If you stop contributing to society, should society stop contributing to you?

Question

Bascially if you havent put anything in is it fair that you get something back. Teenage sinlge mums who never have and never will pay tax. Illegal immigrants who abuse the system. People who break the law and get fed and clothed in prison, lazy people who have no itention of ever getting a job....

ok maybe i should rephrase it, if you dont contribute to society should society not contribute to you? People who work and put money in have every right to get back.

Answer 1

Depends why you stopped "contributing".

ie

if you have always worked hard, but have to stop work to have a baby/bring up a child or because you are too sick/disabled to work, or you lose your job or are made redundant (through no fault of your own) then thats when society should support you. Because you are not being deliberately lazy, you are going through a bad time and thats when Welfare Benefits etc should kick in to help you get through it, until things improve - ie you find another job, get well enough to work, have your baby etc. Thats what the original Welfare Benefits were designed for. Real genuine cases like this are short term - people are going through a bad patch because of ill health, unemployment etc but they fully intend to get back to work and continue "contributing" to society as soon as they can.

Greedy capitalist types who claim they should not support anyone through their taxes are tossers and arseholes who will, God Willing, one day experience what it is to be poor and destitute.

On the other hand though, if you have never worked because you don't want to, have loads of kids even though you know you can't feed them, commit crimes or come to a country like the UK with no other reason than to bum off the benefit system then you should not get a fricking penny.

Answer 2

I'm guessing your tired of watching everyone else get a free ride. I feel your pain. And I understand your frustration every month when I wait on people who receive food stamps and eat better than I do when my husband and I both work hard to support our family. I do not begrudge people who need help getting the help they need. Health care for children, elderly, the infirm...food stamps for the folks out of work or unable to work for health reasons...cash as well for that matter.

I do resent the attitude I receive when I am working that I OWE them. That I am beneath them somehow because I work where and when I work. Welfare in the US has become a lifestyle not a program to temporarily help a person or family through a tough time. What happened to all the welfare to work programs? Why can't we help these folks learn how to get off all the programs and into the work force? If nothing else why can't we require they find at least a part-time hourly position somewhere and not cut their beneifits to the point of hurting them or their children? There are alot of jobs out there...drive down any main street and look at the "Now Hiring" signs on every resturaunt or gas station. But the goverment makes it impossible for people to work without fear that they will loose important medical coverage or their reduced rent....and as a society we look "down" on these jobs as not "real work". We can't all work jobs that pay $30 an hour....why should/do we demean all that do?

As for the people in jails...they should work for their upkeep and I believe that in prison they do. Ilegal immagrints shouldn't get anything at all except for a one way ticket back to where ever it is that they came from...let their own government pay for whatever it is that they need.

Answer 3

I think there are various answers to this question. Teenage mums, they will eventually pay tax.. they can only claim benefit until their youngest child is 16, I know this can seem years away and we are getting the raw deal by having to support them, but eventually went they think they are safe, will find themselves on job seekers allowance and will have to go out to work. Can you imagin the shock of having to do this, justice does comes to those who wait.
Illegal immigrants, who is at fault, is it them because they are doing it, or is it those who know they are doing it and encouraging it to happen? People will do what they are allowed to get away with, and those in the know, should stand up and be counted.
Prisoners, if people cannot obey the law and respect society they
should be stripped of all wealth and human rights, after all, they don't think of the human rights of those they are hurting. Human rights should stand for those who obey the law. There is an old saying

Treat others as you want to be treated yourself.

Answer 4

Your explanation seems fair enough to me, but, I'm not a contributor now as I am retired although as a 'sad person' I kept all my pay slips for my entire career and was horrified when I realised that in National Health, Insurance and Pensions + Tax I amassed a total nearing a good National Lottery Win!

These days you need to work for 4 months for the government before you start to keep your pay!

Answer 5

What if you do not agree with the way society is run, what if society has done nothing for you. What you have to ask yourself is why are there single mums (and dads), illegal immigrants, people who break the law, and lazy people? In some ways your question appears very naive.

Answer 6

I'm not defending Vicky Pollard or anything, but teenage mums do contribute to scoiety, the British population needs to have a certain amount of births every year to avoid under population, okay so Vicky's kids may not be doing your heart surgery in the future but they will be working in Supermarkets etc

Answer 7

Okay, so what you're saying is that if I'm born disabled and can't "contribute to society", and my mother and father are dead, then I should be allowed to starve, right? Or if I'm seriously injured on the job and rendered permanently disabled, I should be gassed and sent to the crematorium, huh. Or those of us who are thrown out of work because of a nationwide economic downturn should be handed over to Dr. Mengele for "medical experiments", shouldn't we! Ach! Guten morgen, Herr Himmler und Herr Hitler!

Answer 8

I think the way God put it was best: If you wish to eat, then you have to work...

Answer 9

You're right.
Democrats take and take.
But they never contribute anything.

Answer 10

So then, I take it your FOR killing people in comas?