In today’s world,
welfare is a contentious issue. Welfare is a concept of universal entitlement,
that every person in the nation should have free healthcare, education, food,
shelter and money, whether disabled, unemployed or destitute; the idea being no
one experience poverty, hardship or suffering. Welfare was not charity, or
philanthropy, that, after all, was the only source of public assistance
prior to welfare. The World's greatest economy, the US, is the largest
provider of foreign aid to the poorest, or, victims of disaster. This amounts
to only 0.01% of America's GDP. The 12 largest economies offer less.
Thus for every £100 in income, 12 nations out of 200 in the world, give
1p to those deemed most in need. For the 6 nations that practice a welfare
state, America not being one, and, Britain being the lead, Welfare is on the
decline.
As a result of world war 1, citizen agitation increased following the slaughter
and ensuing family poverty, Britain, following the guidelines of the new born
League of Nations, enacted a system of welfare. Britain lost 1.5 million lives
in the War and many families were thus left without an income provider or with
disabled family members returning from the battle field. America restricted its
system to war veterans, paying them pensions or supplying healthcare
services only to them. Britain, as a result of 400 years of colonialism and
inhuman Empire profiteering developed a fledgling welfare system from its
enormous wealth. Britain was then the wealthiest most powerful nation on earth.
2000 families in Britain own 98% of all wealth, and in America 1% own 98% of
wealth. In essence the wealthiest families agreed to give less than 2% of their
incomes to the 2 billion inhabitants of the planet.
With the great
depression, the collapse of the League of Nations and the Second World War,
and, as a result of the holocaust and murderous treatment of minorities,
prisoners of war etc, the worlds leading nations developed an idea of human
rights. This lead from the Nuremberg war trials to the United Nations.
Nuremberg posed a challenge to the world, since nations are only responsible
for justice in their own lands. Nuremberg founded a new concept that Nations'
crimes could be brought to justice by other Nations for "crimes against
humanity". Thus the United Nations was formed to codify what Human Rights
are, and, all members of the UN had to, in principle, abide by these laws, or,
suffer military and/or other punishments.
This resulted in 5
Nations, Britain included, developing welfare systems that enjoyed a golden era
from 1949 to 1979. Since the other members of the U.N. staunchly declined to
adhere to U.N. protocols, or recognize human rights in their own nations, these
5 nations began to question their own systems. Since 1979, the welfare state changed
to a welfare system. A welfare system is not universal, and demands that a
recipient of welfare must abide by restrictions imposed, i.e. attending groups,
attending appointments as seen fit by the Government Agency that is providing
the service or payment. failure to follow the system can result in welfare
being suspended or declined, thus services are reduced and welfare claimants
are sometimes not provided services that were once entitlements. Now the system
has been further reduced to a means tested benefit system, this change in
language is in keeping with the benefit system. Benefit means reward, and thus
has been reduced to a selective award to those deemed economically viable,
causing competition among claimants and increased powers to dictate terms for
qualifying by the Government. This results in the 5 nations cutting
services and costs, since they feel their neighbours have a profit advantage
not paying benefits.
The welfare state really no longer exists. Benefits, a
form of patronage, is now strictly controlled, and offered selectively with no
care agenda. London has 80,000 homeless, 75% of whom are deemed to have a
mental health issue. They receive nothing, why? They are of no value
economically, and, as America has found, they can be put in jail/prison at a
profit. Prisons for profit, and, allowing Private Companies to manage certain
Welfare departments such as departments of the NHS, Military, Education and
Government, works on the premise that Private Companies can assume the costs of
running them, and, in addition make a profit that awards tax revenue to the
Government. This has lead to Prisons becoming income to Government, and, to a
worldwide rise in Prison populations. In the US, 1% of the population are
incarcerated, and usually consist of the poorest minorities and the mentally
ill. Governments find incarceration to be economically preferable to providing
much needed healthcare services. Similarly NHS services are being reduced
in availability, meaning services are still operating, but waiting times
increase, and, distances increase to reach them. Welfare is now firmly in
the hands of the wealthy capitalist elite, and all Nations' Governments are
unsympathetic due to wealthy supporters, whether individuals or corporations,
bankrolling and lobbying politicians. Welfare is now a selective charitable
donation, continuously being cut or eroded. America has found that no welfare
means the population fight to retain low paid jobs. In the West, most poor or
benefit recipients are dependent on Charity or soup kitchens to maintain
minimal living conditions. Why is this the way?
Because I am a man of
faith I found the answer in the Bible. The Most High, creator of man and earth
enacted a Law of payments from Genesis to Deuteronomy, called "The Book of
the Law". The Almighty introduced a Law system for society that was based
upon tithes, payments,, fines and duties that were to be collected and
distributed through a national temple and divine priesthood for the benefit of
the poor, sick, widows, orphans, aliens, strangers, foreigners and slaves. The
Law of the Bible commands one to Love one's neighbour. Here is the root of evil
poverty: a selective donation from the rich means 19000 children starve to
death each day, an institutional Law of love would solve this global crisis.
Welfare or benefits are
not care, and care is far from Love. It is my contention that unless we heed
the Almighty and His Law, we will continue living in poverty and evil as we now
do.
By Paul Wood
