Originally Posted by
Paul in NZ
Lets TRY and get this back on topic....
I don’t know about the reform of social welfare but I do have a very bad feeling about it.
I’m old enough for my grandparents to have lived through the great depression and heard 1st had the stories that didn’t make it into the history books. Its enough to say that terrible things can happen to prosperous, industrious people in these circumstances and we should all hope that we never get to live through a full blown depression. I’ve been gainfully employed since 13 years old and Vicki since 14. We have never had a single payment from Welfare and the one time Vicki was briefly unemployed (she was a Chef and the Hotel went bust) the Govt people were so bloody demeaning and unhelpful we never went back. They were blindingly good at helping socially inept or the criminal underclass (the ones with a leather vest habit) but just couldn’t deal with an ordinary person. Welfare was not apparently to help a normal person temporarily fallen on hard times which was the first sign something’s wrong with the system.
However, the emotional propaganda that the rightwing libertarian types put about that somehow it’s a persons own fault if they receive welfare is both short sighted, demeaning and wrong. Things can and do go wrong in the complicated process of living – welfare was set up to make sure that people didn’t suffer terminal harm when they did and to scaffold them back into a productive society before they are so damaged they can’t get back on the horse..
Yet something’s not right – its costing us more and more money and seemingly working less and less effectively. I suppose we all have an opinion on what needs to be done I think everyone agrees that ‘something’ needs to be done but the kicker is what?
So far – I have not heard one solid idea.
The situation is easier to define but one factor that’s often overlooked is that society itself has changed dramatically since the days of the great welfare reforms when these systems were established. Education is no longer free, families and societies are more volatile and the economy does not resemble anything like the one that people were used to at the birth of welfare. Even couples with reasonable jobs and in stable relationships struggle to generate enough income to purchase a house and survive with both working full time and then the hideous cost of childcare kicks in. Sure – there is a lot of junk in modern living that can be stripped out but the costs of the basics have increased beyond reason. Factor in a disability or an aged relative that needs care and its no wonder we are in trouble. During this time the state has also found it cant really afford pensions and anyone in long term care is better off ‘in the community’ (whatever that means) so that too has increased the pressure on families.
The job market has changed beyond all recognition as well. Industry training schemes, apprenticeships etc have as good as disappeared. Large state owned enterprises were not always effective businesses but did soak up a lot of people on the fringes and provided a steady supply of well trained ‘skilled’ workers. It was also a way for the younger people to be exposed (mentored) by older people from outside their own families. There were a lot of life lesson to be learnt taking the morning tea orders etc. The job market has expanded but there are fewer positions at the entry level into worthwhile careers. Those jobs are often filled by migrants who already have the skills required.
Social Welfare was established in a time when it was expected that a working mans wages could adequately support a home and a family. In a time when this is definitely no longer the case maybe we need to redefine what Social Welfare IS and what it can and should do? We need to be very careful here. Pressure is mounting on the economy and socially. This country cannot afford to cut out so many crippled and damaged people that we create an underclass that will swamp us all. There are no walls high enough to keep them out. We MUST find a fair and affordable way to glue this mess together.
I dunno what the answer is – and I’m pretty sure National and ACT don’t either.
Ive been looking into HOW the society changed , ( bloody well deleted it by accident so have to start again ! )
Sustainability , is the word I want to use and a return to the community ie building a less individualistic community structure . ( growing veges and Giving them to the old lady down the street )
I joke about passive resistance , but it has its point. watch the toys come out of the cot when a whole lot of people suddenly don't use ( generate a revenue stream for the governmental feed trough )
I doesn't mean going without , just means NOT using credit , and generating produce rather than service . ( hows those runner beans )
I don't know ..........., but what I do know is that We give things value and our values are misplaced ( why see my earlier post about Mexico as to why in the poor)
Our values system was shaped by Marketing ( Edward Bernays ) and focus groups tell the polys what to say , they ( the focus groups, who tend to be by default the voting block the pollys want ..ie Middle class.) in turn feel put upon by their lot in life , ( high taxes )
and then you get the labia effect ( not sure I ll have to look at me notes ) basically those who are in the group are safe , those who are perceived as outside the group are marginalized and the anger from problems within the first group is directed towards the 2nd group ( minority )
its not 100% clear in my head yet so its hard to type ... but roughly tis what happens ( I think) and you see it here on KB all the time ......
So ... look after you family and neighbors , and don't feed the trough in wellington , and never let a dollar escape the shores of NZ and Vote for the party that does the most for the community ....NOT the individual
IMHO
Stephen
"Look, Madame, where we live, look how we live ... look at the life we have...The Republic has forgotten us."
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And there is not just one of these young women there, the mall is crawling with them....
I didn't think!!! I experimented!!!
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