Providers Versus Users

In Europe the welfare state concept is out of hand, far worse than the growing welfare system in the U.S. and Canada. For example, Sweden has 105 local districts where the majority of the population lives off of various public benefits, and does not work. This unintended consequence of the welfare state has taken a heavy toll on public services there, since an increasing share of tax revenue must be diverted to fund welfare payments, rather than social services. In essence an ever growing part of the Swedish population does not even think that working to support ones self is necessary. And looking at the rest of western Europe one can see the great decline economically there is the rest of too many welfare programs.

There are many reasons welfare is out of control, including the oft cited "stupid, spoiled and lazy" westerners who are everywhere. But one huge contribution to the growth of welfare is immigration. Although the United States’ welfare rolls are already swollen, every year we import more people (most illegal peasants with little education and job skill) who wind up on public assistance.

Many immigrants are poor, indeed, that is why they immigrate. The immigrants we admit to the U.S. are much poorer than the native population and are increasing the size of our impoverished population. Too, the Obama administration seeks to legalize the millions of illegals here and welcome millions more of the poorest and least fit immigrants.

But immigration is just one factor, and not the biggest of them, that is present in all western nations with out of control welfare systems. It merely reflects the attitude of the west that free is best and that anyone who can get the freebies deserves them. Much of society now seems to believe that the individual is not the prime responsible party in care of the family. The government is viewed as mommy and daddy to anyone who can't or does not want to support his or her self.

But the dilemma is how much more can a society give to the users? At what point do the providers revolt? They already are fed up with their status. The recent financial meltdown has brought this issue into clearer focus. It could get ugly before it's resolved.