Anti-Welfare Recipient Attitudes

[Small Geezer]

Here in New Zealand there is a significant section of society that is constantly complaining about people on the dole, sickness benefit or domestic purposes benefit.

They ring up talkback radio and pepper internet sites with their hateful comments, calling beneficiaries lazy and scammers and shit.

Also a lot of people feel ashamed to be receiving a benefit and keep it secret.

My question is; are there similar attitudes in other countries?

[RedSonRising]

In the United States, there is a prevalent attitude in mainstream society that social mobility within Capitalism makes it meritocratic, and so someone who works hard will be able to receive an education or pursue a career and make a living. Often times, conservative people point to the examples of abuse of the system, in which there is little incentive to work while guaranteed a living wage, and perceive an irony in giving aid to those who are unemployed, while those working who "deserve" their "meritocratically distributed" wage are the ones paying for it. Latin American oligarchy and the European upper classes often share similar sentiments backed by similar logic.

The largest flaws in this argument are of course, the advantages one may lack as a result of economic background, the inherently authoritarian hierarchy of the capitalist system, etc.

I think when confronted with such opinions, one should (instead of discarding them) express the idea that we must look past such petty remedies to understand the more deeply rooted problems, and eliminate the need for systemically perpetuated poverty in the first place. Using the word socialism right off the bat might not be the best idea to someone obviously opposed to that idea, but agreeing that it is a defunct system and that structural solutions must be implemented is a start on opening people's minds, and like the title of another thread states, we can't just preach to the choir (though careful not to waste your breath .

[Small Geezer]

I would like to hear more about similar attitudes in other countries tho.

[RadioRaheem84]

No country on Earth is more hateful toward the unemployed and welfare recipient than the US. People spit on them and want to rip those checks right from their hands and let them starve. YES, its that fanatical.

Look, I know that people around the world will always feel that way toward people at the bottom, but does every advanced nation in the world have to mimic the same sentiments as the US? I think that most people on the right in other nations see the powerful influence of radio and the conservative ideology in America and want to emmulate that in their nations. So I always get pissed off when I hear that people in other nations reffering to those on welfare as mooching dogs. It just doesn't fit the paradigm of their nations policies in the last century.

Americans complain about that because they believe the capitalist system is enough for people to live off of and handouts are nothing but theft. But thats because we lack a good social welfare system. In other nations the safety nets are better and more abundant and have been a staple, along with public healthcare, for a long time. Why are the people all of a sudden shifting right and blaming the recipient? Its because the people at the top moved right with their policies and are trying to influence the public into thinking that the growing economic turmoil is due to welfare recipients.

[Small Geezer]

Thanks for that RadioRaheem84. What about in Europe?

[eyedrop]

It's just another scapegoat explanation, what percentage of the population that is on welfare has very little to do with personal attitudes of the welfare recipitents. It's way more likely that it is connected to how the present economic situation of the nation is at.

Look at how the current crisis has caused a sudden rise in the unemployed, the rise being caused by a sudden worsening of attitudes sounds quite unlikely.

Besides, how many of the folks complaining about welfare wants to quit their own job and become welfare recipients, since it's supposedly so good.

[Deroulede]

and want to emmulate that in their nations. So I always get pissed off when I hear that people in other nations reffering to those on welfare as mooching dogs. It just doesn't fit the paradigm of their nations policies in the last century.

RadioRaheem84

Wait......... So you support the "current paradigm" in countries like Sweden and Denmark that have large social safety nets? I thought the goal was to overthrow these regimes? And you expect the citizens to blindly march lock-step behind the "prevalent attitudes" of the 20th century welfare state, wether they want more or fewer safety nets?" That doesn't quite fit with the revolutionary mindset.

Besides, how many of the folks complaining about welfare wants to quit their own job and become welfare recipients, since it's supposedly so good.

They're probably being sarcastic.

But thats because we lack a good social welfare system. In other nations the safety nets are better and more abundant and have been a staple, along with public healthcare, for a long time. Why are the people all of a sudden shifting right and blaming the recipient?

Because if the USA really did implement an encompassing welfare-state along the lines of what exists in Europe, most of the mass of the African-American minority would be on the permanent dole faster than you can say "Obama." White Americans DO NOT want to be forced into supporting that segment of the population even more than they already do. It has nothing to do with being racist................. They perceive that the African-Americans would just sign up for welfare en-masse, stay on it eternally and never lift another finger again in their life.

The Republican reforms in 1994(Welfare to work) were overwhelmingly popular with the consensus, even moderates and professed Democrats, so it would take a major catalyst to see a new comprehensive system of Welfare established in the USA. Just look at the resistance being offered right now to Obamacare.......... Even many moderate liberals are staunchly opposed. He is already digging his grave right now with this................. The blacks want Obamacare, some leftists want Obamacare, and no one else wants Obamacare. The election of Obama has many whites on thier toes over the possibie existance of a "black power" government.