13 July 2006

Noise about poverty - do you do anything about it?

Several have blogged (DPF, about the Ministry of Social Development New Zealand Living Standards report, either saying that it is the fault of government for not taking more money from richer people and giving it to the poor, or because it takes too much from people already and many of the poor are irresponsible (or make "poor life choices" in PC speak).
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Well, for all the harping on about it, go through the following questions:
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1. Do you care about poor people in New Zealand? If no, then move on. If yes, then answer the next question.
2. What do you do, personally, to help people less well off than yourselves? Examples could be:
- Supporting family members who are needy;
- Supporting friends who are needy;
- Supporting neighbours who are needy;
- Participating in charities that actively help the needy;
- Giving to charities that actively help the needy;
- Donating money to the government to spend on welfare.
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In other words, shut the fuck up if your only answer is to whine and moan saying “it’s the government’s fault”.
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Whether or not the government takes more money from some people and hands it out to others, or lets people keep more of their own money, chances are you are not going to change that for around two or so years.
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So go do something now. Given that those on the left want more spent on welfare, why don’t they spend their spare change on giving the government more money to do just that? Maybe they think it is better to spend it on charities? Why would that be? Maybe they would rather spent it on themselves if they can’t make others care too? Maybe there is something in not helping those who wont help themselves?
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Oh and if it angers or upsets you that some people don't care, then convince them why they should. Put a case, on whatever moral basis, that others should do something. By the way, you might find that people who have already started businesses from scratch and employed people in the process have done far more than any welfare benefit could have.
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by the way, those on the left who think that the rest are exploiting the poor, might take a look at this post and the excellent letter to the editor attached to it. Some people, after all, hold off having children because they can't afford to have them - what a remarkable concept - personal responsibility, so capitalist and exploitative.

1 comment:

CD said...

I donate four hours a week of my time updating my skills of caring for and treating the ill and injured.

I use those skills, in a volunteer capacity, for about 20 hours a month where I actively make a difference to people's welfare.

I am also prepared to use those skills (volunteer again) in a major civil defence emergency, where I will be putting myself in harms way to save the lives of others.

So about 36 regular hours a month, plus many days of courses and the preparedness to deploy for days at a time.

I wonder how many Young Labour members conribute this much to the welfare of others?

But, being a greedy capitalist, I am far less compassionate than a labour voter who wants to keep people poor on benefits...