Page 9 - Moravain Messenger December 2020

the rush of goodwill which followed the news of the pandemic, some bureaucracy was swept away but was still part of the problem for PPE, for instance.
Politics has inevitably been an issue worldwide. Conservative governments have reduced the ability of health and social services to respond to the pandemic, namely austerity here and the reversal by Trump of Obama's health reforms (Becoming by Michelle Obama). There is conflict between capitalism and socialism, a theme in Downton Abbey. Put simply, self-interest and the accumulation of wealth conflicts with looking after the needy. Unfortunately, there are still greedy corrupt leaders under socialism.
There are also wealthy benefactors under capitalism. Cadbury built a village for his workers as did Lever brothers and others. A sometime CEO of two parastatals in Zimbabwe claimed that it was not necessary to choose between the two systems, but that if management looked after the workers, efficiency, productivity and therefore profits would follow. Richard Branson hands his companies over to his employees and moves on. Before he died, Steve Jobs wrote that wealth means nothing in life but love and good values do. Privatisation also doesn't always lead to efficiency.
Have we come to expect that life will just become better and better, especially with regards to lifestyle and wealth? Consumerism is a relatively new concept and seems to be behind the choices behind the opening up of society at present as though it is our duty to spend money even if it is to get 'smashed' as one young lad boasted. There are enough resources on this planet to give everyone a reasonable standard of living. So what do we do about the wealthy? We need a worldwide ban on tax avoidance as well as evasion because there is an unwillingness to tax the wealthy for fear they will take their business elsewhere. I detect an undertow of resentment against big bosses who take large salaries, bonuses and golden handshakes even when proved inefficient as in the 2009 financial crash. However, let's not forget that it was begun by people borrowing too much for their homes in the USA.
It disturbs me when I see advertisements for lending when so many are in financial trouble. I also taught Advertising so understand all the tricks of the trade. We no longer advertise cigarettes and admittedly nicotine is a strong addiction, but why are we still advertising gambling, drink and even junk food? Not everyone will become addicted to these, but some do. No one who has watched 'My 600lb Life' on TV can doubt that food can be an addiction and we have an obesity epidemic. Advertising is big business, so we are back to how we survive economically as we come out of lockdown and how we distribute wealth equally.
There has been a backlash against the goodwill which began lockdown. The police had a lull in criminal activity, allowing them to chase drug crime etc. but it is back in the news. They are also having to cope with the worldwide reaction to police brutality in the USA. Racism is a complicated issue which I have lived under all my life under three oppressive governments, the apartheid regime in South Africa, Smith in Rhodesia and Mugabe in Zimbabwe.
I was in a privileged white minority. The Afrikaners expressed prejudice, told to speak Afrikaans in the playground for instance, but that was mild compared to what happened to the Welsh children in times past. I witnessed protests in childhood, at university, near Soweto, and in the Midlands of Zimbabwe. My daughter and our dogs and 10 puppies were tear gassed in our home by accident, I think. My husband was a victim of political oppression, but nothing like some of my parishioners and friends. My life was never threatened although I witnessed and heard of plenty of violence, interracial and black on black.
Being privileged carries with it responsibilities. I feel a collective guilt and wonder if I have made amends enough by my friendships and acquaintance with people of colour. I taught Communication to young blacks for 15 years and served two multiracial churches for over 10 years. Racism seems to be rooted in an instinctive fear of those who are different. In the countries I have seen it there have been wars between the countries or tribes in the past which may contribute.
We need to rejoice in the differences and recognise how much other races have contributed to our cultures and, also feel their pain as is happening in the movement Black Lives Matter. Imperialism and even missionaries are criticised in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Only one of the 11 ministers in my background was actually a missionary and he is honoured by the racial group he served. My only criticism of old-style missionaries is paternalism. Modern missionaries are more inclined to take part in the life of those they serve and listen to what they need.
When we look at the age of exploration and empire building (Geography by Dorling and Lee and On the map by Simon Garfield) we see men and women who were products of their own time and did what was expected of them and were admired for. As explorers mapped the world, they annexed land for their countries with little regard for the indigenous populations already there. The acquisition of wealth, personally and patriotically was admired at the time e.g. Cecil Rhodes and Captain Cook and the British Raj.
The question is how to rewrite history. In my lifetime I have studied South African, Rhodesian, Zimbabwean prehistory, European and British history (including slavery). It was fairly basic and not particularly slanted except that I refused to study
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