Friday, January 20, 2012

I've been busy moving to downtown Omaha!  Near the library, where I do my blogging.

In the series Social Uplift, I'm dealing next with "Welfare and Unemployment Insurance in the US."  I've taken up the item of 'Entitlements,' where, I argue, the fundamental basis for the concept is the exercise of the right to live, honored through the government action for the sake of societal protection via the social contract (my understanding).

In discussing welfare et al, the general supposition is that the individual who accepts this "handout" will return to the mainstream, i.e., at some point will re-enter the workforce and will find a job.  Yet it is also understood that there may be circumstances beyond the individual's control which will make successful re-entry unlikely, such as age or lingering disability.  In such cases, being on welfare is understood merely as a "holding tank" until being adjudged "disabled" in the sense of "permanently unable to work" or "retired," i.e., in line to receive some kind of pension, e.g., social security.

In the interim while I'm producing this item, I'll of course add items to the ruminations and  John's "What's up?" blogs.