I might be flogging a dead horse with this one.
Put simply, the rich are too rich, and the poor are too poor.
It boggles my mind that one can be on the treadmill at the gym watching one TV screen showing a world vision ad with hungry kids living in a disease-ridden cesspit and another TV screen is displaying advertorials for designer cat clothes or a holiday retreat for dogs where they can enjoy a spa or a dip in the pool.
DOGS DO NOT NEED SHIATSU MASSAGES!
I feel like I'm once again on crazy pills! (see earlier blog entry)
Back in the day, folks in Israel redistributed their wealth (and set slaves free etc.) every 7 years. That 7th year was called Jubilee. It's a great concept. It means nobody gets too rich or too poor, and ensures the weak aren't painted into a corner for life while the strong get all the choices.
An epiphany came to me the other day:
No monopoly game picks up where it finished. Everyone starts off with the same amount of money and there are no hotels on Mayfair. Imagine if one person started the game cashed up and owning half the board, and everyone else began with little more than their prize for 2nd place in the beauty contest! Would that be fair?
It turns out the great monopoly game of life isn't fair. And we're all in it, like it or not. It challenges me to use what I've been given wisely. I imagine what it would be like if Jubilee happened in our time. It would be a pretty crazy shake-up. But a lot more just. Bring it on, I say!
Next time you're tempted to get your guinea pig a pedicure, or your pony a guitar lesson, stop and consider Jubilee!