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December 7, 2011

I Have £36,000 in my bank account. Here is Why it Matters. ~ Max Zografos

Toban Black

I get this kick when I am honest.

I’m 33 years old and weigh 85 kg. My number is 07989052194. Wow, that felt good. But there is something particular about talking money, right?

In countries like Britain, it is understatement that dictates silence. Head to the south, and it’s flamboyance that dictates the same. When I was a boy in Greece we joked about how some neighbors owned the cheapest possible BMW, furnished with plastic interiors and fake parts. The car was covered up all week as they couldn’t afford to run it. They drove it to church every Sunday though.

Whether consumption is conspicuous or not, few are open about how much they really have. Why? Because we’re programmed not to. If every person on the planet shared how much they have, then humanity’s biggest affliction would surface. Inequality.

It’s all fine to watch starving kids in Somalia via the remoteness of a TV channel. It’s easy to dismiss the odd homeless guy as a lazy addict. But if everyone carried a label stating a clear figure, the sheer magnitude of inequality would be impossible to avoid.

The worst crimes happen in the dark alleys of ignorance. Slaughterhouses are hidden out of sight, animal testing happens in

epSos.de

highly secret laboratories. The only way injustices stop is when they are brought to light. That’s what PETA does, for example. Expose.

If we agree that inequality is injustice, and that injustice stops when exposed, then the next logical step is transparency. Openness about how much people own.

Entire industries are at risk of course. I mean, if everyone knew how much I have, then why bother with diamonds? Vice versa, if everyone knew how much I have, wouldn’t there be an element of accountability?

It’s not about being holier than thou. Billions subsist on $1 a day, while I’m sitting here… blogging. It’s not about socialism, or other easy labels.

It’s plain simple. Every living organism should be given the opportunity to pursue their happiness. If they are not allowed to do so, that’s injustice, and it should be exposed. I have £36,000.

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Creatively maladjusted author and blogger, Jivamukti yogi, ethical diet advocate and corporate drone, Max Zografos loiters internet cafes, libraries (anywhere with a roof and Wi-Fi really) for hours on end until he finds inspiration to write or gets kicked out, whichever comes first. You can find him on www.maxzografos.com.

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