Poverty in the Philippines The Informal Welfare State: How it works so well
I hope that A. will forgive me if I make a few very brief observations in his post.
His view of "welfare" in the UK encompasses - free medical treatment, "not going hungry", and not being "abandoned to fate". He asserts that the provision of these things leads to higher crime rates, an indefinable malaise, lack of life and spirit, boredom and malcontentment, undermined self respect, and social pathology.
Even if this is true, I am not sure how the link is being made. Are the objectives of Filipinos that different to the Europeans? Is it not more likely that the observations of the UK are more a function of richer societies in general than attributable to the welfare system?
Filipinos have the extended family to support them. Given that the Philippines is a very poor country, I find it amazing that so few people are hungry, and very few are "abandoned to their fate".
The system actually works incredibly well, even though the complex interlinking of the dependencies is very hard to understand and accept for many a western husband/ boyfriend - many of whom seem to accept being taxed for State collective provision of welfare in their home country, but cannot accept giving freely to the wife/gf's family in a society (which is not taking much tax off them when they are resident in Philippines) which does not provide support through the State.
"Welfare" is just provided differently in the Philippines - it is a family responsibility rather than the State's. There is a lot less resource to spread around and the method of delivery of support is different.
My (Filipina) wife had 12 brothers and sisters of which 6 died between 2 months and 2 years old, and one died as a teenager. I suspect that this may not have been that unusual in the 1970s and I bet there are many such tragedies even today. Emergencies and crises involving significant financial resources are very hard to deal with by families in the Philippines. It is a high price to pay to avoid the perceived shortcomings around the margins of western (European) societies. Collective provision is more fair and effective at redistribution to the neediest in society.
Flicking through my college liberal social studies books - er actually I studied biology and genetics but why spoil a good rant -
I need to point out an inconvenient fact that the vast majorit of crime statistics in UK are falling, the prisons are jam packed already and prison populations are extremely high by international standards.
I think Andre and his Filipino medic friend seem to treat welfare and charity as dirty words. Where is this Utopia where there is no charity or welfare, treatment for the sick and desperate is dependant on how much money you have, children die of treatable conditions, the old and disabled are left to starve (but will have plenty of self respect), but there is an absence of crime ..... and liberals? It certainly would not be "boring"!
Thought provoking post though!
JOHN
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