land of giants

[CL]

I guess a lot of people would just burn their waste in the street under your system Christopher.
Maybe you're right about me being selfish with regard to the welfare state. I do perceive it as a very good way of covering my needs and the needs of my family ie in a relatively safe and civilised society. That's why I keep voting for parties that support it.
Jonathan Miller talked about the return of the concept of "The Heath" back in Thatcher's era. That is "the Heath" as it is in King Lear: a dark, cold, scary place outside the ring of lights that is civilisation, conviviality, communality. Where you finish up if you get it wrong; if your luck runs out. Maggie brought "The Heath" back deliberately so as to scare the living daylights out of us all. She wanted us to sharpen up our claws so that we would sharpen up our act and start making some money. The message came through often enough "you're on your own, either cut it or be a loser ".
I never saw a beggar till Thatcher's time. For total capitalism to work we need to see beggars all around as a reminder not to fail. Nice isn't it?

Guick I never said you were selfish in regard to the welfare state.The comments were made in reference to the FRA.

In fact the opposite is true.By supporting the Welfare state, you're actually sacrificing yourself and your family.At the moment you're paying vast sums in tax.Money that could have been spent on a better education for your children,or better health care,or even a savings fund for their future.

Instead you'd prefer to finance and support the lives of total strangers.People who mean nothing to you, and whom you have no way of knowing, whether they deserve to be in the position they're in or not.That is the evil of Altruism-sacrificing one's own family for complete strangers.Or do you value strangers and family equally?And don't tell me you get more, or the same amount back, from the system than you put in.As you're working that would be nonsense.

Now I'm not a fan of Margaret Thatcher.She was a strong leader, but she also gave unearned benefits to some businesses at the expense of others, through subsidies etc.She was also responsible for the council tax.But she stood up for us and she didn't ban the beggars from the streets, like the labour party(the real reason you don't see beggars any more).

One last point:The least well off person in America, was actually better off than most middle class Men and women in the former Soviet Union.That country actually practised Altruism fully and without compromise.Not like the hypocrites in this country, who advocate selflessness and then do everything they can, to make sure it's not them being sacrificed.The heath you described is the 6 hour bread queues in Socialist Russia!