Nature For Sale

The difference between men who have shares in oil exploration and those that work the oil rigs is morning sounds.

Oil barons do not live where they source wealth, under the soil or ocean.  They live on acres of land with trees and flowing streams, so they wake up to frogs croaking, birds mating and water caressing slippery stones.

Photo:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.

Their workers in downtown Toronto or Islington wake up to fire engines at the crack of dawn, wailing police cars, a woman in the top apartment crying because of domestic violence, drunkards singing off key on the pavement and snow crews scraping the white stuff from dirty streets.

Billionaires have the best of both worlds.  They buy shares (on bank credit), make profit on that credit and walk away when oil, gold, diamond, clothing factories and car manufacturing stop being profitable.  Poor people are left holding the baby, inner city decay.

Profits they make enable captains of industry to enjoy peace in serene suburbs, summer houses, and Mediterranean islands.  Some even buy a whole island, where there is no drilling or excavation of any kind. 

 
Therefore, social status is determined by sounds that wake you up in the morning or sounds that don’t allow you to sleep at all.

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.