Atlas puked...
Posted on 04/21/2008 3:40:47 PM PDT by blam
Britain is becoming a 'why bother country'
By Paul Stokes
Last Updated: 3:06am BST 21/04/2008
Britain is suffering from a "why bother" economy because its benefits culture, high taxes and poor education system leave many people lacking the motivation or capability to succeed, according to a report.
The cost to the economy of low social mobility is £32 billion a year, or £1,300 to the average family, claims Reform, the independent think tank.
This comes despite higher spending on benefits and public services that have served only to reinforce privilege, it says.
Child poverty has risen, with the number of children classified as low income rising from 2.4 million to three million.
State schools stand accused of a "dismal" record when it comes to educating the poorest in society, with school-leavers from poor backgrounds doing only half as well as average 16-year-olds.
There is also a geographical division, with three times the number of people in parts of northern England claiming disability benefits than in the South East.
Prof Nick Bosanquet, the report's lead author, said: "We need an agenda to get the roadblocks to social mobility down… Every person failed by the education system and held back by the tax and benefits system means that the economy cannot fulfil its potential."
The report concludes: "Public services are biased towards the affluent, and means-tested benefits and higher tax have reduced individuals' incentives to increase their incomes. The unintended consequence has been a 'why bother' economy in which a significant minority do not have the capability or motivation to succeed."
Reform is asking for a co-ordinated approach to policy that would encourage individuals, with less government intervention and lower taxation.
Oldthinkers unbellyfeel IngSoc.
I was going to read it.....then I said.....why bother.
Thought this was going to center on their ever-increasing, and uh, “troublesome” radical Islamic population, but it’s
“something else” which is of course, NOT something else at all. It’s all of a piece. Britain had better figure a way to return to Britishness, which was not that bad after all.
Certainly not as bad as “Euro-guilt”, an epidemic that will fulfill the classic “evil prevails when good men do nothing” prescription.
Why work when you can get it for free?
“Why work when you can get it for free?”
Coming to America in full force soon. Who is John Gault?
Doubleplusungood.
The guy with $$$$ on his cigarettes.
Atlas puked...
Duh! Who didn’t see this one coming? They are like the idiots over here though. Instead of going the other direction and giving that a try, they’ll just do the same old—thinking they need more of it and that will help the situation.
Obama's hope is that the whole country will change--to be more like New Orleans.
Besides New Orleans-style welfare, another underlying theme of this article is the part played by rigid, interlocking and strangling government policies.
Anyone who has read Simon Schama’s “Citizens,” about the origins of the French Revolution, would have some concern about the future. Or hope, as the case may be. English-speaking revolutions tend to avoid a Reign-of-Terror period, or limit it to a king or two.
“Obama’s hope is that the whole country will change—to be more like New Orleans”
That’s exactly what they want.
Well, Duh! Socialism is as Socialism does! All play and no work makes Jack very dull indeed!
John Gault is a London-based radio talk show host.I suppose the nearest thing we have to your right wing radio personalities.
John Gault as in Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’.
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