Dole Scum

Dole Scum

I first “signed on” after leaving school in June 1979. Obviously one was obliged to wait several weeks before receiving it and I ended up with a cheque for the princely sum of @£70. Being a naïve 16-year-old hippie I went out and bought an acoustic guitar and a Neil Young album (Harvest), with the intention of never looking back, and, apart from some brief spells at college and being in a signed band for a year, that’s the way it’s been since.

I have had to learn how to live on a pittance that has stopped growing in line with the cost of living (thanks to New Labour), and with the prejudice that has been developed by political and media campaigns over the years.

When I first signed on there was very little stigma attached to it. In general people still believed in the welfare state and it’s inherent kindness to those less fortunate. We are after all; all in this together, and there but for the grace of favour go the lot of us. But there was a new attitude amongst the upper echelons which was seeping it’s way through the rich gentrified landowners, and through their elected representatives, the Conservative party, they sought to turn man against man, not to mention woman against woman. By spurious rumour not based on fact the public would be drip fed lies – about scroungers, about unions, about hooligans, travellers, hippies, punks, socialists, the working class. The haves started to become extremely prejudiced against the have-nots, regarding them as dangerous (this feeling is based purely on fear, because, with a slight shift in circumstance, you could become one of them). (For cultural reference points here watch “Cathy Come Home” and “Boys From The Black Stuff”).

In the 80’s we had to put up with the middle class looking down on us like shit on a shoe. Now everyone regards us not just as scum but also as criminals, when really we should be given a fucking medal for the shit that we have to deal with, from snotty nosed jobs-worth’s, to threats from bailiffs representing council tax/housing/landlords etc. Leave us alone – it’s not a crime to be poor.

We are not taking your hard earned pay and pissing up your backs with it. We appreciate your decency, and your kind-heartedness. We might not have your skill and your intelligence, but please don’t penalise us for it. If anyone is taking the piss it is your representatives – your councillors and your MP’s, who have cost the taxpayer billions in illegal claims and second home and travel expenses, and paid holidays and restaurant bills. We are just trying to survive and have a decent standard of living.

I still believe in the welfare state and I welcome the ideals put in place by William Beveridge during the Attlee government of the 50’s. I believe we should help those less fortunate attain a standard of living comparable to modern civilisation’s needs, and that people have a right to a modern health care and shelter and food to live on, and enough to help them to realise their potential, with financial encouragement and training in whatever they desire, and free education for all, not just those with rich parents – and I don’t think it’s too much to ask to use your taxes to pay for these things. What I do object to is the people who squeeze your hard earned cash into their own pockets and then scapegoat the poorest members of society, by trying to make you believe that these people are scum of the earth dole scroungers who don’t have any worth or value, and denying them a voice or access to the things that can help them to rise above the ranks and become “decent” members of society.

Fat is a festering issue

This week I have been thinking mostly about fat. It’s not just a feminist issue. It occurred to me that most people in this world believe there is a direct co-relation between eating and weight – the more you eat, the bigger you get, and so fat is a greed issue. You only have to listen to the snide little comments comedians like Jimmy Carr and Ricky Gervais infer to get this point. They truly believe this is the case. If it were, wouldn’t life be so simple? The fact is that scientists don’t know what causes one person to have weight issues and another not to. I grew up with an older brother and sister. My brother was thin and we weren’t. Neither my Mother or Father had issues with weight, and of all of us, my brother was probably the greediest. His weight has never fluctuated, no matter what activities he was performing or what he was eating, and I could say the same for myself – no matter how much I ate in a particular time period, or how much exercise I took, despite minimal fluctuation, I remained pretty much the same. The depression brought on by the knowledge that no matter what you do to lose weight it never shifts can cause some people to comfort eat, which can add even more pounds, but the fact is that weight is not a greed issue, and scientists are still baffled. But how much research is being done in this field? After all most people, including scientists, still believe that’s it’s just based on the amount you eat, and therefore probably don’t see the point – just eat less you fat bastards! I believe the likes of Jimmy Carr and Ricky Gervais have this same problem and resent fatties, because there but for the grace of expensive weight loss treatments go I! Chubbies pick on fatties because it takes the attention away from their own flabby backsides!

Obesity is a growing problem and needs to be tackled and more should be spent on scientific research into its causes, and why it doesn’t affect all of us. Perhaps we could isolate genes or DNA mapping and find a way to combat it. This is a very skinny biased society and there is an awful lot of prejudice against fatties (I should know) so pull out your bony fingers and get to work people. I’ll happily be your guinea pig.

On a slightly separate issue there is also a problem with sizing. The point at which someone is referred to as obese is too low. I believe the average size for a female is 14 to 16 (there’s no male alternative size but shall we say 12-15 stone). Above size 16 isn’t obese, it’s just overweight. Obese should not come into play until well over size 20. Size 12 is underweight, size 10 is skinny and anything under is morbidly skinny – freaks! (Obviously these figures are dependent on height and age, but lets talk averages). Doctors tend to point the finger too much by using the word morbidly – you can be overweight and healthy, just as you can be underweight and unhealthy.

So come on people – stop judging and get with the programme. Stop pointing and laughing at us fatties and turn your attention to the skinny fucks, who also can’t help the way they are!