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Quote by Doris Lessing

“First of all, the National Health Service, the Welfare State. What pride in it, what elation – and what confidence! The best thing was still the young doctors setting up group practices. Most but not all were socialists of various kinds. Memories of the thirties were close, documented by The Stars Look Down, Love on the Dole, The Citadel, novels which everyone had read. Whole families could be brought low because of the illness of one member. That terrible poverty in the 1930s, that cruel indifference to suffering on the part of Britain’s rulers – but now there was the welfare state. Pensions meant old age was no longer a threat. (Forty years later a government can say blandly, But we can’t afford it – and cut benefits that the citizens imagined they had been paying for. Has anyone ever thought of suing a government that reneges on its promises?”

Book:Walking in the Shade: Volume Two of My Autobiography, 1949 - 1962

Work

Walking in the Shade: Volume Two of My Autobiography, 1949 - 1962

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Author

Doris Lessing

Doris Lessing was a British novelist known for her profound psychological insights and critical exploration of social and political issues. Her works covered a wide range of themes from personal experiences to global concerns, including colonialism, gender roles, and women's liberation. Lessing's writing style is unique and vivid, and she has had a significant impact on postcolonial and feminist literature. more

“The market economy is not everything. It must find its place in a higher order of things which is not ruled by supply and demand, free prices, and competition. It must be firmly contained within an all-embracing order of society in which the imperfections of and harshness of economic freedom are corrected by law and in which man is not denied conditions of life appropriate to his nature.”

Economics Welfare Free Market Welfare State Market Economy Economic Freedom Economic Philosophy Social Economics Ordoliberalism

Book:A Humane Economy: The Social Framework of the Free Market

Source: A Humane Economy: The Social Framework of the Free Market

“Omdat Vader ongeschoold werk deed en de enige kostwinner was, hadden we het economisch altijd krap, terwijl we zagen dat buren en familieleden die niet werkten of zwartwerkten naast hun uitkering, het net zo goed als wij of zelfs beter hadden. Moeder had van buurvrouwen begrepen dat hun kinderen gratis internet, gratis kleedgeld en zelfs een laptop kregen van de overheid. Hun oudere kinderen kregen studiefinanciering die ze niet hoefden terug te betalen als ze hun diploma haalden, vanwege het lage inkomen van de vader. Ze kregen ook huurtoeslag en zorgtoeslag. Sommigen waren op papier gescheiden, zodat de vrouw extra geld kon vangen vanwege haar alleenstaande moederschap of zoiets. Zo konden ze al hun vaste lasten betalen en op vakantie gaan met het geld van het zwarte werk en zelfs vastgoed kopen in Turkije. Moeder zei geregeld tegen Vader dat het in dit land nog eigenlijk gekkigheid is om als laaggeschoolde nog te werken, gezien het nauwelijks loonde.”

Unemployment Dutch Welfare State Nanny State Dole

Book:Ik ga leven

Source: Ik ga leven

“A number of years ago, 1944, Friedrich Hayek wrote this very influential book, The Road to Serfdom. He worried that the creation of the welfare state, a strong government helping individuals would lead to authoritarianism. We now know that he was wrong. If we look around the world, populism, authoritarianism is associated not with government doing too much, but doing too little. By doing too little, it has given rise to discontent that threatens our democracy and threatens our ability to respond to the major challenges that we face.”

Government Democracy Economics Authoritarianism Welfare State Hayek Friedrich Hayek Social Services

Author:Joseph Stiglitz

“You think, taxing the rich will magically fix everything, it won't - the money would still have to go through hungry politicians. Until we introduce proper training, testing and licencing in politics, like in medicine, to winnow out the incompetent candidates, nothing will change.”