Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mprvaxa.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!ubc-vision!mprvaxa!tbray
From: tbray@mprvaxa.UUCP (Tim Bray)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: The other role of the welfare state
Message-ID: <594@mprvaxa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 20-Sep-84 11:41:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: mprvaxa.594
Posted: Thu Sep 20 11:41:20 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Sep-84 00:22:29 EDT
Organization: Microtel Pacific Research, Burnaby, B.C, Canada
Lines: 28

One point the libertarians and right-wingers are missing in this debate
is the fact that the welfare state serves them, as well as "those who
don't work".

In fact, in the absence of the welfare state safety net and some
reasonably well-muscled government regulatory practices, history has
shown two extremely predictable trends:

1. Those in economic power rapidly increase their degree of exploitation
   of their fellow humans and of their environment: the classic example
   is the "dark satanic mills" of Industrial Revolution Europe, filled
   with child labourers, surrounded by filthy slums inhabited by the
   oppressed.  
2. The above gives rise to powerful revolutionary forces.  In countries
   with a democratic tradition, this usually leads to the rise of the
   above-mentioned regulatory welfare state.  In countries with no 
   democratic tradition, this usually leads to violent revolution,
   usually followed by a continuation of the non-democratic traditions.

Conclusions:  First, the modern state exists not merely to service the
nonproductive, but also to prevent your well-heeled entrails from
being fished out by a revolutionary with a pitchfork (romantic I know,
but colourful, what?).  Second, some measure of morality must be
enforced by the state, because at no time in history have capitalists
in power shown any tendancy to exercise it voluntarily.

Laissez-faire == Child Labour
Tim Bray {ihnp4!alberta, decvax!microsoft} !ubc-vision!mprvaxa!tbray