Thursday 30 December 2021

Billionaires and their superyachts and the rest of us

Twas always thus I suppose, the filthy rich enjoying a totally different sort of world and the rest of the planet's human beings surviving life as best they can. During the two years of the covid pandemic, however, this incredible difference in lifestyles seems to have become even more apparent, grossly apparent I would say. There's a story in the Daily Mail about a congregation (if that's the right word) of billionaire superyachts currently moored in St Barts, the French-speaking Caribbean island. All the billionaires worth their salt are there. Perhaps they only feel comfortable in other billionaires' company. Some of the yachts are so huge they can't come anywhere near the harbour moorings but have to settle in the waters well beyond the white sands. I guess it's possible the owners never actually leave their superyacht homes, but just recline in the sunshine and have lobster fed to them without having to step foot on the island. This is not remotely about envy, it's just an expression of amazement that in this super-troubled world with the pandemic still raging, global warming now here to stay, and poverty and malnutrition reaching desperate levels in countries such as Yemen and Afghanistan, there are super rich people with ther superyachts having a super time without having to worry about any of this. Great for the St Barts economy no doubt but that's the only positive thing I can think of.

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