Book launch

Inequality is the basis behind most of the world’s problems. The division between the have’s and have-nots is immense. The judgement of a good civilised country is how it treats its underprivileged, needy and disabled.

I was shocked by what I saw in America and what I see in Britain. There is a heartlessness in many people’s actions; they seem to believe that the homeless and down-and-outs deserve all they get. They should have worked harder at school, achieved higher qualifications, got themselves a job.

I am not referring to the hapless free-loaders. There are the scroungers who need to be made to contribute.

Before making judgements people should listen to the stories of the people concerned. There are many sad tales of neglect, abuse and disaster. Many are traumatised and unable to function.

There but for fortune.

The worth of a society is its benevolence. It seems that the greatest nations on Earth are content to have people living rough and scratching round dust-bins for food – as if they were vermin.

I think that is an indictment on those nations. It is cold, heartless and uncaring. We should be better than that.

The children brought up in the degradation created by poverty, desperation, prostitution and drugs will grow up to have a blighted life. It needs addressing and we are rich enough nations to address the issues properly. There is far too much greed and selfishness.

Neil Young highlighted the problems in this song. The ‘Free World’ should set an example and show the world how compassion is done!

“Rockin’ In The Free World”

There’s colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin’ their feet
People sleepin’ in their shoes
But there’s a warnin’ sign
on the road ahead
There’s a lot of people sayin’
we’d be better off dead
Don’t feel like Satan,
but I am to them
So I try to forget it,
any way I can.

Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world
Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world.

I see a woman in the night
With a baby in her hand
Under an old street light
Near a garbage can
Now she puts the kid away,
and she’s gone to get a hit
She hates her life,
and what she’s done to it
There’s one more kid
that will never go to school
Never get to fall in love,
never get to be cool.

Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world
Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world.

We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand
We got department stores
and toilet paper
Got styrofoam boxes
for the ozone layer
Got a man of the people,
says keep hope alive
Got fuel to burn,
got roads to drive.

Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world
Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world.

Rockin’ in the Free World – YouTube

Neil Young 1963 to 1970: Every Album, Every Song: Amazon.co.uk: Opher Goodwin: 9781789522983: Books