Quote:
Originally posted by castille,
Society should never owe anyone anything, otherwise people become spoilt and feel they deserve more than they get.
One of the reasons I feel American society in particular is so fragmented is that people are given too much by society. If you don't have a job, you get free money (a pretty stupid concept).
What happened to the days when everyone worked hard, and those unable to work were sponsered by hard-working family members? |
Going from last paragraph to first...
Those days, in this century, didn't really exist for the most part. The only time they really did was during the Depression, an experience few wish to repeat but if trends continue with this huge baby boom-aging population it just might happen. The "greatest generation" received grants and other advantages to build houses, buy cars... mostly through government sponsored Vet programs. Of course there was always FDR's programs. Families seem to rarely sponsor those unable to work from my experience, partially from a growing callus attitude towards each other and the resulting break down of the family. partially because medical expenses and treatment have become so expensive. Sometimes I think if we treated doctors more like a "calling" (Like teaching) and less like a get rich scheme that would help. Of course medical training would have to follow suit.
I have always thought giving people money to dig themselves out of a hole is a stupid concept. They got into this hole either through an inability to handle money to begin with, by getting taken advantage of by those seeking money or by having a very bad run of bad luck that may not be over. Services, food, housing and transportation are better "gifts" and/or trades for work.
Society owes us for taxes that we pay, obviously, and society owes itself. A society filled with homeless and the down and out is like a stuck sink or toilet. It doesn't work well, if at all. Some societies put such people into ovens or shoot them. No thanks. Therefore I believe in a more humane solution. Society owes itself to survive so civilization can survive. Otherwise, given our killer instinct, we be less civilized than most animals.