The oh-so-noble idea behind welfare was the idea that down-on-their-luck people just need a helping hand to get themselves through a rough patch in their lives, to give them a chance to get back on their feet. The problem is that, behind that thinking, is the idea that everyone is actually willing to do the things to straighten out their lives. To the elites who have been putting together our welfare systems, the concept that some people would rather just do their own thing, not caring about getting their lives back in order as long as someone else was paying them to stay indolent was simply outside of their conceptual framework. Continue reading →