Brit here. We have a welfare state (just about...), though it's getting pretty grim lately. I've given a decent amount to family over the years. For the most p

Brit here. We have a welfare state (just about...), though it's getting pretty grim lately. I've given a decent amount to family over the years. For the most part it's about a recognition of what people have done for me. My mother sacrificed significantly so that I could be the person I am today. Not every country rewards work equivalently. In Sweden I see people working in supermarkets and petrol stations that still have decent lives. Norway is wealthier still. That's not the case in Britain for the most part - we have much higher income inequality. Someone can work a full time job and still struggle, because the low end jobs pay biscuits. (This is probably a significant contributor to the sticker shock I have when shopping in Scandinavia - the staff actually get paid...)