The riots and the state of our nation

The senseless death and destruction visited on parts of our country last week has to make us take a long, hard look at the state of our nation.

One issue that has been concerning me for as long as I can remember is what I would call "voluntary unemployment".

The subject of this website is how wonderful cash is as a means of payment. And of course, those who most appreciate how wonderful cash is are those who work for it.

Unfortunately, in company with a number of other Western countries, the UK has allowed a welfare state to develop, which is no longer a safety-net of last resort. "Welfare" has become the destination of choice for a section of the UK's population.

It is my view that ALL able-bodied people should HAVE to work. We need to be very careful in deciding which people are NOT able-bodied, because it may well be too easy currently to claim medical incapacity.

Now of course, some will say that there are not enough jobs for everyone.

The trouble with that claim is that it ignores the fact that we have invited literally millions of people to the UK from other countries to do the jobs that the British just don't want to do.

I have no problem at all with people coming to our country to live and work BUT I do have a massive problem with those lucky enough to have been born in Britain refusing to do certain jobs. "I will settle for living on benefit. Foreigners can do that terrible job that I will not accept" is what some Brits think is ok. BUT IT IS NOT.

It seems one of our problems is that with a higher percentage of the UK's population going on to "further education" than ever before, we do not have sufficient "managerial" jobs to go round.

Put simply, many want to "manage" but it seems that some of those who cannot get the level of job they believe they deserve would rather be unemployed than take on "lowly" work.

Then there are those who drop out of education entirely and think that they have a "right" to live off state benefits. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

As I write this, I can already predict cries of protest from some saying "you cannot blame the unemployed for the riots".

So let's be absolutely clear about the point I am making.

I know that the vast majority of the UK public - that's you and me by the way - want to work. However, even a small percentage of "shirkers" is unacceptable because it starts to undermine the will of others. "Why should I bother, if they don't ?" is an increasingly common refrain.

So let's stop thinking people from other countries should do the jobs we don't want to do. "DO IT YOURSELF" should be our slogan AND WE NEED TO LIVE UP TO IT.

Working for a living gives us all an opportunity for self-respect and personal fulfilment. It also makes the cash we have even "cooler" because we know we have earned it through our own efforts.

Monday, 15th August 2011

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