“One of the
fundamental problems of the welfare state, and one that has long been
understood as among the most morally and culturally deleterious of its social
effects and costs, is the great transference of the consciousness of and
responsibility for the care for the poor and needy among us from individuals
and local communities to distant, impersonal bureaucratic institutions
associated with the state, and especially with the central, federal government.”
“This has had a
number of negative effects upon the culture and upon several generations of
Americans who have grown up believing that it is not primarily the individual,
out of his own heart and personal compassion who is to give alms, but Caesar
and his vast concourses of bureaucrats, case workers, social workers, and
experts in the nature of the human condition working tirelessly for
"social justice."
“The welfare
state has transferred to the daycare center state -- whose welfare agencies owe
their existence, funding, and political influence to the existence of the poor
-- the responsibilities of good Samaritanship once centered in the individual
and the local community, where poverty and the unique conditions surrounding it
actually impact human lives. The psychological and moral consequences of this
great transference have been profound.”
Read the whole thing.
