According to Ruth Hill, writing in the Sunday Star Times, having a stepmum or stepdad is the reality for 40% of Kiwi kids. Around 30% of kids live in single parent homes. So only 30% of children live with their biological mum and dad?
And apparently only 2 out of 5 step families stay together.
One of the defining aspects of my life has been the security and stability of having an intact family. In a way it is little wonder we have such a pervasive (and accepted) nanny state today. So many people look to the government to supply the security their families cannot.
Government is a bit like the dummy instead of the breast. As a substitute it soothes but it can't nourish.
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2 comments:
hm, so do you think that it would help if the state just threw up its hands in despair and didn't help people? If those stupids who got divorced just had to deal with the situation themselves? Do you think that the proportion of people abusing the system is bigger than the proportion of people who really need help? Don't get me wrong, I don't like those abusing the system either, but shouldn't there be a way to get rid of them and still keep up the help for those who really need it? A stable family is a wonderful thing, but if it is not the reality for a majority, a welfare system cannot be based on it.
luggage79, I think when our welfare state was largely founded, in 1938, there was a commonality of values which meant people didn't routinely rip it off. But the policies changed behaviour eg pay people to be single parents and you will get more of them, and created a culture of entitlement. Now we have to change that way of thinking. Policy both responds to change and creates change. That is what we should always be mindful of.
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