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I don't see how there is any relationship at all between current implementations of welfare and a putative work-free society given that welfare is associated wi

• jacques_chester 13y ago
  So you consider it to be a cultural artefact? What about antisocial behaviour by those who've inherited high status?
  • dreamfactory 13y ago
    You mean spoilt kids behaving badly? You can be given material needs without having to work but you will still need to work hard to become a dancer, ride a skateboard, play the piano etc. Maybe the root problem leading to antisocial behaviour isn't financial but a lack of cultural values?
  • gress 13y ago
    I think that is absolutely cultural too. I have lived in both environments. High status people or those born to riches are by no means universally antisocially behaved. I don't disagree that such people exist. Nor do I disagree that multigenerational, anti-social welfare recipients exist. Both groups exist I cultures where superficial media success and the acquisition of money are held up as the meaning of life. For the welfare recipients, this kind of meaning is perceived as impossibly out of reach, and so people are resentful and adopt a 'take what you can from the system' mentality. For some of the high status people, meaning is also unattainable since they already have what other people seem to value, so society doesn't value their actual contribution. In cultures where the 'rich' have a sense of responsibility, there is much less of the bad behavior you describe.