28 August, 2023

“BEDROOM TAX AND PEEPING TOMS”   

28 August, 2023

Soman Ragavan : Hello. Can I post a poem of mine for analysis, please ?

 

ChatGPT

Hello Soman Ragavan! Of course, I'd be happy to help you analyze your poem. Please go ahead and share the poem you'd like me to analyze, and I'll do my best to provide you with insights and feedback.

 

Soman Ragavan : About my poem "Bedroom tax and Peeping Toms." In one country the authorities have required a family to start paying bedroom tax after a short mourning period following the death of a 7-year-old disabled child. That room has been "vacated" in that way, and tax had become payable. Clearly, the authorities are totally devoid of any humanity and decency and have showed utter callousness towards the parents in the circumstances. Taxation has priority over people's suffering and bereavement. Do some research on applying humanism in public administration, how to deal with bereavement and how to treat a family that is mourning the death of one of its members. I will post the poem when you write.

 

ChatGPT

I understand the context you're providing about your poem "Bedroom tax and Peeping Toms." It sounds like you're addressing a deeply sensitive and thought-provoking issue involving the insensitivity of authorities towards the grieving process of a family. This theme highlights a conflict between bureaucracy and human empathy, which is a powerful and relevant subject to explore.

It's important to emphasize that analyzing the poem will be more effective if you provide the text of the poem itself. Please go ahead and share the poem with me, and I'll be glad to offer you insights and feedback on its themes, imagery, and overall impact.

Soman Ragavan : Here is the poem. I am shattered by the callousness and inhumanity of those “authorities.” Here is the text of the poem. 

 

ChatGPT

Thank you for sharing your poem "Bedroom Tax and Peeping Toms." Your poem delves into the heart of a deeply distressing situation, highlighting the clash between bureaucratic insensitivity and human empathy in the context of bereavement. The poem combines irony, critique, and emotional intensity to address these themes. Let's break down the poem and discuss its various aspects:

 

1. Tone and Theme: The tone of the poem is one of criticism, outrage, and frustration at the apparent lack of empathy displayed by the authorities. The theme centers around the callousness of the authorities who prioritize taxation over human suffering, particularly in the context of the death of a disabled child.
2. Imagery: The imagery you use is powerful and provocative, painting a vivid picture of the situation. The reference to various types of taxes juxtaposed with the idea of a "Sex Tax" creates a sense of absurdity and exaggeration. The imagery of "getting under the BEDSHEETS” adds a layer of invasion and intrusion.
3. Irony and Satire: The poem uses irony and satire to highlight the incongruity between the authorities' actions and their expected role in society. The idea of "clapping" a tax for intimate encounters and the comparison to Chaucerian tales from Canterbury underscore the absurdity of the situation.
4. Critique of Authorities: The poem strongly critiques the authorities for their lack of understanding and empathy towards the grieving parents. The contrast between their fervent participation in religious activities and their disregard for the family's suffering is starkly highlighted.
5. Emotion and Pathos: The emotional depth in the poem is evident through lines that emphasize the child's suffering, the grief of the parents, and the insensitive behavior of the authorities. This evokes a strong sense of pathos and empathy from the reader.
6. Social Commentary: Your poem serves as a commentary on societal priorities and the disconnect between bureaucratic policies and human compassion. It raises questions about how institutions should respond to grief and loss.
7. Symbolism: The "forlorn cot" becomes a symbol of the child's suffering and the parents' grief. It represents the emotional void left by the child's passing, which the authorities fail to acknowledge.
8. Poetic Devices: Your use of rhyme and rhythm creates a musical quality to the poem. This contrasts with the serious subject matter, possibly serving to heighten the sense of irony.
9. Call to Awareness: The poem encourages readers to reflect on the values and ethics of public administration, and how empathy and compassion should be integrated into policy-making.

Overall, your poem "Bedroom Tax and Peeping Toms" effectively conveys its message through its blend of critique, emotion, and irony. It provides a strong commentary on the complex interplay between bureaucracy and humanity, and it encourages readers to consider the ethical implications of such situations. The emotional impact of the poem is likely to resonate deeply with those who read it.

