Yes, BA. Once upon a time it was, in fact, a requirement that you have a certain knowlege of both English (the offical language of government) and how the system works (at a theoretical level anyway) before you would be granted citizenship. Personally, I thought it still was, though I could be wrong.
Wrong. Said social contract never existed except in dreams. The closest that comes from that is Social Security retirement; which is part of the democratic 'new deal' that followed the bank crash of 1929 where peoples savings were wiped out. In fact, prior to the turn of the century, there only retirement you could count on was what you yourself saved and or any support your children might provide.
Then along came the Unions. THEY are the ones who truely exposed the ideal quoted above, about the lifetime job, etc. Because at the time they organized, people could NOT expect a lifetime job, regular pay raises nor any guarentee that they'd have reasonable retirment funds at ANY age, let alone 65. And working conditions were actually living to be that old would take a miracle.
Now comes the Bank Crash of 1929 and the 'New Deal' And 'Social Security' in general, which was an attempt to spread both the union saftey blanket and therefore its implied social contract to all Americans.
So, from 1776 to 1900's: No 'social contract' at all for 125 years.
1900's to 1930's: Unionizations vision of the Social contract about 30 years
1930 - 2010: "Social Contract" that you describe. 80 years, tops. Which means that MAYBE the vision of the social contract you ascribe too has been around as long as not.
AND said social contract requires both parties to abide by it. Starting in the sixties, that broke down... As part of the civil rights movement government aide starts becomign available for young women who find themselves pregnant by an ever increasing number of men who after finding out, cut and run. This is meant to ensure that the children dont starve, have proper shelter, etc.
What happens is that these children, and their children, go on to become the welfare underclass with a huge sense of the government OWES them. The children of the Projects. Meant to provide safe housing for those who could not afford it otherwise; become a hothouse for todays gang problems. Many others sucumb to desparation of their condition and seek solace from mood and mind altering substances... creating todays drug problem.
None of them were or are willing to relocate and follow the crops, working their butts off. why should they? they get money from the government JUST FOR SITTING AROUND Having children and taking care of them. In short, breaking said social contract, and gettting paid for it to boot.
THIS is when the illgals really start coming up from Mexico in large numbers. And the liberals seem to think that reguardless of if they are Citizens or not they should have the same rights to certain government services. Even though these workers do not pay taxes. Thats what the taxes are there for, to allow the goverment to provide for the functions that we the people have deemed neccecary.
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children
Quote:In any case, the social contract works both ways. People in the past could expect to be rewarded for hard work with a lifetime job, regular pay raises, and a nice gold watch and reasonable retirement funds at 65.
Wrong. Said social contract never existed except in dreams. The closest that comes from that is Social Security retirement; which is part of the democratic 'new deal' that followed the bank crash of 1929 where peoples savings were wiped out. In fact, prior to the turn of the century, there only retirement you could count on was what you yourself saved and or any support your children might provide.
Then along came the Unions. THEY are the ones who truely exposed the ideal quoted above, about the lifetime job, etc. Because at the time they organized, people could NOT expect a lifetime job, regular pay raises nor any guarentee that they'd have reasonable retirment funds at ANY age, let alone 65. And working conditions were actually living to be that old would take a miracle.
Now comes the Bank Crash of 1929 and the 'New Deal' And 'Social Security' in general, which was an attempt to spread both the union saftey blanket and therefore its implied social contract to all Americans.
So, from 1776 to 1900's: No 'social contract' at all for 125 years.
1900's to 1930's: Unionizations vision of the Social contract about 30 years
1930 - 2010: "Social Contract" that you describe. 80 years, tops. Which means that MAYBE the vision of the social contract you ascribe too has been around as long as not.
AND said social contract requires both parties to abide by it. Starting in the sixties, that broke down... As part of the civil rights movement government aide starts becomign available for young women who find themselves pregnant by an ever increasing number of men who after finding out, cut and run. This is meant to ensure that the children dont starve, have proper shelter, etc.
What happens is that these children, and their children, go on to become the welfare underclass with a huge sense of the government OWES them. The children of the Projects. Meant to provide safe housing for those who could not afford it otherwise; become a hothouse for todays gang problems. Many others sucumb to desparation of their condition and seek solace from mood and mind altering substances... creating todays drug problem.
None of them were or are willing to relocate and follow the crops, working their butts off. why should they? they get money from the government JUST FOR SITTING AROUND Having children and taking care of them. In short, breaking said social contract, and gettting paid for it to boot.
THIS is when the illgals really start coming up from Mexico in large numbers. And the liberals seem to think that reguardless of if they are Citizens or not they should have the same rights to certain government services. Even though these workers do not pay taxes. Thats what the taxes are there for, to allow the goverment to provide for the functions that we the people have deemed neccecary.
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children