People who are sick, can't care for themselves. People without education cannot find good jobs. People who are very old, should no longer have to work for an income. The welfare state is a call for humanity, nothing more but also nothing less. It is about helping people to get the basic necessities that they need in life, such as health care, education and a pension. Especially in America you need to be careful when saying the word welfare state, it is as if you are cursing out loud in the middle of a religious building. Why do people preach for 'shared values', 'one nation' and 'the people' if they are not willing to provide the collective necessities in a collective manner? Why would one talk of unity but not be willing to pay a single dollar when his neighbour suffers of cancer? The argument I have most often heard against the welfare state is that it would be bad for the economy, thus for all the people, thus not even help those who needed welfare in the first place. This might sound appealing, but is not based on facts. European countries have big welfare states and are still economically functioning well. Even due to the economical crisis the EU has the highest GDP in the world (CIA factbook 2011). Also the cost for health care in Europe is considerably lower per capita than in the US. In Europe most countries spend about 10 % of the GDP to health care, compared to a staggering 16,2 % in the USA (World Health Organisation 2009). The differences in expenditure can be explained in two different ways. The states in Europe monitor the prices that people have to pay in hospitals and therefore can avoid high cost, while still requiring good quality. In the US no such checks are in place. Secondly it might just be that Americans on average just use more health care due to cultural differences (more people suffering from obesity). The last point that I think should be considered in this debate is that a good education and being healthy both influence your economical performance. If people get more opportunities the entire economy will benefit from it. Both for humanitarian and for economical reasons the welfare state is beneficial. Therefore I come to the conclusion that every state should have a welfare state. World Health Organisation http://www.who.int/countries/en/ CIA Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2001.html
Well, you see, If those paraplegics and 80-year olds just worked harder they wouldn't have to worry about it. Life has concequences and I don't want MY tax-dollars used to support some lazy (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*) working minimum wage with no hope of advancement and no cheap housing options. Its not like the government does anything for us. Well, Except provide roads, bridges, libraries, schools, police, safe food, safe water, safe medicine, and protection from the threat of foreign conquest.
Yes lets make everyone dependent on the government like that strategy hasn't led bad situations in the past.
A straw man argument. It's rather ridiculous to assert that even those on the right don't see the need to provide some help to those who can't provide for themselves. Mentally Ill, etc. But my lord, of all the crack addicted ghetto trash and toothless hillbillies collecting a check to feed a bunch of bastards is too (*)(*)(*)(*) far. If you are poor, you should not be encouraged or supported in having children under no circumstances should poor people be encouraged or subsidized in bringing up children when they can't afford it.
