This morning I woke up at around 5am. In my head I calculated my income over the next few months. Then I calculated my outgoings. My semi-conscious spreadsheet spread out between the sheets. Hmm, more out than in. That’s never good. I went back and did it again. Same result. I started to feel that dreaded dull thump of panic rising. That immobilising sense of dread. I work out what I will pay first. What I will extend. What I can do to ensure future me can pay the costs of past me.
The sun’s not even up and I’m in fiscal meltdown. I love the smell of overwhelm in the morning. And compared to most, I’m fine.
Then a text from one of the kids. They live relatively independently on minimum income. They need a little cash to tide them over until pay day. Or to get to work. Or to buy food. Young people are doing it tough. The generation most likely to never own their own home, be coerced into university, and then kick off their adult lives already in debt. There’s no greater way to keep people oppressed than with the invisible yoke of debt. The cruelty of poverty. It’s hard to rise up when you can barely stand.
We are in a cost-of-living crisis. Basically, we are all paying more for food and household items, healthcare, insurance and transport. Stats show that household disposable income fell by 4.3% last year. It was the biggest decline since the 1980s. And it’s people on low incomes who suffer most. Of course they do. We’ve been abandoning and punishing the poor for years. And then when they fail to thrive, we blame them. Very often they are carrying the burden of going backwards financially and accumulating punitive fines for late payments, no payments and late lodgements. We fall into holes we cannot dig ourselves out of. We work harder. We work longer. We dig deeper.
If you want to live life outside the debt hole you have to be rich.
According to the ATO, 66 millionaires earning almost a billion dollars put together paid no tax last year. That’s because they had highly-skilled accountants. These accountants got their clients out of $400 million worth of tax (just over half of what we need here for flood money). They paid their accountants an average of $219, 000. And this was tax deductible. Data from the ATO also showed that these wealthy tax dodgers made an average of $14.5 million each last year. We celebrate people like this. But their profits come at a cost. It’s called poverty.
In Australia, 3.3 million people live below the poverty line. That’s around $500 per week for a single adult and $1,130 for a family with two adults and two children. Jobseeker places people at around $269 per week below the poverty line. It sucks being poor. When my eldest two kids were small I felt the sting. I’ve lined up at Vinnies for food and groceries. Begged for rent relief. I needed vouchers to pay my power bills. There were ten years when I didn’t buy a single new thing.
Poverty comes with stigma. People who struggle to get by feel like failures. They feel like their failure is personal. But it’s not. It’s systemic. The system isn’t broken. It’s working as it was designed. A pyramid scheme that funnels wealth from the bottom to the top. Trickle down? No, that was the sales pitch. When it comes to wealth distribution the model is, reach to the bottom and suck it up. It’s a giant extractive mouth sucking on a capitalist straw. Sucking up natural resources, labour, equity. That’s the feeling you get in the night. Your wellbeing and your children’s future being drained as you sleep.
Depression, anxiety and suicide are on the increase. Maybe the solution isn’t more psychologists. Maybe people are tired of being given the tools to accept being powerless. Maybe they need power.
Give people somewhere secure to live. A sense of belonging. Something to eat. Something to look forward to. Here’s a radical idea. I think you’ll find it in the Christian bible: share.
Perhaps in the eyes of economists the cost-of-living crisis isn’t a crisis at all. Perhaps in the endgame it’s just the cost of capitalism.
Change it.
– Mandy Nolan
“We’ve been abandoning and punishing the poor for years. And then when they fail to thrive, we blame them.”.
This is exactly how the Liberals play the game, keep wages low and smack the working poor around and then have the hide to give us some real gems to describe them;
Smokin’ Joe Hockey gave us – “Lifters not leaners”,
Scotty gave us – “The taxed and the taxed not” and then, the one for the ages – “If you have a go you get should get a go”, so he delivered a go alright…..a RoboRobberyDebt go!
Scotty / Liberals original Stage 3 taxidermy was all about the ‘treacle down’ for the strugglers and the ‘flood up’ for the highest income earners. That’s getting a go, Liberals style.
Change capitalism to what Mandy? Do you mean look carefully at the checks and balances we have in place. Because alternatives to market economies have historically had their issues as well.
I’ve just listened to Allegra Spender, Member for Wentworth and Dr Richard Denniss, Executive Director of the Australia Institute, address the National Press Club. It was a stimulating informed discussion of these issues – in particular taxation. Alas what you have given us here is not.
This column has gone from a thought provoking, often funny and witty contribution, to a succession of motherhood statements and hand wringing with no real analysis nor solutions.
‘This column has gone from a thought provoking, often funny and witty contribution, to a succession of motherhood statements and hand wringing with no real analysis nor solutions.’
Perfectly describing the process of someone sacrificing their intellect for political aspirations, especially as part of The Greens.
I have written this column for over 20 years. Early columns were about giant intellectual subjects like bunions, botox and beige. This column was and always will be an opinion piece which can be comedic, outraged, reflective, or personal. It can be political. It can be local. It can be philosophical. My core beliefs are the same as they were when I started. It’s me. It’s always me. Thats the point of the column. I’ve been making ‘motherhood’ statements for two decades, because I’m a mother. I never realised that speaking from that frame was seen as diminished. So sorry, sometimes we women forget our place.
