Dependency upon the state is something that the state constantly fosters. That is the point of their existence... to control, er l mean serve and protect. By constantly formenting fear, division and discontent they create a feeling of need for protection. And who should we turn to for protection? Bingo... The State. Orwell had it right.

By advocating an almost total abdication of personal responsibility, the state disempowers the individual. Apart from the dependency upon the state that this fosters it also makes us servile. Easy to manipulate and easy to control.

l think we live in a social welfare state, notwithstanding the ideological rhetoric of party politics. The sizeable majority of earnt income goes to supporting the state, the system, its drones, large segments of the private sector that would not exist but for the masses of red tape, the needy, the under-priveledged and the entitlement junkies. The state looks after our 'welfare.' It knows best.

Get ready for the Bubble Wrap Generation... servile, docile, conservative, reactionary, scared, fatalistic, resigned, homogenous, vapid, banal, easily lead and did l say, scared of their own shadows. We the sheeple.

A suggestion for those who want a 'safe and protected society' is build and relocate to gated communities. Indeed, build an entire protected metropolis where you can escape the pesky and unnecessary dangers of life. Everything can be screened, controlled and monitored to your heart's content. You can keep out the nasty folks like me who don't expect nanny to protect me from raindrops falling on my head. People like me who don't mind a bit of pain on the way to pleasure. Who do not deny that life itself is a risk.

And nature can let the fittest survive.

Grace ,I don't know where to start.You must be a rusted on lefty like the religious fundamentalists who won't even consider the theory of evolution for fear their cosy fantacy may end.The human race is geared for survival.The environment changes and we respond.You must know by now that the socialist's utopia is not attainable with feel good intentions.The reality takes sweat, hard work and courage.Your arrows of "outrageous fortune"should be levelled at improving the free market capitalist's system,since it has a lot of imperfections.The left seems to think that money is the source of power and wealth.Money is the medium of exchange.It represent's human endeavour and potential.You should be argueing the morality of money being turned into a commodity by our financial institutions,not appealing to the weakness in human nature seeking reasons not to achieve.Let's see some comments on how to improve the free market,not this negative diatribe that paints all private enterprise as being evil pariahs of the worst kind.It is the efficiency of the free market that creates a surplus that can be taxed, and thus allows us to have socialism.All we are advocating is that individuals be more responsible for their own survival.Big Govt.is sucking the very essence of motivation in our society.There is a better way.

Trade 215 - you sound too much like me

In a world of safety nets, baby bonuses and equal opportunity commissioners, you make a refreshing trade wind.

If you think this is bad under the libs - just think how much worse it would be under the left - with the levellers in control devoting taxes to alot of inert bureaucracy to administer reduced productivity and stifle inventiveness and innovation (exclusively individual characteristics).

Trade and Arjay,

You two fellows sound an awful lot like myself when---fifteen years and a lot less experience ago---I answered a question.

Questioner: "What scares you?" Me: "Oh, nothing much. I'm, positive and optimistic and look out for myself."

I don't think quite like that anymore. Experience is an amazing educator.....

When we theorise on such subjects as the government protecting us, we need to be very careful, especially when doing so from inside the easy, comfortable "gated community" of a place called Australia.

Try living in a state where the government is too busy fattening itself to worry about you---e.g.Zimbabwe---and perhaps you might start singing a different tune.

Because the mega corporations would ultimately make slaves of us--and they are doing a fine job of that already---the extreme of untrammeled capitalism and freedom is as bad as its extreme opposite. Although, if forced to choose, of the two I would prefer the former.

Many will find it hard to believe that there are dangerously many 'extremes' in Australia, only one of which is the incidence of our crime and violence.

The wise social pathway is along a road called balance. We need to be careful to not throw the baby out with the dirty bathwater....

Apologies ArJay ---in my post I meant to say "Col Rouge" not Arjay...