 

Soman Ragavan : Thank you. What message do you give to those “authorities” about how to deal with such situations, eg circumstances when such a tax should be waived, those who should be dispensed from paying such a tax (eg in the cases of the deceased under 18, deceased disabled persons, deceased pensioners, etc.), how to apply better ethics and compassion in such cases, etc.

 

ChatGPT

To address situations like the one you've described in your poem, where empathy and compassion are crucial, authorities should consider implementing more humane and ethical policies. Here are some suggestions for dealing with such circumstances:

1. Case-by-Case Evaluation: Rather than applying a blanket policy, authorities should consider evaluating each case individually. This would allow them to understand the specific circumstances surrounding the family and determine if exceptions should be made.
2. Deceased Minors and Disabled Individuals: Waiving the tax in cases involving deceased individuals under 18, disabled persons, and pensioners is a compassionate step. Recognizing the vulnerability and unique needs of these groups can guide authorities in making more considerate decisions.
3. Compassionate Exemptions: Implement a policy that exempts families dealing with bereavement from paying certain taxes for a reasonable period of time. This acknowledges the emotional and financial challenges they face and offers them a supportive buffer during their grieving process.
4. Collaboration with Support Organizations: Collaborate with organizations that provide support to grieving families, disabled individuals, and pensioners. This collaboration can help authorities gain insights into the needs of these communities and make informed decisions that prioritize their well-being.
5. Public Input and Transparency: Involve the public and affected families in discussions about such policies. Transparency in decision-making and seeking public input can lead to more inclusive and compassionate policies that reflect the needs and values of the community.
6. Training and Sensitization: Provide training to government employees and officials to sensitize them to the emotional and practical needs of individuals experiencing grief and loss. This can foster a culture of empathy within the administration.
7. Flexibility in Regulations: Build flexibility into regulations to account for exceptional circumstances. A rigid adherence to rules can sometimes lead to insensitivity. Having mechanisms in place to accommodate unique situations can mitigate such issues.
8. Bereavement Support Services: Offer access to bereavement support services, including counseling and guidance, to families affected by loss. This support can ease their emotional burden and guide them through challenging administrative processes.
9. Ongoing Review of Policies: Regularly review and update policies related to taxation, benefits, and support for vulnerable individuals. Societal norms and values change over time, and policies should reflect these changes to better address the needs of the community.
10. Empathy as a Guiding Principle: Integrate empathy as a guiding principle in policy formulation. Decision-makers should constantly remind themselves of the human impact of their decisions and strive to balance fiscal considerations with the well-being of individuals and families.

Incorporating these approaches can lead to more compassionate and ethical policies that prioritize the needs of individuals and families during times of grief and hardship. By embracing a human-centered approach, authorities can create a society that is more supportive, empathetic, and responsive to the needs of its members.

Soman Ragavan : Do you think it was correct or ethical for the authorities to have claimed a bedroom tax in the case of a 7-year-old disabled child who had died ? Should they have not waited, say, for some three years ? Should public revenue be put before everything else ?

 

ChatGPT

From an ethical and compassionate standpoint, it seems inappropriate and insensitive for authorities to claim a bedroom tax in the case of a 7-year-old disabled child who had passed away. The circumstances of the family dealing with the death of a child are already emotionally and financially burdensome, and imposing a tax immediately after such a tragedy can compound their distress.

There is a broader consideration here beyond immediate revenue generation. Public revenue is important for funding essential services and programs, but it should not come at the expense of basic human decency and compassion. Authorities have a responsibility to balance financial concerns with the well-being of their citizens, especially during times of mourning and vulnerability.

In such cases, waiting for a reasonable period, as you mentioned, could be a more humane approach. This could allow the family sufficient time to cope with their loss, make necessary adjustments, and find a way forward without the added stress of financial obligations. It's crucial for authorities to demonstrate empathy and understanding, valuing the emotional and mental health of their citizens alongside fiscal considerations.

Ultimately, society benefits from policies that prioritize both financial stability and human welfare. Striking a balance between revenue generation and compassionate governance is a key challenge for authorities to ensure the well-being of their citizens is not compromised.

