Kindness, helpfulness, charitability, whatever you want to call it, is an important and pleasant aspect of being a human. It should go without saying, but it constantly needs to be not just said, but practised and experienced.

If capitalism is the political manifestation of selfishness and greed, then socialism is the opposite.

It is the politicical manifestion of selflessness and kindness.

Capitalists often exploit charity and use it to fil the gaps that their corrupt system has created.

Jacob Rees-Mogg said that to have food banks is “rather uplifting and shows what a good, compassionate country we are.

Nah, it shows what a sad state we’re in that people need to rely on handouts, rather than being able to work and benefit from our work.

However, this is going to be a positive article. Also a personal one. And kind of a boring one, but please bear with me.

Recently, I was at my local chemists. I’d rang 111 as I’d had a problem with waxy build up in my ears. I mean I was almost deaf (what, lad?)

I was referred to the local chemist and was told they’d be able to treat me. When I got there, the chemist said that they didn’t offer such a service, but a man in the long queue, waiting with others for medicine they’d all paid for, overheard and directed me to another chemist, further up the road, but in an area I’m not familiar with.

After walking up there, I waited to be seen and I had a laugh with another customer in the same boat as me.

I spoke to the chemist in a private room and he rolled his eyes, then told me that loads of patients get fobbed off on chemists, who should be seen by GPs and that it not in the remit of a chemist to provide ear wax treatment, or even to inspect a patient’s ear. He was very sympathetic, by the way, I wasn’t the only patient falsely referred to him that day.

He gave me, for free, a pack of ear syringes so I could look after the problem myself. Not an ideal situation, but better than nothing.

Later, I went up the Lidl to get something for tea, then I had a pint over the road. I got talking to this feller about boxing and he told me about the local club and how Sid helps kids stay out of trouble and that. According to him, the owner of the club is a great lad.

Despite the bad start to the day, the encounters I had with strangers lifted my mood. People are usually kind, they’re decent. Society brings out the worsts in us.

I didn’t lecture any of the people I met that day about socialism, materialism or anything like that, but I witnessed that that is in all of us. We all need to realise that.

It is human nature to be compassionate, to help others, to help yourself too, but for the betterment of our entire society.

Charities, social organisations, volunteer groups aren’t a replacement for socialism, but they are proof that we care about each other.

They are places, like in workplaces, where seeds can be planted and encouraged to grow.

Reposted from classconsciousnessproject.blog with thanks