Better that way

In recent days and weeks, I don't know if it was because of the next election, but on television they allow themselves to show things that were previously unthinkable. For example, the low quality of traditional dairy products some time ago, and now something else - the high prices of food products in the country, compared to Western Europe.

Of course, everything that is shown on TV is quite measured and half-hearted, the whole truth is never told. Televisions in Bulgaria are not independent, not even the national one, everything must be "listened between the lines", as I have written before as well, but this is what one learns with years of living here. Still, I'm glad that every now and then one can hear and see some truth out there, and the truths we've been told in recent weeks are very cruel.
I can almost imagine how the head of the television commissions a report that is ordered to him from above and tells the reporter: say something there, but don't say everything, let the people be scared a little, but not completely.

Because no one benefits from the whole truth, from a frightened, desperate or angry people.
No one wants to let the people realize the misery they live in, and even more: that there is something better, outside the country, some 2-3000 km. away distance.

Actually, the kilometers don't matter. Most people want to live in their own country, almost no one wants to go anywhere, maybe I don't either, but for me personally I can't find any other way out.
And when you don't want to go anywhere, but you finally realize that things could be different, then maybe things can go wrong. Just maybe.

And here, they showed us on television, on the evening news, how food products in Bulgaria are much more expensive than those in Western Europe. Oh God, what heresy, how could someone finally say it, and on national air at that! But notice, an on-air comparison is made with prices in Spain and with prices in France, two relatively expensive countries. No comparison is made with prices in Germany. Not that Germany is not a developed and expensive country for us as well, but because the prices of some food products are almost twice as cheap, as I gave you an example with butter just recently.

As I told you, whoever commissioned the report said: let's stress them a little, but not too much, don't show them double the lower prices in developed and settled countries, where the minimum wage is more than 4 times higher than in Bulgaria.
And finally, who works for minimum wage in Germany? Only Germans can say that. While in Bulgaria 32% of the population is registered with a gross salary of BGN 1,000 or 511.31 euros or 552.28 dollars, this is BGN 73 above the minimum wage and these 32% of the population are classified as "working poor". Because the 775.98 BGN they give you net is not enough for anything, it doesn't get you anywhere, really nowhere.

Just the other day I came across a post, someone had done a breakdown of the basic expenses a person needs to survive when living alone. Some points, in my opinion, are debatable, such as the first point, which represents the biggest expense and is for renting a house or paying off a loan - 800 leva/409.05 euros/441.82 dollars. Now, they will hardly give someone a loan with such high installments if they do not have a solid salary behind them, and as we can see, solid salaries are earned by quite a few people. On the other hand, BGN 800 rent for an apartment in the capital is a completely realistic expense, but perhaps not so high in other cities.
And yet, the rest of the points were logical and well calculated and I think everything fits well - heat, electricity, water, phone, internet, lunch at work, fuel to get to work and food from the grocery store. All this was calculated at BGN1940/€991.94/$1071.42. Base cost.
If you notice, there is nothing more than the basics here, no clothes and shoes, going out to the cinema, disco, restaurants or coffee. No cigarettes I guess either. No dentist or medical if something happens, no kids, no even pets. There is nothing. And oh yeah, that's net income, not gross. So you need BGN 1940 to survive, but many people get just BGN 775.98. That's why they're called the working poor (sounds kind of like the walking dead, doesn't it?) And if you think the government does anything for them, you're wrong.

So, we have higher prices for eggs, milk and milk products, oil, flour, cucumbers, beans, rice. The report says we're approaching peak food prices, even surpassing them. And in fact, the report never makes it clear whether we have the highest prices for these goods in the union or we rank among the highest.

Well, we're the country with the lowest minimum wage, as I said, and one of the highest prices for food, and a lot of other things. And if we add the low quality of everything we receive - services, government service, food, cosmetics, technology and everything, things become even more wrong.

But shh, some people don't even watch the news. They don't want to know what is going on, what the truth is, in what circumstances we live. And it's better that way for sure.

Thank you for your time! Copyright:	@soulsdetour
	Soul's Detour is a project started by me years ago when I had a blog about historical and not so popular tourist destinations in Eastern Belgium, West Germany and Luxembourg. Nowadays, this blog no longer exists, but I'm still here - passionate about architecture, art and mysteries and eager to share my discoveries and point of view with you.

Personally, I am a sensitive soul with a strong sense of justice.
Traveling and photography are my greatest passions.
Sounds trivial to you?
No, it's not trivial. Because I still love to travel to not so famous destinations.🗺️
Of course, the current situation does not allow me to do this, but I still find a way to satisfy my hunger for knowledge, new places, beauty and art.
Sometimes you can find the most amazing things even in the backyard of your house.😊🧐🧭|