On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Taking the neutrality stance I think makes Switzerland a very special place > and must cause the Swiss to think of themselves as somewhat special thereby > giving them a degree of social cohesion. > > Or does the causation circle go the other way around, with social cohesion > coming first and thus the degree of self to lead to the position of > neutrality? > > You suggest that the educational/poverty problems (which I agree are > structual) of eg., Canada, do not exist in Switzerland. Is this so?
Post-1971 a radical change took place in the humanitarian ethos which had produced a solid social security system up to that date in year-by-year increments. I use 1971 as a marker date because that was the year in which the Senate Croll Committee made its recommendations, first of which was to replace the so-called "welfare" system with a GAI, or Guaranteed Annual Income. The 20 senaters, led by Senator Croll, also proposed the details of a taxation mechanism to fund the GAI. For those not familiar with Canadian politics, the Senate is an appointed upper house (not elected) and is known as a bastion of the status quo. In the mid-70's the first food banks came into existence out of necessity. I was working as a clinical psychologist "de-institutionalizing" patients at the time and I did this work with a clear conscience. I was convinced that community living was in the best interests of the patients. Today we have only only a fraction of the patients who were residents of institutions in the 70's. Patients live with greater freedom and the cost to society is much lower. I did not foresee the current psychopath BC has for a premier, Gordon Campbell. As I pass by those I recognize as former institutional patients on the streets panhandling, I am reminded that the welfare rates have been lowered steadily since 1971 and are only about 2/3 of what is required to keep body and soul together. Thus food banks and other private charities are needed. I am also reminded that Premier Campbell has said that society at large has no commitment to provide the services essential to keep body and soul together for anybody in society. In an unprecedented move for Canadian politics he has instituted the "two year rule". Beginning in a few months time (April 1) tens of thousand of British Columbians will have all food, shelter and clothing at government expense discontinued. In an institution, this political decision would have swiftly brought criminal charges against the perpetrators. Because of the wording of Section 215, Criminal Code of Canada, Gordon Campbell has found a loophole whereby he can literally terrorize the poor and the mental patients of BC. He gets away with doing to these people what would have been deemed criminal in an institution. As Mr. L, a mental patients' advocate said on community television last year, "People are scared out of their minds". FWP > arthur > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, December 8, 2003 1:35 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [Futurework] The Politics of Foodbanks (or lack thereof) > > > Harry Pollard wrote: > > When I read it, I agreed with Chris' remarks. Except of course > > his aside on protectionism. > > The problem is that the system I described wouldn't work under > "Free" Market conditions. > > > > Our only hope in the US in many places is to make education > > voluntary. Teachers should teach only those who want to learn - > > or whose parents want them to learn. > > What about the others? This "screw the rest" attitude is so typical > of the FT ideology. It only makes things worse. > > Btw, learning disabilities are increasing. I.e there are children > who may want to learn (and whose parents want them to learn) but > who are unable to learn (effectively). This is mainly due to > effects of corporate policies (junk-food malnutrition, dental mercury, > drugs, cell-phone radiation etc.), so blaming "state schools" in general > and praising privatization/corporatization is really making the fox guard > the henhouse. > > Chris > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > SpamWall: Mail to this addy is deleted unread unless it contains the keyword > "igve". > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
