Altruism has its limitations

By Stanley Collymore

Throughout my life there has never been a murmur
of complaint from my lips when things didn’t
go my way; I simply accepted my failure,
examine where I’d gone wrong
and started all over again.

So why then should I be compelled to feel sorry
for and, what’s more, give every assistance
that I can from my meagre resources to
those that likewise mess up, but with
the crucial difference that their
privileged upbringing has
tutored them all their selfish lives never to
accept responsibility for anything other
than what is manifestly beneficial or
financially advantageous to them,
and who I know would under
no circumstance, however
small or big the adversity
I experience, ever do
the same for me?

Welcome therefore to the reality of the 21st Century
where corporate profits are studiously regarded as
the exclusive ownership of the corporations
and their shareholders but the massive
debts they rack up through their
reckless greed, incompetence and criminal
impunity, recurrently granted full immunity
by our venal and dishonest lawmakers,
become the sole burden of the hard-
-done-by taxpayers and ordinary
citizens. Privatized profits
definitively; but socialist
debts in perpetuity!

© Stanley V. Collymore
21 April 2013.

Footnote:
Welcome to the reality of the 21st Century where corporate profits are studiously regarded as the exclusive property of the corporations and their shareholders, but their massive debts caused through their reckless greed, incompetence and criminality for which they bear no responsibility become the sole burden of the hard-done-by taxpayers and ordinary citizens. Privatized profits; socialist debts!