Welfare for Your Wrong Choices?
Do you believe there should be a welfare system (government pays for the health and basic necessities of an individual or family) in each country? If so, how should it be used and regulated? Most tax payers do not like welfare systems because they see themselves as paying for other people's wrong choices. For instance someone is a slacker in school, goes on drugs, becomes uneducated, gets pregnant, cannot find work and then goes on welfare supported by the government. Of course there are legit cases too such as abuse or natural disasters that cause people to go on welfare. What is your view?
I do think that there should be some kind of Welfare system. There are people who, because of age or illness or injury, cannot work to support themselves. I don't feel bad about helping to support these people because except for the grace of God that could be me. There are also times when people need a little help for a short period of time. The majority of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck. Were they to become ill or injured, or have their job disappear, they could become financially dependant on the government. I do think that there should be programs in place to help people become independent quickly. I would not mind my tax money going to help educate someone to get off Welfare. I think that Welfare should be a helping hand up not a hand out. It does bother me when I see someone with several children all with different fathers. This may seem harsh, but I think that if someone is on Welfare and is not married and becomes pregnant that she should lose custody of that child, and perhaps even of any other child in her care. I don't like supporting baby factories, sorry. This is just my opinion of course.
International Level: New Activist / Political Participation: 11 1.1%
Regardless of those who may be suffering, I do not believe enforced welfare can ever be justified. It is simply wrong to steal.
Charities, churches, families, friends and other private organizations are quite capable in a free market (and a free country) of providing help.
Dubhdara.
International Level: Junior Politician / Political Participation: 100 10%
There are people that use and abuse the system, of course, I am all for the system if it really reaches the needy and afflicted, I am totally against if it reaches the lazy and selfish. I do not know, there should be in place a system that investigates deeply each case because if you don't, then you are taking the huge risk that the wrong people get the help and the person that really needs it is left out.
International Level: International Guru / Political Participation: 1089 100%
QUOTE (dubhdara @ 30-Sep 04, 5:47 PM) |
Regardless of those who may be suffering, I do not believe enforced welfare can ever be justified. It is simply wrong to steal. Charities, churches, families, friends and other private organizations are quite capable in a free market (and a free country) of providing help. Dubhdara. |
International Level: New Activist / Political Participation: 11 1.1%
I think the important thing to understand here is that Government cannot help because it doesn't have any money.
The money belongs to the people. But that money was taken by force of law.
If I were to steal money from banks and send it off to Third-World countries would I be justified? I could argue that many would die if someone stopped me robbing those banks. No doubt that would be true. Am I then justified? No, because the owner of that money has the right to dispose of their property as they see fit and not as I see fit - *regardless* of the consequences.
The welfare state causes many problems...
1. It violates the right to own and control property, the defense of which was the purpose for the institute of government in the first place so that people may be free.
2. It provides a disincentive to produce in the producer because he is so heavily taxed
3. It provides a disincentive to work in the non-producer because his, albeit limited, lifestyle is maintained with hand outs
4. By creating idleness, poor self-esteen, et. al. the whole of society degenerates
5. By creating government monoplies (i.e. destroying competition) and high taxes it forces prices up whilst driving wages down by taxation making it harder and harder to "get by" - sooner or later all socialistic states have failed or had to rely on the "fat" of the free market though even that can only last so long.
An undertanding of the very basic principles of economy and human nature show that socialism/the welfare state must always lead to failure and heartache as it did in ancient Rome and no doubt countless other societies.
Dubhdara.
International Level: Junior Politician / Political Participation: 100 10%
QUOTE (ReneeisXena @ 1-Oct 04, 12:31 PM) |
Do I understand you correctly, you think accepting welfare is stealing? If you were out of work, through no fault of your own, and needed money to eat, and keep a roof over your head you would expect your friends and family to help but not the government? |
International Level: International Guru / Political Participation: 854 85.4%
QUOTE |
I have accepted welfare, at various times. I wish I hadn't. I now know how bad it is, even though when accepting it, I was working hard to get off of it. It is degrading, hurtful, and dishonest to all parties. |
International Level: International Guru / Political Participation: 1089 100%