Garry, I think some of the problems we have in the Uk should be explained further. What once was a great post war work ethic, has turned into a work shy ethic that affects a large portion of the non working population. That, and the great British (unemployed) workforce feel that many jobs available are beneath them which attitude, in turn, has led to an economic migrant population thankful for ANY job. I personally know fully qualified Doctors from abroad doing menial work that is higher paid than they can get at home. They're not shy.
I digress, but this has subsequently led to a "culture of dependence" on the State. I must be careful not to generalise here, as many youngsters do want to work and find it. But in the many 'sink' estates in the UK, drug dealing vandalism and criminality is the order of the day with many youngsters - a state brought about in part by the failure of parenting and a too liberal approach to education. The are over 100,000 youg people claiming incapacity benefit alone in the UK - a bad back that prevents them from working seems the most popular opt out and hard to disprove. Of course a doctor has to sign them off, but who knows what intimidation or duress they suffer? Plus, doctors get paid for sick notes!
For example, for quite a few years, competitive sports were banned from many schools as it was felt that everybody had to be a winner regardless of ability. In turn this has led to the culture of benefit reliance as nobody seems to want to work if the job pays less than their benefit. I have no idea where this attitude came from but it's there and endemic.
The last Government stated that economic migrants would only number 100,000 totally, and yet in Southampton alone, close to me, there are 50,000 Polish people living AND WORKING here, sending money to their families in Poland. They have the work ethic and are prepared to do anything to support their families and create some wealth for themselves. The previous Govt's claim that they would be good for our economy is quite frankly bullshit, but such is the position at the moment, that even the present Govt who want to put a cap on immigration, say they cannot stop it all together as their labour is needed.
I'll let thank sink in for a moment. Here we have a large indigenous potential but workshy workforce,many drawing benefits but able to work, using economic migrants as an excuse why they can't get a job. Catch 22 anyone?
It is to try and tackle this disease that the present Govt is trying to force people to apply for jobs and the most important thing is to get these lazy negative earning bastards off the benefit culture so they can start taking responsibility over their own lives.
That this has come about because of an uber liberal approach to social 'care' is to me, without question, however, they treat our older citizens, who spent their lives in work, like shit.
Never has any country I've ever come across have the beaurocratic forces of the State reviled their senior citizens so much as here in the UK - in fact, they regularly get beaten up for their few shillings so some scumbag can supplement his benefits to buy some more rocks.
What impressed me most about the average American when I lived there 25 years ago, was that, in the main, work was a vital part of their life philosophy, indeed, many of them had several jobs to try and either pay for their education or to accumulate the trappings of success. There was no 'envy' of anothers achievements that was becoming a problem in the UK even at that time. Work hard, get a decent motor only for it to bear the scars of so-called 'envy marks' a short time later.
Our two cultures are totally different in this respect but, I fear, are drawing closer together, and not for the right reasons. We ought to recognise that some problems are global in a particular political and economic system such as ours. I believe the best way forward is to recognise that we share common 'difficulties' and should learn to cooperate and tackle them together, rather than expound the kind of jingoistic tub thumping so beloved of certain people. The world is far too small for that now, and the East is rising.... and our intertia is addictive :blank:
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Oh, one more thing. I have just re-read wot I rote and the complete irony has just hit me. I had better 'fess up as no wish to be hypocritical - I am in receipt of Incapacity Benefit myself!
But it only pays £126.50 per week, and that's it, but I'm very very grateful for it. Guess what I would rather be doing?