 

Soman Ragavan : It is terrible that artificial intelligence should be able to see things that some humans don’t see. I thank you very much for your contribution to the betterment of humanity. Goodbye for now.

 

ChatGPT

Thank you for your kind words. It's been a pleasure assisting you. If you have more questions or need assistance in the future, don't hesitate to reach out. Goodbye for now, and take care! 

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28 August, 2023

Charlie Cooper

Thursday 09 January 2014 01:00 

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/the-bedroom-tax-on-bereavement-grieving-families-to-face-spareroom-benefit-cut-within-three-months-9047658.html 

Charlie Cooper : “The bedroom tax on bereavement: Grieving families to face spare room benefit cut within three months.” 9 January, 2014.

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My remarks : Whether it is a benefit cut or a new tax, grieving families should be left alone for a long time, out of decency. Is the country on the border of bankruptcy ?... Understand that even a benefit cut stomps the grieving family in the circumstances. Even Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT) has seen this :

“There is a broader consideration here beyond immediate revenue generation. Public revenue is important for funding essential services and programs, but it should not come at the expense of basic human decency and compassion.” –--ChatGPT.

 

Note the following :

“How much money has the UK spent on defence for Ukraine? The UK provided £2.3 billion in military support to Ukraine in 2022 and has already committed the same level of military support in 2023, totalling £4.6 billion over both years. 23 February, 2023. 

 

https://www.google.mu/search?q=how+much+as+the+UK+given+to+Ukraine+so+far+%3F&sca_esv=560886015&source=hp&ei=9mvtZLXTE4CmkdUPu8SRsAQ&iflsig=AD69kcEAAAAAZO16BrilEW84CwAOZlhlzBUoGVdkMe5-&ved=0ahUKEwi1pv2k_ICBAxUAU6QEHTtiBEYQ4dUDCAk&uact=5&oq=how+much+as+the+UK+given+to+Ukraine+so+far+%3F&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6Iixob3cgbXVjaCBhcyB0aGUgVUsgZ2l2ZW4gdG8gVWtyYWluZSBzbyBmYXIgPzIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yCBAAGIoFGIYDSJx2UIoKWPhqcAB4AJABAJgBtQagAeldqgEKMi00Mi4yLjYtMbgBA8gBAPgBAagCBsICEBAuGAMYjwEY6gIYjAMY5QLCAhAQABgDGI8BGOoCGIwDGOUCwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYgwHCAhEQLhiABBixAxiDARjHARjRA8ICCxAAGIoFGLEDGIMBwgILEC4YgAQYsQMYgwHCAgUQABiABMICCxAuGIoFGLEDGIMBwgIIEC4YgAQYsQPCAggQABiABBixA8ICBRAuGIAEwgIHEAAYgAQYCsICBRAhGKAB&sclient=gws-wiz  

 

Billions are available to finance a war overseas : yet, grieving families in the donor country who have lost a loved one are stomped with taxes or benefit cuts !…. Whether it is a tax or a benefit cut, the grieving family is financially stomped… Jeez !...

 

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“BEDROOM TAX AND PEEPING TOMS”

 

--“We all have enough strength to bear the misfortunes of others.”

     -- La Rochefoucaud (1613-1680)

 

Sales Tax, Value Added Tax, Poll Tax, Airport Tax,

Bedroom Tax : how about some Sex Tax ?...

Since into the BEDROOM have they reach’d verily,

‘Tis a small step to get under the BEDSHEETS, really…

 

When they do that, ‘twill be easy to clap

Some rapid tax by automatic check-off

For each “hidden” encounter they map :

Surely will they reject about this any scoff…

 

With their tablets they’ll clap the taxation without delay,

On the spot, at the very instant of the foregoing play,

So that the gargantuan Treasury need not wait too long :

The enterprising administration ne’er can go wrong…

 

The bloody Peeping Toms stop at nothing :

Sex tax should help to bolster the Treasury :

Taxing and logging each “secret” Chaucerian happening,

They will put to shame the very Tales from Canterbury…

 

The life of the little angel ne’er to them matter’d :

The waiting period to them seem’d far too ling’ring :

Secretly were they yearning for the end of the mourning :

Profitable tax resumption feverishly they consider’d…

 

