[Acrylic-bob]

This might be a bit "off thread", but I think that it is a valid part of the wider discussion.

I heard an apologist for an ethnic minority explaining the growth in gang culture and gun crime last night. One of the reasons he put forward for this disturbing trend was that black teenagers were unemployed and because they had brothers, uncles, and fathers who had never worked they consequently saw no requirement or felt no imperative to work either.
This made me wonder. Why does the government feel that it is right to fund, through social security payments, a section of society extending to three generations that will not work to earn their keep? Why do they think that it is reasonable to expect the rest of us to pay taxes to support a distinct class whose only concern is consumption?

I have at times been very grateful for the benefits afforded by the social security system in filling the gaps between one job and the next. It is a valuable safety net, but I do not think that it was ever intended as a career choice. I do remember that at all times when I have made a claim for unemployment benefit, there was the requirment to prove that I was actively seeking work and I was told that there would be consequences if I did not pursue the offer of work should it be made. In that light, I cannot understand how this situation has been allowed to develop. How can three generations of a families eschew employment and claim benefits without, apparently, anyone asking questions ?