What is it with the UK's Labour Party and their socialist fellow-travelers that they so dislike food banks?
Food banks are organisations that receive gifts of food from members of the public and from retail organisations and then distribute this food to members of society that need it.
Okay they are usually locally focused and they don't have the normal top-heavy management structures, so beloved of other charities. And yes they don't go in for a lot of lobbying against government policies and being hypocritical about pushing Green and so called Global Warming issues, while jetting around the world or driving to far-off conferences and 'get-togethers' in in energy consuming vehicles, while pushing a transport free future for the rest of us! They don't have celebrities 'effing and blinding' and emoting on TV asking for the public to give money.
As said earlier, they rely on contributions from members of the public and supermarkets and such. Obviously, I encourage all readers to put a tin or a packet or two into the collection trolleys at their local store or supermarket but I for one won't be giving you a hard time because you want to help you neighbors. The old saw about 'charity begins at home' continues to strike a chord with people, who give, freely and without any instruction from their political masters!
Except, except the Labour Party and the SNP (and probably also the Greens and Plaid Cymru) don't like food banks. Is it because the Welfare State isn't involved in this example of welfare? Is it because these food banks are run by volunteers and some are organised by religions?
I suspect that Labour and their ilk don't like food banks because they cannot act as a 'middleman'. People that have, give to people that don't have and there is no one from the government involved. No one from local government is regulating this. No Health and Safety 'jobsworth' is interfering.
I am sure that Labour and the other socialists would say food banks are a symptom of poverty in society but that is just plain wrong. People will, from time to time, experience hardship and under government welfare regulations won't be eligible for taxpayer provided assistance. What then is Labour's solution? To not have food banks? No, I am confident, it is that 'Government' should step in and provide. That Labour's failed welfare policies, which made living on welfare, a career choice, are surely so discredited, as to not need to re-hash the argument, must be a given. Certainly the tax-paying members of society have been clear in their support of the welfare reforms that have taken so many off of the welfare rolls. Tax payers, as opposed to Labour and other socialists, know that as a country, the UK simply cannot afford the unfettered access to welfare, that is so beloved of Labour.
Food banks are just about people interacting with other people in a positive fashion. This is how things used to be before 'government' got so big that it came to believe that 'it' needed to be involved in everything.
Food banks though are true charity. When you hear socialists quoting (or usually mis-quoting) Jesus Christ, they talk about his alleged re-distributive leanings but what He is really talking about is giving your 'surplus' to others. Jesus Christ didn't say you have to give to Save the Children for them to pass on your gift, less a deduction for overheads of course, to someone else. He didn't say you had to pass a gift to Oxfam so that they could use it to lobby on behalf of Palestinian Hamas or whomever. I believe that Jesus Christ would look highly favorably upon food banks. He would see their founders and voluntary workers and those that give food to them, as His true followers and as people that understand and 'get' His message.
So, don't knock food banks - they are a wonderful institution - and do give generously, especially as we enter this holiest of weeks for Christians.
Food banks are organisations that receive gifts of food from members of the public and from retail organisations and then distribute this food to members of society that need it.
Okay they are usually locally focused and they don't have the normal top-heavy management structures, so beloved of other charities. And yes they don't go in for a lot of lobbying against government policies and being hypocritical about pushing Green and so called Global Warming issues, while jetting around the world or driving to far-off conferences and 'get-togethers' in in energy consuming vehicles, while pushing a transport free future for the rest of us! They don't have celebrities 'effing and blinding' and emoting on TV asking for the public to give money.
As said earlier, they rely on contributions from members of the public and supermarkets and such. Obviously, I encourage all readers to put a tin or a packet or two into the collection trolleys at their local store or supermarket but I for one won't be giving you a hard time because you want to help you neighbors. The old saw about 'charity begins at home' continues to strike a chord with people, who give, freely and without any instruction from their political masters!
Except, except the Labour Party and the SNP (and probably also the Greens and Plaid Cymru) don't like food banks. Is it because the Welfare State isn't involved in this example of welfare? Is it because these food banks are run by volunteers and some are organised by religions?
I suspect that Labour and their ilk don't like food banks because they cannot act as a 'middleman'. People that have, give to people that don't have and there is no one from the government involved. No one from local government is regulating this. No Health and Safety 'jobsworth' is interfering.
I am sure that Labour and the other socialists would say food banks are a symptom of poverty in society but that is just plain wrong. People will, from time to time, experience hardship and under government welfare regulations won't be eligible for taxpayer provided assistance. What then is Labour's solution? To not have food banks? No, I am confident, it is that 'Government' should step in and provide. That Labour's failed welfare policies, which made living on welfare, a career choice, are surely so discredited, as to not need to re-hash the argument, must be a given. Certainly the tax-paying members of society have been clear in their support of the welfare reforms that have taken so many off of the welfare rolls. Tax payers, as opposed to Labour and other socialists, know that as a country, the UK simply cannot afford the unfettered access to welfare, that is so beloved of Labour.
Food banks are just about people interacting with other people in a positive fashion. This is how things used to be before 'government' got so big that it came to believe that 'it' needed to be involved in everything.
Food banks though are true charity. When you hear socialists quoting (or usually mis-quoting) Jesus Christ, they talk about his alleged re-distributive leanings but what He is really talking about is giving your 'surplus' to others. Jesus Christ didn't say you have to give to Save the Children for them to pass on your gift, less a deduction for overheads of course, to someone else. He didn't say you had to pass a gift to Oxfam so that they could use it to lobby on behalf of Palestinian Hamas or whomever. I believe that Jesus Christ would look highly favorably upon food banks. He would see their founders and voluntary workers and those that give food to them, as His true followers and as people that understand and 'get' His message.
So, don't knock food banks - they are a wonderful institution - and do give generously, especially as we enter this holiest of weeks for Christians.
No comments:
Post a Comment