Sick of the Season

Yes, it's that time of year again. Everywhere the televisions and radios remind us of the good deeds of all the wonderful philanthropists out there. Where would we be without them? How good of them to help losers that can't eat or can't hold down a job. Let's celebrate charity! After all Jesus would give to charity, wouldn't he?

I'm pretty tired of philanthropy and this miserable season. I'm tired of lame-ass feel good solutions to our society's problems (hunger, homelessness, abuse, poverty). You can't donate your way out the fact that the people that give are really responsible for this blight. You middle class philanthropists demanded tax-cuts starting in the 1990s which have ruined all the good things that made Canada special. And now you complain when you get asked for change by that smelly person on your walk from your SUV to your office. Are you blind?

Walk down the street; take a bus; stare into a gated community and you'll see that Canada is an unequal society. I can accept this, reluctantly. But what matters is to do everything possible to make things more equal. I'm not a communist but people that do well in Canada have an obligation to help those who are not so fortunate. But charity is not good enough (as good as it makes you feel to write those cheques).

We need to demand that the state redistribute wealth from the wealthy to the poor. This is a (more) just society. We had this but somewhere along the line we decided that we would rather have our fellow human beings suffer alone, unsupported. Were they undeserving of our love?

Charity and the private sector haven't delivered as we were told they would. They are a nice way of avoiding dealing with the systemic problems we have created. Government was actually good at redistributing wealth; deny this fact all you want. Sure there was always some waste but I guarantee that the food bank that you'll give to this Christmas is wasting much of your hard earned money. And the miserable food the poor receive at food banks barely keep them going. Don't expect any fresh veggies this week or ever but here have some yummy Wonder Bread.

Therefore I advocate a moratorium on tax cuts and actually new taxes on the well-off. They can afford it if they can afford to give to charity. Hell, I can afford it on my $15 an hour salary if I know it will make my country a better place. Ironically I think a small tax rise to cover social programs would put the rich out a lot less than their annual planned giving regime.

But it's crucial that these elites be given choices as to how their money is spent. I think that they like the idea of charity because they decide where the money is going; probably has something to do with feeling powerful. Also our society worships (the illusion of) choice so it would resonate with people. So you could offer them themes like:

1) Food security
2) Housing
3) Health and wellness
4) Sports and physical activity
5) Public Transportation

This seems logical to me but of course I'm a dangerous radical or maybe I was just paying attention in church. Matthew 19:24: "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God".

And I promised myself I'd stop being preachy.