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Samizdata quote of the day – German political candour edition “Mr. Merz is doing what no one else in the top ranks of Western politics seems willing to do, which is broach the fundamental dilemma of the modern West. Nations have built welfare and entitlement states that are so large they have outstripped the ability of slow-growing economies to pay for them. Yet because the entitlement cushion is so broad and reaches deep into the middle class, it has become nearly impossible to reform.
This is true among conventional politicians of the left and right. But it’s also true of the supposed radicals of the populist right. From Marine Le Pen in France to the U.K.’s Nigel Farage, the AfD in Germany and Donald Trump, the populists dodge difficult reforms of the broken welfare state.”
– Wall Street Journal ($) editorial, reflecting on the recent statements on the German welfare state by the country’s Chancellor, Friedrich Merz.
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
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On the other hand politicians say ‘stuff’ all the time and we have become used to ignoring them. So perhaps a small outbreak of candour is only of interest to pundits struggling to come up with new stories?
Let me know when welfare reform appears in several manifestoes at the same time.
Western welfare states would be a lot more affordable if the ruling classes weren’t importing more and more welfare claimants (and demands on all public services) from abroad.
The Prince of Liechtenstein did this some years ago – he invited the population to a gathering and spoke o them about how the benefit and public services costs needed to be limited, he had no power (none) to do this himself, but the people were convinced and passed on their opinions to the elected politicians.
However, this is vastly less difficult to do in a nation of tens of thousands of people – rather than tens of millions like Germany.
The German government also depends on the support of the SPD party – which is totally opposed to controlling government spending, if Chancellor Merz allied the CDU/CSU with the AfD he would find (contrary to the false claims of the Wall Street Journal) they are open to controlling government spending.
As is the Freedom Party in Austria – the party that won the Austrian election, but was excluded from the Austrian government. Austria has (I am told – I hope what I have been told on this matter is NOT true) even turned down the gift of a statue of the King of Poland who saved Vienna in 1683 – as the establishment elite in Austria (as in so many Western nations) are people who turn a blind eye to the gradual conquest of their nation – and, indeed, persecute those who seek to warn them.
Jim – YES.
Contrary to the Wall Street Journal – what the “Populist Right” (which seemingly includes the Social Democrat government in Denmark – so the “Populist Right” must be a broad church indeed) understands is that the Third World immigrants, and most of their children and children’s children (for little real “assimilation” takes place over the generations – visit English towns and cities if you doubt this) are a net-drain on the budget – when all benefits and public services (including crime) costs are taken into account.
It is quite true that ending mass immigration and encouraging “remigration” (obviously all illegal immigrants should be deported – but encouragement for some others to voluntarily leave is also essential) would NOT, on its own, solve the emerging crises of the Welfare State – which is a both an economic and a cultural (societal) emerging crises, but it is a vital part of the solution.
In short such people as the President of Poland, the Prime Minister of Hungary, the Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, and the President of the United States (I suppose the Wall Street Journal would call all these people “the Populist right”) are correct on this particular matter.
Obviously such things as restoring the fertility of various nations must be done as well (reversing the, far left inspired, “Social Revolutions” that really got under way in the 1960s – although the intellectual roots of such destructive movements go back long before the 1960s), and there must be a return to mutual aid societies – both religious and secular, rather than seeing the state as “all in all” responsible for everything. People should have children again (not look to the Third World to produce the children they-never-had) and there must be a restoration of traditional families and networks of voluntary aid and mutual support (both religious and secular), to help the poor, the sick and the old.
Again, ending mass immigration and encouraging “remigration” of these “communities” is NOT enough on its own – but it is a vital part of any way out of the emerging crises, for both economic and cultural (societal) reasons.
There must be a return to “community” rather than “communities” – as, for example, the research of Professor “Bowling Alone” Putnan (a “liberal” leftist who sat on the results of his academic research for many years – because he did not like the findings of his own research) showed – “Diversity” (capital “D”) does not just lead to conflict between groups, it also leads to a decline of trust WITHIN population groups – helping lead to a decline of mutual aid and voluntary (non state) help for the poor, the sick, and the old. It leads to “atomized” individuals – filled with distrust for everyone around them (even people from their own population groups), and less and less voluntary cooperation and mutual aid.
“Atomized” individuals lead to an all mighty state – a state that tries to be “all in all”, be responsible for everything, and that always ends in disaster.
The situation in Britain is particularly depressing.
In spite of crushing taxation, both national and local, people are told they must volunteer if they want libraries and art galleries to be open – and must volunteer to clean the streets (even remove bushes and so on – which are destroying pavements), national and local government appears to be incapable of doing anything – other than demand more and more money.
When the volunteers ask how they are supposed to live (as volunteers are not paid) the answer of the state is simple “go on benefits” – the various advice groups (which are funded by the state) all say this, and it is normally some form of health related benefit (either for physical or mental health – or both).
The problem is obvious – if more and more people are on benefits and fewer and fewer people are in paid employment (again volunteers are not paid – and so do not pay tax), society will collapse.
And, no, the establishment response “more immigrants” does NOT work (see above).
The British economy also (increasingly – the situation is getting worse and worse) imports food (farm land is going all the time – partly to build the housing estates the Institute of Economic Affairs, and other London based bodies, claims are not being built) and raw materials – in the past it used to expert manufactured goods to pay for this, but now manufactured goods are imported as well.
The Wall Street Journal (and other such) claim that anyone who points out that this (this relying on Credit Bubble banking and “financial services” to “pay for” endlessly increasing imports of food, raw materials and manufactured goods), is unsustainable, is part of the “Populist Right”.
This would mean that everyone who is not potty (not out of their minds) is part of the “Populist Right” – again it must be a very broad church, seemingly even including the Social Democratic government of Denmark.