This week there have been a number of stories providing a perspective on the distance between the have-nots and the have-lots.
Two New Zealand people hold more wealth than 30 per cent of the country. Some families are struggling to pay rent while others have so much plus the means to arrange their financial affairs to minimise their tax contribution towards the resources subsidising their business endeavours such as infrastructure, education, law and national governance.
I read that on the first day of work in 2017, a couple of Canadian chief executives earned more that morning - before lunchtime - than many Canadians earn in an entire year. That's ridiculous. Nobody is worth that much no matter how good they are at their job.
Apparently, they feel they are entitled to such grand remuneration. This will be further endorsed by the Trump credo of enriching yourself by all means possible at the expense of others.
In Australia, entitlement is being hung out to dry like dirty washing.
On one end of the line is the automated debt recovery of benefit errors with the ''system'' sending huge bills without any checking on background details; creating despair and instant poverty for many.
At the other end of the line, various politicians have socked the taxpayer for trips to weddings, sports events, to buy apartments as well as flying lessons with no sense that maybe this was somehow inappropriate.
This happens in NZ too but it is not as obvious. Our MPs may not agree on policy but they do like their taxpayer-funded entitlements.
Our politicians should pay travel-related costs personally then claim them back following scrutiny as other public servants are required to do but this would be far too open and transparent, making it too difficult to pick the taxpayers' pockets.
We need to be outraged and take a stand against entitlement in all its many fiscal forms whether it be tax evasion by corporates, politicians taking taxpayer-funded junkets, chief executives being paid millions to ''manage'' companies, often while the business fails and thousands lose their jobs.
The march of entitlement and dishonesty now has a cheerleader in Trump. He is going to be the US president who denies things he has said, holds grudges with all the bizarre ferocity of a demented cuckold while conniving to take the American population for every dollar he can get.
Others will follow his example, so we need to step up and resist passive moderation and go for outrage.
History has provided clear warnings about the danger of allowing freedoms to be eroded.
The following words from Martin Luther King jnr are worth quoting: "Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."
*Terry Sarten (aka Tel) is a writer, musician and social worker - feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz
