Questions Of The Day (Politics)

[Mick Harper]

I suppose I had better spell out the underlying problem of welfare.

1. Welfare systems are for dealing with 'the poor'
2. There is always an influential minority who regard all payments to the poor to be a good thing (on grounds of equity)
3. Whenever a welfare system is changed, there will be winners and losers
4. By definition the losers will be poor
5. Therefore all changes to welfare systems will be opposed by the influential minority unless (4) is addressed
6. Therefore all changes to welfare systems end up rewarding the winners but not commensurately punishing the losers
7. Therefore all changes to welfare systems tend to increase the welfare bill until either
8. The state goes bust or
9. The influential minority are taken out and shot
10. All citizens are members of the influential minority in certain circumstances.