Not To Take Part
Governments can be cruel to some of their citizens. Take for example the treatment the Black people suffered in North America & South Africa in the 20th century, being forced to suffer apartheid (enforced segregation); or Gay people in Britain up to the 1960’s who were compelled to hide their sexuality (illegal activity).
This correspondent recently discovered another country at it, namely Belarus, and its Government’s treatment of housewives with three or more children.
The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has recently signed into law a decree which states that housewives with two children or less face criminal proceedings (fines, community service & detention) for failure to pay income tax on a minimum of 183 days of work (approx six months) a year outside the home.
The reasoning for this decree (as stated by the Belarusian government) is to stimulate able-bodied citizens to engage in labour activity and help finance state expenditure.
This ruling however does not apply to housewives with three or more children. They are not encouraged to participate in any labour activity by their government, and it is left up to them to decide whether to work six months of the year or not.
This ruling has excluded them from obligatory full-time work outside the household. They have been discriminated against on the grounds of their additional child/children.
This correspondent can empathise with their situation. In his youth, pretty girls did not encourage your correspondent to participate in any activities with them due to a combination of shyness and a skinny frame. They encouraged the outgoing & bulkier lads to oblige them in their activities.
The Belarusian Government’s present attitude to housewives and the pretty girls past view of this correspondent can be summed up well by the Pig’s (Napoleon & Squealer- in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’), regard for their fellow animals, when they change one of the farm rules from ‘All animals are equal‘ to ‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others‘.
