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| "Ave Caesar Morituri te Salutant", by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1859), depicting gladiators greeting Vitellius. [A] |
The federal government (Labor) and the NSW state government (Coalition) are doing their best to make of poverty a distant memory in NSW. Ask Amy Corderoy, Health editor from Fairfax Media:
"The [Fairfax Media] analysis [of health statistics] reveals stark differences in the health of the rich and poor in Sydney, with almost all the highest rates of deaths and hospitalisations linked to conditions such as diabetes, body mass and heart disease clustered in the poorest areas." (See here)Keep up the good work, PM Gillard and Premier O'Farrell.
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And, you remember, don't you, that piece of wisdom, beloved by rich people all over the world:
"If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking or smoking and socialising, and more time working." (See here)Well, this is what the Fairfax Media report says:
"Hospitalisations linked to alcohol use were highest in the wealthiest parts of Sydney, with Manly having a higher rate than any other local government area for the second year in a row, and Sydney, Mosman, Hunters Hill and North Sydney were not far behind.Image Credits:
"The figures, from Health Statistics NSW, show the problem is getting worse. In all but Hunters Hill the rate of hospitalisations increased between 2009 and 2011."
[A] "Ave Caesar Morituri te Salutant", by Jean-Léon Gérôme
(1859), depicting gladiators greeting Vitellius. Wikipedia.
The is something quite grating about the wealthy proffering advice to the poor to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps", especially so when the party invoking the phrase inherited their wealth. Getting past that, though, there is certainly something positive about getting an education, obtaining skills and putting forth real effort. Not everyone can achieve unlimited success, hence the need for a progressive taxation scheme, but most people will see improvement in their day-to-day lives by making better choices and applying themselves more.
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