Recently released figures show the shocking level of child poverty in
Scotland, these figures show that 13 Scottish councils have wards
where more than 30% of children live in severe poverty. The worst
areas are Glasgow, West of Scotland, Edinburgh, Dundee, Fife,
Aberdeen and Stirling. A quick look at the map of Scotland tells you
that those areas just about take in practically all of Scotland's
high population areas. The over all child poverty level for the whole
of Scotland is more than 20%. Bearing in mind that every child
living in poverty is in a home with at least one adult living in
poverty, it is a damning picture.
Labour social justice spokesman Drew Smith said work was the best
route out of poverty. Adding, "That is why as well as investment
in the vital early years and improving childcare, we need a renewed
focus on creating jobs and implementing a Living Wage for Scotland."
What a load of crap, when has capitalism ever paid a living wage to
all its workers? Dear Mr Smith, that's not how the system works. Why
are people in poverty, because they can't access their needs. Why
can't they access their needs, because we have created a system
whereby the people's needs are priced so as to allow an army of
parasites to live in luxury. Our system doesn't produce for the needs
of the people, it produces for the wealth of the shareholders. The
two tend to be incompatible.
Also this angle of work being the answer shifts the blame onto those who are unable to find work. It's their own fault, if only they were working they would be poverty free. History tells us different.
On
hearing the figures Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman
Liam McArthur said: "In light of this report, and the effect
that unemployment has on levels of poverty, it is more clear than
ever that effective collaboration at all levels of government is
required to help ensure the right conditions for creating jobs and
reducing unemployment in our communities." More crap, when has
capitalism in any country in the world every produced a society where
all were employed and all had a living wage? More of blame the unemployed for the poverty in the country.
Take two of the worst areas of severe poverty in Scotland, Govan,
where I once worked in the shipyards, as part of the Clyde, it was
once the shipbuilding capital of the world and Springburn, where I
still live, once the steam locomotive manufacturing centre of the
British Empire. In those days, lots of employment, but also lots of
poverty. In this society the two are not incompatible. However, it was with “effective collaboration at all
levels of government” that seen to the demise of both these
industries. See Upper Clyde Work-in. Now Govan has a child poverty
level of 38% and Springburn has the worst in Scotland with a criminal
level 52% of children living in severe poverty. Think of that, more
than half the children in an area in the UK living in severe poverty,
that's 21st century capitalism in the developed world, not
a third world country.
Of course anybody who is interested in what our society is like will
know that poverty has always been part of capitalism. The system is
not in any way shape or form fashioned to see to people's needs, it
is not a needs based system, profit is the only game in town. All
this crap about getting people into employment, being the answer to
poverty, is just sound bites for public consumption, in the hope of
getting the mouth-piece elected to a cushy job. They don't believe it
themselves, if they do, then they are more stupid than I have always
stated.
Child poverty of these levels is an indictment against any system, it
is condemning future generations to a stunted development, a waste of
the future potential of a people. All this just because we are told
that capitalism is the only route available, when common sense tells
us otherwise. Mutual aid, co-operation, sustainability and developing
a needs based society is there waiting for the people to take it up.
The evidence has never been more glaring, the need has never been greater.
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