Of Winners, Losers and Antagonism

Of winners, losers and antagonism

And so we came to Budget night. There were many images on different size screens. Smartly dressed people, exquisitely manicured, tenderly holding microphones. Countless people spoke a lot of words and wrote even more. Somewhere an unnoticed tree gasped and fell writhing to the ground. Ink was sprayed upon it in the form of many numerals.

The detail and hyperbole left me needing a warm shower and a glass of medicine. My grey hairs tell me that all this hoopla happened last year and will inevitably be repeated next year. I have never been blessed with strong numeracy skills and somehow just could not get enthralled.

What did pique my interest was this whole “winners and losers business”.  If you were of this demographic or had this particular interest or were at this particular stage of life, then you were a winner or a loser. Depending upon a couple of other variables over which you had little or no control you were a grinner or a weeper.

Now I don’t mind who you write the number 1 (one) next to on the ballot paper. It’s your business and we are blessed that we can vote freely in this splendid democracy of ours.

My question rather is why do such documents and political jamborees always have to be ‘Us versus them’ or ‘Winners versus losers’? Does the dish of the budget / the election / political hot potato really have to be served up to us with such an adversarial sauce?

Would it be such a devastating thing if some of us went without a little (became losers) for the sake of those who truly need more? (became winners) Are we so addicted to antagonism? It would seem so, but I would be thrilled to be proven wrong.