Responsibility and the "Magic Money Tree."

I mentioned on a recent post the marked difference in the attitudes of Conservative and Labour voters to personal economic responsibility.

The figures are given below.

Here is an instance where the people, not the government, make the difference. Because it is easy to say that "the government will pay" but, but, but ...

they state will only have the tax revenue to look after those who need it if most people are taking the Conservative view on responsibility, looking after themselves, and in the process having the income to be taxed to pay for schools, hospitals, and to look after the less fortunate.

There is no "magic money tree" and the state's money comes from taxpayers - the people who take responsibility for themselves.

A country where those who could work do not, is in trouble.

Regardless of how they vote, a country where a majority of people have the Labour attitude to responsibility described below is heading for problems.

Comments

Jim said…
Try this thought experiment for moment, and it makes it pretty clear.

A large household (lets say 25 people, its a very big house) has a big money pot, its a bit like Mrs Boswells chicken tub. Anyway, when those household members who are working get paid they put the money into the pot. When a member of the household needs some money (to buy food or to pay the electric bill or something) then they take some of the money from the pot and use it to buy that which is needed.

Now, lets try a thought experiment, and decide that all members of the household should stop working and just live out of the pot, so now we have 25 people removing money from the pot, and no one putting any money into it.

It does not take long before the money pot is empty and the bailiffs are knocking at the door.


Think of the government as Mrs Boswells chicken, its only got money for as long as the working household members (the taxpayers) are paying into it.
1:16 pm
Jim said…
Though I will take slight issue on the language used. I.e.

"if most people are taking the Conservative view on responsibility, looking after themselves"

Its just that its not the conservative view, its a view that echos through history, and it happens to be a view the conservative party have adopted, but its not the conservative party's fantastic idea.
2:35 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
Fair comment Jim, and indeed this was a survey of voters not the political parties: I was talking about the responsible view taken by about three quarters of those who voted Conservative and indeed by 23%, sensible in this if not in how they voted, of those who backed Labour.
6:45 pm
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