Reading my column isn’t mandatory. If you don’t like it, move on. Women like me don’t fit the mould. But don’t fret, Murdoch media is full of the usual offerings.
I have faith you can make it to the end of your life without ever changing, nor modifying your core opinions, regardless of anything that happens.
Onya Mandy!
Stay the course, Stay strong.
There are always a few men that feel threatened by Strong women. .
We are actually just protecting our women and children from unstable people.
I reckon I’ve been reading your column for those 20 years Mandy, and I must say, I usually enjoyed it and appreciated the variety you reference. One thing they once seemed to have in common was that they generally contained a fresh perspective on things.
There is nothing wrong with being a mother, or writing from a mother’s perspective. Not a lot wrong with motherhood. In fact that’s the point, and basically the derivation of the phrase.
Anyone, even a man, can make a motherhood statement. Mr Google tells us: “ A dictionary defines ‘motherhood statement’ as a vague, “feel good” platitude, especially one made by a politician, that few people would disagree with. But as a writer and performer, language is your thing Mandy. Are you sure you didn’t know this meaning?
The columns doubtless reflect your personal views and values but in saying, “It’s me. It’s always me. Thats the point of the column” you need to concede that that “me” is rather taken up right now with being an endorsed candidate for the seat of Richmond.
Good on you! We need people to stand for public office. But we punters can’t help but notice that, under these circumstances, having a weekly “soapbox” is a pretty handy gig. We perhaps feel entitled to provide feedback via the little soapbox the Echo offers here.
Saying we don’t have to read your column is hardly the point. “ Women like me don’t fit the mould. But don’t fret, Murdoch media is full of the usual offerings.” Paleeeeese!
Ms Nolan, many people obviously take great pleasure in reading your “motherhood statements” in your weekly Soap Box column, and many do not, that’s life. However you seem very defensive and relish playing the oppressed woman card whenever possible for maximum effect. What you write is your business, however when you use your weekly column to delve into serious politics, something that you usually struggle with and is definitely not your strong point, you should have the balls to include a disclosure stating that you are the Greens candidate for the Federal seat of Richmond, it just may put what you write in its proper perspective, credible political operatives should always do this.
I see Mandy ..so your offerings are not just
The usual from week to week..year after
Year ! with respect…Please !
I posted this article on LinkedIn in response to a money systems academic’s post because I loved the specificity of your examples ( and had paraphrased them). Real world, lived, and including the little-spoken-of knock-on hardships that aren’t considered or recognised unless you have lived through them – or know someone who has.
Thanks for the article. The academic loved it too, and I noticed that he reposted the link to your Soapbox in a further LinkedIn group with some additional comments confirming your points.
Afterthought-
Reading reader’s comments here, as a business educator I am okay with legally minimising taxes – and would encourage people to do so. However ‘voice’ is increasingly important to me in the wicked system that is ‘the economy’. I have too many decades of lived experience with both the haves and the have nots to believe that ‘voice’, ease, and opportunity are equal to both sides. When the ‘haves’ are not being represented, or reasonably heard, I will advocate for their voice to be soapboxed I guess. Until then….
I’m somewhat perplexed by your afterthought, Susan. If you interpreted any of the above comments – not below – as anti taxation, or in any way promoting tax minimisation, avoidance or evasion, I think you should read again carefully. Or perhaps check out what making motherhood statements means.
I’m certainly not disputing that it’s true, just the dearth of any “and so …” dialogue.
Mandy, the perpetually offended, these millionaires pay accountants to look after their tax affairs, obviously they are paid well and minimise their clients tax liability’s. The tax returns must be legitimate otherwise the ATO would be onto them like a tonne of bricks. Do you think they should contribute extra tax to a government that doesn’t exactly spend our tax money wisely, as a matter of fact they treat the money like it is their own and give it away like lollies. Do you Mandy contribute extra tax?.
The paradise of the rich is built on the hell of the poor! Victor Hugo.
The comfort of the rich depends upon the abundant supply of the poor! Voltaire.
The LNP kept wages intensionally low for a reason and you cannot expect those that caused the problems to fix them.
85% of people in Dutton’s own electorate of Dickson, get a better tax deal from Labor, than what Dutton’s LNP was offering them?
No wonder Dutton only holds his seat of Dickson by a 3% margin.
It’s extremely doubtful Dutton will still be there, after the next election and if LNP voters were more astute, there would be a hell of lot less of his other Noalition Leftovers as well!
Capitalism has given you Mandy Prosperity has it not ! and you fellow Echo colleagues…
It’s A tough world Mandy, stop being the victim and get on with it, onwards and upwards rather than complaining because you didn’t have a go. The great thing about Australia is the opportunities are there, you just have to recognise them and go your hardest!..
And never give a rat’s about anyone else!
You have to earn it, not just claim victimhood status.
The last thing we want is people who see themselves as victimised!
Oy gevalt!
Bit of a difference between appealing to people inside vs outside your own group. I’m not trying to guilt Black and Brown People into solving White People problems.
Glad you got the intent of that comment – I thought it might slip past. Who are you trying to guilt about your victimisation?