Cross posting: Post No. 1,685 - historical echoes

This was originally (meant to be) posted on my main blog at: https://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2020/10/post-no-1685-historical-echoes.html. 

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I'm currently watching a history series, and today they published an episode about some of the human rights abuses committed by Germany's army (the Wehrmacht) during World War (part) Two. 

It's horrifying stuff - especially the allocation of food to prisoners: 2,200 calories to those who worked, nothing to those too ill to work or who refused to work. 

Although far less extreme, I am also disturbed by the attitude of those today who think people have to "earn" human rights by meeting responsibility (what "responsibility" do I have to meet to not be tortured or murdered?) or that there is a price to pay to earn social security. 

There is a price to pay by insisting such prices exist as a gatekeeping barrier between human decency and those in need: our soul as a nation. 

Neoliberals would do well to reflect on that.