The struggle and the struggling masses
1 January 2021 By Abiodun Giwa
The world is inhabited by the rich and the poor. The number of the rich is smaller compared to the number of the poor. Everyone wants to be rich and be where the rich people live. The rich people's domain in advanced countries is called the suburbs, while the poor live in the ghetto. In the backward countries, the rich live in exclusive areas called government reserved areas, GRA.
The difference between the people living in the rich and the poor areas is that the rich are those who have money and the poor are those who lack money. The more money you have the better place you will live.
Most people from the poor background have realized the criminality of poverty by the society and the tendency is to struggle to throw away the bondage of poverty and its criminality. But the moment the poor has joined the rank of the rich, he or she forgets about others left behind. There is just no consensus of opinion among the rich about how to help the poor arrive on the same level like them or to make equal access to good things of life a norm the society. The comfort and opulence belongs to the rich.
I have a lesson from one of my Utopia class in college to depict the society that we live. Edward Bellamy, the author of Looking Back, depicts the society as a coach on a hilly and sandy and road in his book Looking Back, and harnessed to humanity of masses who drag it. The top of the coach is occupied by passengers - in breezy and comfort, and they get down. "And such position were in great demand, and the competition for the positions was keen. Everyone seeking as the first end of life to secure a seat on the coach and to a seat for a child after him. The seats were insecure. Persons were falling to the ground at the jolt of the coach and were instantly compelled to take hold of the rope and help to drag the coach on which they before ridden so pleasantly. Naturally regarded as a terrible misfortune to lose one's seat and the apprehension that this might happen was a constant cloud upon the happiness of those who rode."
There is no much difference in the society described by Bellamy and the modern society. The poor pulls the coach and the rich sits comfortably with splendor in the coach. The rich is unhappy over the thought of the possibility of losing his or her wealth and falling to the ground to join in the pulling of the coach. The poor is always unhappy because of the endless struggle to make ends meet. The rich in the coach often feel anguish over the suffering of the people saddled with the pulling of the coach, but not to the extent of vacating their seats for the poor to occupy.
Who are the rich and who are the poor? Currently definition places the rich as the one percent of the population. The rich are much more than the one percent. The real poor are the people earning between $7.00 to $18.00 hour and would be required to work 60 to 70 hours week to makes ends meet. The extras hours may come from overtime hours from the same job or from doing two jobs. They are the people who pulls the coach. They are in every country of the world. They work round the clock seven days a week just to break the barrier between them and the GRA or the suburb.
Getting to the top of the coach is tough, very tough. Moreover, all the seats at the top are taken. The results is that more coaches are created for new people at the top and new coach pullers. Those in power at Washington in the United States, at Abuja in Nigeria, and at Beinjing in China, are all at the top being pulled by some members of the masses. If you think those going to represent you politically are there solely to care for you, then you have missed the point. They will first take care of their own needs and business associates' needs before they think about the people pulling the coach. And if you suddenly find yourself in the saddle and at the center of power, you are not one of them, and you want to change the course of history, they are powerful enough to frustrate you.
The difference between the people living in the rich and the poor areas is that the rich are those who have money and the poor are those who lack money. The more money you have the better place you will live.
Most people from the poor background have realized the criminality of poverty by the society and the tendency is to struggle to throw away the bondage of poverty and its criminality. But the moment the poor has joined the rank of the rich, he or she forgets about others left behind. There is just no consensus of opinion among the rich about how to help the poor arrive on the same level like them or to make equal access to good things of life a norm the society. The comfort and opulence belongs to the rich.
I have a lesson from one of my Utopia class in college to depict the society that we live. Edward Bellamy, the author of Looking Back, depicts the society as a coach on a hilly and sandy and road in his book Looking Back, and harnessed to humanity of masses who drag it. The top of the coach is occupied by passengers - in breezy and comfort, and they get down. "And such position were in great demand, and the competition for the positions was keen. Everyone seeking as the first end of life to secure a seat on the coach and to a seat for a child after him. The seats were insecure. Persons were falling to the ground at the jolt of the coach and were instantly compelled to take hold of the rope and help to drag the coach on which they before ridden so pleasantly. Naturally regarded as a terrible misfortune to lose one's seat and the apprehension that this might happen was a constant cloud upon the happiness of those who rode."
There is no much difference in the society described by Bellamy and the modern society. The poor pulls the coach and the rich sits comfortably with splendor in the coach. The rich is unhappy over the thought of the possibility of losing his or her wealth and falling to the ground to join in the pulling of the coach. The poor is always unhappy because of the endless struggle to make ends meet. The rich in the coach often feel anguish over the suffering of the people saddled with the pulling of the coach, but not to the extent of vacating their seats for the poor to occupy.
Who are the rich and who are the poor? Currently definition places the rich as the one percent of the population. The rich are much more than the one percent. The real poor are the people earning between $7.00 to $18.00 hour and would be required to work 60 to 70 hours week to makes ends meet. The extras hours may come from overtime hours from the same job or from doing two jobs. They are the people who pulls the coach. They are in every country of the world. They work round the clock seven days a week just to break the barrier between them and the GRA or the suburb.
Getting to the top of the coach is tough, very tough. Moreover, all the seats at the top are taken. The results is that more coaches are created for new people at the top and new coach pullers. Those in power at Washington in the United States, at Abuja in Nigeria, and at Beinjing in China, are all at the top being pulled by some members of the masses. If you think those going to represent you politically are there solely to care for you, then you have missed the point. They will first take care of their own needs and business associates' needs before they think about the people pulling the coach. And if you suddenly find yourself in the saddle and at the center of power, you are not one of them, and you want to change the course of history, they are powerful enough to frustrate you.
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