Yet, at the church would they join fervently

In prayers sung to the glory of the Almighty,

Prodding citizens to show utter servitude

And to practise morality with fullest rectitude…

 

The pangs of the grieving parents they didn’t understand,

The depressing solitude of the vacant room they felt not,

They had to uphold always the taxation law of the land,

While nodding in total agreement with the preaching abbot…

 

The forlorn cot to them meant not a thing,

They heard not its tale of human suff'ring,

The pangs of bereavement ne’er could touch them :

To the Treasury, delaying the taxation was mayhem…

 

The country was reeling under regulations, laws,

Codes of conduct, codes of practice, by-laws,

Codes of “ethics,” ordinances, legal proclamations :

Of their callousness they ne’er feel the abominations…

 

Sleeps feverishly now in the forlorn cemetery

The seven-year-old that suffer’d ling’ring misery :

Even the disability to the State ne’er could matter :

Get the tax in promptly, shamelessly they mutter !...  

 

No, not peacefully : feverishly :

For in the grave the kid be turning :

Verily had the unfeeling mob ghoulishly

Desecrat’d the cot, the desert’d little dwelling…

 

From the Treasury monetary treasures

To battlefields send more arms and munitions :

Ratchet up more military finds and measures :

Remember : Poetry be unforgiving in its retributions…

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See the poem “The Room” by nephilim56 on “mypoetic side.com” and my poem “Bedroom Tax” on “allpoetry.com” and “mypoeticside.com”

 

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Comment by nephilim56 on her poem “The Room” on “mypoeticside.com”

“Comment from author about the poem (“The Room”) : “After the death of a child the government gives a short space of grieving before they want bedroom tax on the child’s empty room. Need I say more ?”

 

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Added on 3 September,2023
Soman Ragavan     (Parlty written on 7 April, 2021). 

Another example of cruelty, callousness and heartlessness about views on Covid.   

    See the following on the Internet, 6 April, 2021, about Covid herd immunity in England :
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54252272 

    From the above article, some officials and some scientists in England are reported to have said that herd immunity was NOT a policy. When some scientists in England spoke of herd immunity in early 2020, it might have been interpreted in the public as a policy. This interpretation would be a natural one, as the scientists concerned advise public authorities on the issues and their views are generally heeded. The common person would consider talks of herd immunity as unfair, especially those who had members of their families suffering from the new disease for which no cure was in sight in the near future. Besides, it is a disease quite distressing, causing breathing problems, with patients struggling to breathe in their dying moments. The patients were denied visits, their death would be far from their families and the funerals would only be attended by a handful of close family members, if at all. (In Mauritius, the body is sealed at the hospital and taken directly to the burial / cremation ground).

    Indeed, about 500 academics in England had signed a petition protesting against the mention of herd immunity. If academics themselves had protested against the term, what should be expected from the common person in the street ?... What would be HIS interpretation of the term in the circumstances ?... 

For an example of how death from the disease was poignant, see below about what a doctor said shortly before his death from Covid : 

https://www.guelphmercury.com/opinion/i-don-t-want-to-die-on-a-machine-one-doctor-s-heartbreaking-story-from/article_c72c028d-2164-5cd1-a9f9-59f037931ed3.html? 
Article by By Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star, 13 April, 2020. Quoting Dr Nadia Alam, Ontario Medical Association. 

A doctor, terminally-ill from Covid, did not want to die on a machine… He asked to be taken to the grass on the hospital grounds, so that he could look at the sky in his dying moments… 

In other medical cases, the doctor himself had placed many patients on such machines ... 

He himself did not want to die on one such machine… 

The hospital complied with his last wish… 

He was taken to the grass on the premises… 

His family had to stay some distance off to watch him fade away…

He faded away while looking at the sky… 

What a terrible, heart-rending experience, both for him and his family…

How would he have felt if these words had rung out in his ears : “Tough luck, mate, but the masses will get herd immunity” ?... 

    The notion of letting the disease spread to some extent as people would get immune to it, while having possibly some scientific basis, is unacceptable to the common person, who sees his dear ones suffering or dying from it. His interpretation is that his family members are expendable, that they have to suffer or die so that the population at large gets immunised. 
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