Compensation Culture

[joslad]

There are days when I wonder why we bother - clearly the country is rooted!

Most people have absolutely no qualms about sticking their hands out for something they haven't earn't, or aren't entitled too. It is usually the ones that have paid the least in taxes etc...!

Any mishap that falls their way isn't their fault, even when it's clearly their own stupidity that got them into the problem in the first place.

Authorities and liberal do gooders are too quick to accept that there might be a case to answer and give these fools the time of day.

Social welfare has a lot to answer for! Three or four decades ago people were to proud to ask for assistance - nowadays there's a queue at the counter.

 

[Julia]

Social welfare has a lot to answer for! Three or four decades ago people were to proud to ask for assistance - nowadays there's a queue at the counter.

That's true, but I'd hate to live where there was no social welfare.

In this country, though, there is way too much middle class welfare and this has increased a sense of expectation that 'the gummint' will look after us, thus often imo stifling personal initiative and sense of responsibility.

 

[Chris45]

That's true, but I'd hate to live where there was no social welfare.

I agree. Dateline last night showed a report about the thousands of poor and elderly living in small wire cages in Hong Kong’s Kowloon slums (I think).
http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/about/id/600167/n/The-Cage-Dwellers

In this country, though, there is way too much middle class welfare and this has increased a sense of expectation that 'the gummint' will look after us, thus often imo stifling personal initiative and sense of responsibility.

Yes, our system is far too soft and also attracts economic refugees from around the world who bypass less generous safe-havens just so they can get their snouts into our troughs. How do you get the balance right so that the parasites are repelled but the genuinely deserving are cared for?

 

[Sir Osisofliver]

There are days when I wonder why we bother - clearly the country is rooted!

Most people have absolutely no qualms about sticking their hands out for something they haven't earn't, or aren't entitled too. It is usually the ones that have paid the least in taxes etc...!

Any mishap that falls their way isn't their fault, even when it's clearly their own stupidity that got them into the problem in the first place.

Authorities and liberal do gooders are too quick to accept that there might be a case to answer and give these fools the time of day.

Social welfare has a lot to answer for! Three or four decades ago people were to proud to ask for assistance - nowadays there's a queue at the counter.

I don't want to sound like I'm defending the truly stoopid people, but have you considered that in plenty of circumstances they aren't suing for themselves, they are doing it for someone else?

Lets say you do something silly and dive into the surf at Bondi without looking and you end up a paraplegic or the like. Who looks after your kids now you've eliminated yourself from 99% of jobs in the workforce?

Do we really want to be a society when the stupidity of the parents means the kids get to live a second-hand life? It's the same reason why funds are garnished from a blokes wages if he's stoopid enough to get a girl pregnant from a one night stand, because the kid had nothing to do with the stupidity.

In many circumstances we demonize these people because we think that they are undeserving because of their own actions. I think people in that circumstance regret their actions much more than they care about your scorn if they are fighting for their families future needs.

I'm not saying that there aren't genuinely stupid and frivolous cases, but where injury is involved - people's reactions tend to be more complex than just "Show me the money".

Cheers

Sir O

 

[Mr J]

f he's stoopid enough to get a girl pregnant from a one night stand

I suppose everyone who has sex without planning to have children is "stoopid".

 

[Sir Osisofliver]

I suppose everyone who has sex without planning to have children is "stoopid".

Just an example

 

[starwars_guy456]

I agree. Dateline last night showed a report about the thousands of poor and elderly living in small wire cages in Hong Kong’s Kowloon slums (I think).
http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/about/id/600167/n/The-Cage-Dwellers


Yes, our system is far too soft and also attracts economic refugees from around the world who bypass less generous safe-havens just so they can get their snouts into our troughs. How do you get the balance right so that the parasites are repelled but the genuinely deserving are cared for?

Thanks for the link Chris, a real eye-opener. Absolutely shocking the conditions that some people have to live in. I recommend anybody that hasn't seen the report already to click on the link and have a look.

-Edwin