The article is one page long, but if you don’t feel like reading, at the bottom of the page is a video.
Yesterday was my birthday (77th). For a long time I have been saying: ‘You always have to talk’, to compare with other people. Finally, while we were spending the day together with the family, I had the opportunity and I took advantage of it. It started when I told him (he was 24) that there was a piece of news that said that young people today are radically right-wing. He had his doubts and asked me why that was. It occurred to me to tell him that maybe it was because of those children who have grown up without fathers (I couldn’t think of anything else). In recent times, separations have been the order of the day, and between that and other reasons that we won’t go into here, there have rarely been serious conversations between father and son.
I don’t even know how, when the thread of the conversation jumped, a burst of radical extremism appeared in him (in my grandson). I tried to control the situation and tried to reason as calmly as possible. He was arguing about ‘what society has become’. He talked to me about social injustices, about politicians, about citizens without a hint of rebellion, about taxes, about the inheritance we have left them… I let him talk for a while and then tried to reason my point of view.
I began by giving him an insight into ‘where we came from’ and went on to tell him that perhaps, before becoming so radicalised against today’s society, we should inform ourselves as well as possible in order to have a rough idea of what that society is like at the moment. I spoke to him about the selfishness of people who are ultimately not empathetic towards other humans. I told him that today’s society is governed by self-interest. I told him about a better future than the present one. We also talked about the corruption of politicians who make the law for their own benefit. About their salaries, about the two years they continue to be paid when they leave office, about the pension fund for old age when they have been working in public office for more than seven years, about when politicians raise their salaries to justify their dedication. And we continue…
I could tell he was at ease with the conversation when he sat down opposite me on the floor of the terrace. It seemed that I was finally in front of that moment I had dreamed of so many times: talking to my grandson. At last we had the chance to talk for a little longer than the usual five minutes. And we came to the conclusion of where the taxes are going. That’s when I realised that I didn’t have a formed idea. I told him that there are many taxes, but there are three main ones:
1. Personal Income Tax (IRPF). This tax collects percentages of the income earned by individuals.
2. Value Added Tax (VAT). It is levied on consumption in general and there are different brackets depending on the luxury purchased. I began to explain that each company deducts the VAT on its purchases.
3. Corporate Income Tax (IS). It is levied on the income earned by companies. There are many deductions.
Taxes are necessary to finance the public sector. Another thing is whether those who administer it (politicians) are fair or not. In any case, I told him that beyond the typical bipartisanship (it seems that this has disappeared), although in a nutshell, the tendency of politicians is conservative or progressive. It is clear that conservatives will always defend the powerful (rich, big business, low taxes…), while progressives will defend the weak (poor and middle classes, citizens first…). While some try to ensure that money is spent on the private sector, the others try to protect the vast majority of citizens with public services.
I don’t think I convinced him, but what I do know is that at least I made him think. Hopefully, in time, we will have another chance and continue to talk.
Am I doing the right thing by revealing my reality to my grandson? I am not sure. Although I would have liked it if someone had spoken to me clearly, without any guile, without deception, without illusions? Now, at this moment, my heart is in a fist.
Until the next reflection.
Joan-Llorenç sincristal@hotmail.com
Sin Cristal, el blog 