This comes from the UK, referred to in Orwellian terms as Airfield One, and was posted on a site called The Devil’s Kitchen, detailing some sad details of the operation of the Blair/Brown iteration of EngSoc.
If we thought that OUR welfare system has problems, it’s nothing compared to what seems to be happening over there. In addition, their media coverage of the situation is apparently also seriously screwed up.
The situation is so FUBAR, the Chief suggests checking it out directly, if you’re curious. Be warned, the language is sometimes diabolically hot, but generally the situation deserves it.
Not really too much unlike our own programs. Welfare essentially forced fathers to abandon their families for increased state benefits for them, forcing further dependency on the state. Social Security penalizes the married elders by capping a couples’ benefits at a lower rate than that which they can receive as singles. Hence, the largest growing demographic of unmarried couples living together are the AARP generation…
For even further commentary on the “unintended consequences” of European social programs and liberal policies, I suggest Anthony (A.M.) Daniels “Theodore Dalrymple”. A listing of some of his writings and some biographical background can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Dalrymple