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That assumption is often used by opponents of welfare programs. But is it true? Do people get lazy when they no longer have to worry about how their most basic material needs are fulfilled, how they can feed their children, etc.?
There is a very successful welfare program in Brazil called Bolsa Familia, which helps poor families pay for basic stuff such as food, cloths, and books, by giving them a certain amount of money per child of a poor family (for up to three children in order to prevent people from reproducing for the wrong reasons) and an additional fixed amount for very poor families, which oftentimes exceeds the family income as such.
The families in turn have to insure that their kids attend school. The recipients and the amounts they receive are published on a website.
Studies show that recipient families do not abuse the system, poverty and child labor have been reduced, child health and education increased, and, according to World Bank studies, many parents even work more productively than before as the constant worries are gone and they can concentrate on their jobs again
Obviously welfare can work, if it is designed and executed intelligently.
What you forget is that it is quite VARIABLE... some people are "happy" living on welfare, others really try to get out... I have notice that the people who do try to get out of welfare didn't originally come into welfare but come into the system as a result of job loss or whatever, they had to endure a financial loss and needed welfare as a TEMPORARY support while they got back onto their feet...
However, there are MANY large communities that "live" on welfare and are quite content on living within the status quo as long as the government keeps providing the subsidies and free money... just go to some Section 8 Housing and find out how "long" people have "lived" there... once you get accustomed to laziness or no real drive for getting out of these situations, you become quite complacent to it ala "couch potatoes"... I am using the term "couch potatoes" figuratively, meaning its EASIER to just live the way you are then to change it... they have many programs food stamps, medicaid, salvation army, goodwill, etc etc to cover the basic stuff even giving out FREE cell phones with FREE monthly plans...
The Brazilian mindset is different than the American mindset... Brazilian parents don't want to stay where they are and try to get out... American parents don't care to get out cause they are happy where they are right now... welfare can work only if it motivates people to get out and not be complacent in "staying where they are"... I believe that was the whole idea some SC political guy was trying to say recently (and was demonized by liberals - albeit he could of used better terminology but so can most of us)...
When your name is published for all to see, it tends to make people more motivated.
Political correctness and hurt feelings will never let something like that happen here in America, especially if the weaklings on the Left have any say in it.
Yep, I also think that having your name published helps. But I guess most people would not abuse the welfare even if their names were not published. Recipients of micro credits for instance tend to pay back their credits very consistently. There is a new public library in Cologne that hands out books for free, and unlike with conventional libraries, nothing is registered, no names, no social security numbers, nothing. So in theory people might as well keep the books without any consequences. But they don't. The return rate is higher than with conventional libraries.
Maybe we think too little of people and don't trust them enough.
It's a culture of blame instead of responsibility. People would rather say that X is holding them down, preventing them from doing anything about their situation, that if only something was given they could reach the stars. Those who know that they are responsible for a majority of how their life progresses will work hard and end at the goals they set for themselves. Those who are motivated to move on out of the safety net will, but it's there when they need it after everything else is used to give them a hand up. Those who abuse it will never get out of it, it's just continual hand outs.
Give people hand ups, not hand outs, and you will see the change. A floor to stand on in case the worst happens, not some place to lounge about and take without worry.
What you forget is that it is quite VARIABLE... some people are "happy" living on welfare, others really try to get out... I have notice that the people who do try to get out of welfare didn't originally come into welfare but come into the system as a result of job loss or whatever, they had to endure a financial loss and needed welfare as a TEMPORARY support while they got back onto their feet...
However, there are MANY large communities that "live" on welfare and are quite content on living within the status quo as long as the government keeps providing the subsidies and free money... just go to some Section 8 Housing and find out how "long" people have "lived" there... once you get accustomed to laziness or no real drive for getting out of these situations, you become quite complacent to it ala "couch potatoes"... I am using the term "couch potatoes" figuratively, meaning its EASIER to just live the way you are then to change it... they have many programs food stamps, medicaid, salvation army, goodwill, etc etc to cover the basic stuff even giving out FREE cell phones with FREE monthly plans...
The Brazilian mindset is different than the American mindset... Brazilian parents don't want to stay where they are and try to get out... American parents don't care to get out cause they are happy where they are right now... welfare can work only if it motivates people to get out and not be complacent in "staying where they are"... I believe that was the whole idea some SC political guy was trying to say recently (and was demonized by liberals - albeit he could of used better terminology but so can most of us)...
Hm, can one really live a decent life on welfare alone in the States? That is hardly possible in Germany, let alone here in Portugal. It would make me wonder why many Americans tend to look at Europe as commie land with an exaggerated social security system and safety net
That assumption is often used by opponents of welfare programs. But is it true? Do people get lazy when they no longer have to worry about how their most basic material needs are fulfilled, how they can feed their children, etc.?
There is a very successful welfare program in Brazil called Bolsa Familia, which helps poor families pay for basic stuff such as food, cloths, and books, by giving them a certain amount of money per child of a poor family (for up to three children in order to prevent people from reproducing for the wrong reasons) and an additional fixed amount for very poor families, which oftentimes exceeds the family income as such.
The families in turn have to insure that their kids attend school. The recipients and the amounts they receive are published on a website.
Studies show that recipient families do not abuse the system, poverty and child labor have been reduced, child health and education increased, and, according to World Bank studies, many parents even work more productively than before as the constant worries are gone and they can concentrate on their jobs again
Obviously welfare can work, if it is designed and executed intelligently.
What may work in Brazil may or may not work here. That being said, I feel strongly that many on welfare do get lazy or at best think so little of themselves they give up. When Reagan was governor of Ca one thing he did, he made all those on welfare that were able to work, do so. By this I mean things like dusting the parking meters as an example. Maybe that doesn't sound like much, but at least the recepiants were doing something for their checks.
By the way, I will add only one thing to your comments, I don't put too much into studies period especially those done by the World Bank.
Hunger is a very strong motivator to get out and do something about your situation...
It can also make people go and simply steal food and other things
What about honor and pride as motivators? I mean, at the end of the day, society may "threaten" an unmotivated person with hunger, but it can't really let the person starve to death.
That assumption is often used by opponents of welfare programs. But is it true? Do people get lazy when they no longer have to worry about how their most basic material needs are fulfilled, how they can feed their children, etc.?
There is a very successful welfare program in Brazil called Bolsa Familia, which helps poor families pay for basic stuff such as food, cloths, and books, by giving them a certain amount of money per child of a poor family (for up to three children in order to prevent people from reproducing for the wrong reasons) and an additional fixed amount for very poor families, which oftentimes exceeds the family income as such.
The families in turn have to insure that their kids attend school. The recipients and the amounts they receive are published on a website.
Studies show that recipient families do not abuse the system, poverty and child labor have been reduced, child health and education increased, and, according to World Bank studies, many parents even work more productively than before as the constant worries are gone and they can concentrate on their jobs again
Obviously welfare can work, if it is designed and executed intelligently.
With the rich doubling their wealth every five years and ripping off 40% of the economy while producing nothing, I find it difficult to worry about welfare. Perhaps if we could motivate those parasites to act like Americans we could get somewhere
Hunger is a very strong motivator to get out and do something about your situation...
Many folks seem to view "work" as a bad thing.
Many kids nowadays believe riding a bike is a bad thing.
The choice has narrowed down to - Work Camp, or Straight Jacket?
Which would you choose?
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