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Question: I don't understand this poem!.!.!.!?
All In a Family Way
My banks are all furnished with rags,
So thick, even Freddy can't thin 'em;
I've torn up my old money-bags,
Having little or nought to put in 'em!.
My tradesman are smashing by dozens,
But this is all nothing, they say;
For bankrupts, since Adam, are cousins,
So, it's all in the family way!.
My Debt not a penny takes from me,
As sages the matter explain; --
Bob owes it to Tom and then Tommy
Just owes it to Bob back again!.
Since all have thus taken to owing,
There's nobody left that can pay;
And this is the way to keep going, --
All quite in the family way!.
My senators vote away millions,
To put in Prosperity's budget;
And though it were billions or trillions,
The generous rogues wouldn't grudge it!.
'Tis all but a family hop,
'Twas Pitt began dancing the hay;
Hands round! -- why the deuce should we stop!?
'Tis all in the family way!.
My labourers used to eat mutton,
As any great man of the State does;
And now the poor devils are put on
Small rations of tea and potatoes!.
But cheer up John, Sawney and Paddy,
The King is your father, they say;
So ev'n if you starve for your Daddy,
'Tis all in the family way!.
My rich manufacturers tumble,
My poor ones have nothing to chew;
And, even if themselves do not grumble,
Their stomachs undoubtedly do!.
But coolly to fast en famille,
Is as good for the soul as to pray;
And famine itself is genteel,
When one starves in a family way!.
I have found out a secret for Freddy,
A secret for next Budget day;
Though, perhaps he may know it already,
As he, too, 's a sage in his way!.
When next for the Treasury scene he
Announces "the Devil to pay",
Let him write on the bills, "Nota bene,
'Tis all in the family way!."Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I had to Google this to find out the details:
Thomas Moore was an Irish poet!. A lot of his verse, including this one, was political in nature!. He wrote this in 1826!. It's a satire on government debt (in this case the government of the UK) and the airy dismissal of it by the politicians who incur it!. It's also apparently a parody of some other poem that was current back then, called "My banks are all furnished with bees"!. No one remembers that poem anymore, though!.
You didn't mention this line, but Moore prefaces his poem with a quotation: "["The Public Debt is owed from ourselves to ourselves and resolves itself into a Family Account" - Sir Robert Peel's Letter]"!. More or less, that says, 'the government borrows money (through bonds and that sort of thing) from the people whom it represents, so it's really not such a big deal!. It's like borrowing money from a family member: he won't worry too much about when you're going to pay it back, because it's all in the family!.
Thomas Moore obviously disagrees with this statement, and his poem is a satire of it!. Basically, "All in a Family Way" says that with these airy justifications, the government goes on borrowing more and more money that it has no way to pay back!. The end result of this is that while "the Senators vote away millions to put in Prosperity's budget", in reality, the people of England are getting poorer and poorer!. Where the workers used to eat meat, now they are on small rations of meat and potatoes!.
I have to give you a disclaimer: I tried to understand the details of all this, but I don't have enough of an economic background to understand fully why massive government borrowing leads to poverty!. In fact, governments do it, so I suspect that not everyone agrees with Thomas Moore on the subject!. The basic problem, I think, is that the money ultimately has to come from somewhere!. Even if the government keeps borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, there is interest to pay, and if expenses rise and the government cannot borrow enough to cover all its previous debts, there may be principal to pay too!. There are different ways the government might deal with this: it could print more money--leading to inflation (the same amount of money is worth less) or it could raise taxes, directly taking money from people!. Ultimately, the cost is falling on the people in one form or another!.
Maybe you could try asking in the economics section to get more details about that!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Methinks the key to this would lie in the author!. !.!.!. but I see hints that this is an Irish lament :
!.!.!.!.!.!. And now the poor devils are put on!.!.!.
Small rations of tea and potatoes!.
But cheer up John, Sawney and Paddy,
The King is your father, they say;
,,,,,,,,, And famine itself is genteel,
When one starves in a family way!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
It's about living life impoverished!. The writer is apparently from that scene and isn't threatened by it; he's got lots of support from his impoverished "family", ie!.!.!.!.everyone else around him!.!.!.!.!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
It's about living high, becoming in debt and becoming poor in the family through years of debt!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
somethin bout money lolWww@QuestionHome@Com
It means they some po' fukahs! An they cant do english much good!. Thats not how you say it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
its SO llllloooooooonnnnnnggggggggg u cant define it!Www@QuestionHome@Com