What About Here?

[Bobbisox1]

Surely charity should begin at home?

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-music/elton-johns-coronavirus-living-room-show-raises-8-million-for-us-charities-idUSKBN21I0CF

[Mozz71]

I think he compared it, all the guest performers were American.

[TheDevil]

"Surely charity should begin at home?"

No, we have the NHS.. A lot of Americans don't have health care so rely on charities. It's a bit naive to think 8 million would be a drop in the pond. Look at how much we spend on defence. We could just spend 1 billion less, or even 10 million less.. But nope. That is set up tight.

Also look how we can manage to pay half the population 80% of their wage..

We have plenty of money, Bobbisox it's just you don't see it.

[New Judge]

//We have plenty of money, Bobbisox it's just you don't see it.//

No we don't. We'll have to borrow it and the taxpayer will be servicing the loans for decades. I'm not suggesting the government should not provide such assistance. Desperate times need desperate measures. I'm just putting you right when you suggest that "we have plenty of money". The current UK National debt is about £1,800bn. The recent budget (which was set out before this crisis really got a grip) was set to add £55bn to that total and the cost of servicing the overall debt was put at £56bn. That is larger than the defence budget, considerably larger than the transport budget, and almost as large as the budget for Public Order & Safety and Housing & the Environment combined. The reason you don't see the money is because it ain't there.

[AuntPollyGrey]

As a matter of interest (pardon the pun) who actually loans to the Government? Surely with the pandemic every country is now in the same boat financially?

[douglas9401]

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Elton John!

(whoops, whistles, screams etc)

"Goodbye England's rose..."

'click'

[douglas9401]

The money's notional, it doesn't exist until a politician says it does then they all pretend together.

Presto magico, solved at a stroke.