Festive Season’ is used, sometimes cynically, as a prod to the consciences of those whose lives are more ordered and comfortable.
Nonetheless, at a time of year when togetherness is promoted and perfection is touted as the ambition of all right-thinking folk (you’ve seen the advertisements, yes?) we are pricked into considering how we might help, in whatever small way we can. There are many calls for help for people in desperate plights in the affluent Western world. Their desperation may not measure up to that of others in less prosperous countries, but it’s not a competition. Suffering is suffering, no matter where or how or why. Suggested donations range from £12 to £100, although if people wish to give more, they may do so.
The second flyer was advertising luxury yacht cruises. ‘Save up to 25%,’ it said. ‘Flights included.’
If consumers wish to avail themselves of this generous offer, they can book a cruise for anything from £3,429 to £5,045 per person, depending on route, and location within the vessel. If a longer cruise is desired, the price rises accordingly.
Compare and contrast. It is a strange world!
The affluent choice is almost unimaginable.
ReplyDeleteYet so many people choose to cruise every year. Some have two or three a year. Sounds like purgatory to me!
DeleteTwo extremes, although the expense of the trip one would be nothing to the oligarchs.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, of course. There are some obscenely rich people in the world.
DeleteIf I had £3500 I wouldn't spend it on a cruise, no actually I would, a river cruise on the Danube or the Loire. But it's pie in the sky anyway as my travelling years are gone. I do give to local and national homeless charities through the year; there have been nights recently when I've wondered how homeless people survive the cold.
ReplyDeleteI often wonder how far from that dreadful plight we all are. (I'm such a cheerful soul!)
DeleteGood point made. June UKK
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI guess there have always been extremes although I think they've got more extreme. It's a sad mad world.
ReplyDeleteThe very richest people have virtually little in common with the rest of the world.
DeleteAt this time of year we get gifts for local care homes for elderly, toys for children in local hospital, both hubby and I enjoy picking items, we also support local charities. Through the year we give to https://www.sophieslegacy.org.uk/sophies-story/ pizza nights, they provide food to parents in hospital with sick children, and of course we donate every month to https://portsmouthdsa.org/, who support George, daughter and wider family.
ReplyDeleteRegular donations to charities throughout the year are a better way to approach the problem of supporting those in need.
DeleteI suppose it boils down to those who make it and those that don't. How to even it out is almost impossible.
ReplyDeleteWe will never all be equal. We begin from different points and luck and skill and ambition play their part, even if we aren't born to greatness.
DeleteHopefully people would donate a little gift before they chucked in all their money on a cruise.
ReplyDeleteI'd hope so, too.
DeleteThat is definitely going from one extreme to the other.
ReplyDeleteIt couldn't be more stark, could it?
Delete"Compare and contrast. It is a strange world!" You found a really effective way of making that point Janice. So many contradictions.
ReplyDeleteWho decides which flyers go where?
DeleteAgree 💯
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
👍
DeleteA stark contrast between the two flyers.
ReplyDeleteVery stark.
DeleteCertainly a world of contrasts
ReplyDeleteWe can't live in gloom and doom, but should be more aware of the haves and have nots.
DeleteBob had the Macy's Christmas Parade on until he got tired of me pondering things out loud and complaining about how much money they spend on useless balloons. With people unable to buy food, and our western world rocking, I asked my phone the question
ReplyDeleteA new Macy's parade balloon costs around $190,000 to $200,000
I complained and went on and on until he changed the station.
I am still in a snit over the answer to how much does that parade cost each year...OMW
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade costs an estimated $11 million to $13 million to produce annually
That is a huge amount. Is it to raise commercial awareness, or is it for charity? It seems that money could be much better spent where there is the greatest need,
DeleteBut the British Government can find £50.8M to transport Asylum Seekers to and from Doctors/Hospital appointments in Taxis. The money should be spent helping the homeless and low income families.
ReplyDeleteHow and why such decisions are made is a mystery.
DeleteSeems capitalism makes us have our priorities mixed up
ReplyDeleteCapitalism is king.
DeleteThe contrast between the two flyers you found is pretty dark. But that seems the way of the world these days.
ReplyDeleteThe rich get richer and the poor get poorer and the gap never lessens.
DeleteIt is indeed a strange world.
ReplyDeleteI do hope those who may be considering a luxury yacht cruise give a donation (or donations) to a charity ... there are so many who rely on them to enable them to keep doing their good work.
I think many of us do tend to have a favoured charity that we support, and of course at this time of year it is talked about more.
All the best Jan
There are so many calls for donations that it is impossible to satisfy everyone. Some charities seem to pay their staff rather generously.
Delete"Some charities seem to pay their staff rather generously."
DeleteYes, I agree!
It's more often than not the smaller more localised charities and groups that need the greater help... and then there are hospices ... another good cause I think.
We each have to do what we are happy to do and can afford to do.
Have a peaceful Sunday, I'm just enjoying a lunch time cuppa.
All the best Jan
I don't like the way Charities use Christmas and Easter to remind us that people are suffering. As you say, those same people are suffering all year round and Charities collect for them all year round. I don't onject to donating, but for some of us Easter and Christmas are tougher than the rest of the year so money is scarce at those times. My biggest objection is how much of the donated money goes to paying those in administration, or to the governments of countries whose people are starving. Think how many $$$millions went to Africa during Bob Geldof's "Feed the World" years, and how much food was sent, which didn't get distributed because the government demanded the people pay for it. Decades later and people are still starving.
ReplyDeleteSome of the biggest charities are the worst offenders, hiving off money that should be spent on teaching and training the less able to support themselves. So much goes in bribes, essential in some countries to get anything moving, but an awful lot goes in administration, as you say.
DeleteDefinitely a big contrast between the two.
ReplyDeleteThere should be a balance, but life is unfair to so many.
DeleteMy rural county is most generous 12 months of the year. There is always fundraisers for the critical needs in the community whereas where I am originally from in San Francisco's Silicon valley, the stench of entitled wealth is everywhere - right next to the homeless encampment. People just go about their business, turning a blind eye. It's sickening. The rural people help others and they're sacrifice is much greater.
ReplyDeleteThat is heartening to hear, Debby. The entitled rich of Silicon Valley and the like could learn much from such an example. Poor people never have enough, and rich people can never have too much.
ReplyDeleteHaves and have-nots!
ReplyDeleteQuite!
ReplyDeleteWhat a strange world indeed!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that those who can afford those luxury yacht cruises are the least likely to donate to charities like Centrepoint :-( xxx