In the Name of Capitalist Freedom?

This morning I read that across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza and elsewhere, Palestinian refugees are suffering at new depths because of the pandemic. People in Gaza are searching through rubbish to find food as Palestinians battle unprecedented levels of poverty.

And then I read that if I want to watch my two favourite football teams this weekend (Manchester United; born in Manchester, Leicester City; live in Leicester) it will cost me £29.90. I am told that the money will go directly to the Premiership clubs to help with a lack of matchday income. This of course is additional income to the clubs, on top of regular TV rights paid by Sky, BT and others (a total of around 4.5 billion -yes, billion- pounds a season).

These are the clubs that regularly pay players in the millions (David De Gea  £19,500,000 per season) with an average wage of around £50,000 per week (nearly 3 million pounds a year). They are the same clubs that have rejected a plan to fund smaller clubs (I appreciate the proposed model was flawed but where’s the real alternative?)

We live in a society that in the name of capitalism and freedom has distorted our moral values to allow the rubbish heaps in Gaza, children dying through hunger, a lack of pure water and more, whilst perverting reasonable business practices beyond recognition.

How about some sensible public ownership, a better tax regime, an increase in our international aid budget? And a government that isn’t afraid to say something is plain wrong when it so obviously is.

As someone with a Christian faith, I appreciate that ultimate answers are beyond the political arena, but that doesn’t absolve me from speaking out and doing what I can. As to this weekend, my small contribution to the coffers of the Premier League will instead go towards a Compassion child.