As one of the achievements of the welfare state is the "social peace", based on redistribution and social safety net, which are used in conflict prevention is much more than rigorous monitoring and harsh penalties.
If anyone can be sure, collected for example in the event of unemployment, retirement or (severe) disease through a social network are, so to alleviate this, the crime rate, the number of acts of violence or even the possibility of civil wars and similar serious social conflicts. People who are in an emergency and also that of, have naturally a lower vulnerability to property crime, as they are also less vulnerable to radicalization of any kind.
The social peace based on social security and goes even further: not only security but also a minimum level of equality The purpose of redistribution. Social Security alone is not enough, because poverty and suffering are relative, who is poor and sees that other people do around him many times by himself, is still susceptible to violence and revolution. One compares like his situation with members of the same region of the same state - the reference to countries where it is "the people" going to be worse, though heard, but he does not count.
Who are the poor, marginalized, disadvantaged or "underprivileged" is deemed not to eat a sandwich. Frustration, anger and a willingness to use force dwindle until a minimum of equality within a state prevails - from this realization, the government is active to produce a state of uniformity and security and preserve it.
The active redistributive state is thus the modern version of Hobbes' Leviathan. As is known, Hobbes went from man, who is a wolf to man, if not tamed, by giving off a portion of his freedom to a higher instance. For in the natural state in which all are theoretically absolutely free, virtually all non-free because each afraid of an arbitrary exercise of freedom must be his next.
Even those who would properly deal with their freedom to be by this spiral of fear prevented. The end result is a state of universal freedom and disorder, not bring anything.
So, all share some of their freedom, without freedom alive, because absolute freedom to abolish itself and thus a contradiction in terms.
The concept of the concept of social peace is its logical extension, each man doing well when a portion of his (tax) money directed to others - so he buys his freedom in taxes from others who would rob him without redistribution rather than with. The
in extreme cases even the entire social system by revolutions and the like would bring the collapse. Before this happens and the prosperity of the one does not work, because he did not due to a number of poor people could enjoy, does redistribution is a - it has a balancing effect, prevent a few rich and the majority is poor and thus have two more.
redistribution prevents that the wealthy, for example, in small, fenced housing developments, so-called "gated communities" to insulate itself from the outside they are waiting to threat of the impoverished masses.
is because such a state is reached only once, the sacrifice of freedom and security for the benefit of their own prosperity has become disproportionately large. It is indeed, everyone can put this wealth but enjoy only limited and therefore they do not, the modern Leviathan is much more than that, the Hobbes in the 17th Century has described.
The protection of security today requires more than mere Monopolosierung of violence by the state. The modern Leviathan does not only freedom but also goods and chattels, in order to redistribute, for the benefit of all - even those who give more net. These peace
effect of redistribution and homogenization is the most serious argument in favor of the welfare state.
It is aimed at those who finance the government and their (at least tacit) consent thus most important. On the "middle class" so - a word not, which can be defined from the perspective of redistribution, as follows: For the middle class are those who have too little money to effectively resist the redistribution of state and too much to the redistribution (financial) benefit.
The peace effect appears priceless, is a precious commodity for which it is a pleasure löhnt - and there are not measure of peace and its costs can be, the pain threshold for those who purely calculated by Numbers, net public finance, are also very high.
The end of redistribution?
is today often posits the end of redistribution, is on the causes of dispute on several occasions. Commonly apply the familiar slogans such as globalization, speculators, capitalism or neoliberalism as the gravediggers of redistribution and the welfare state.
The policy is considered to be powerless against the economy and its shown as unnachvollziehbar movements. "The economy" is aware of the limits are tied to the states, not - the state is thus limited in its scope, the number of people he can tax actually falls.
Now that it's as easy as never before, people, goods, information and funds to send in a short time around the globe, falls, particularly among the wealthiest interests, contribute to the redistribution of State - and parallel to affect the redistribution instruments it less and less. Who can afford to flee, financially, as he transferred his assets abroad or tax-friendly port. Often this escape is
also physically-Monaco is an exemplary gathering of tax exiles who want to know not only their money in more pleasant climes. Zygmunt Bauman has the trend of avoiding therefore, at least "the elites" the redistributive state, aptly described - today "the successful ones are" (...) no longer dependent on community. The close-knit network of obligations to a community promises them little advantage in Rather, they are at risk in the event of their involvement in the network significant losses ".
So it happens that the people have loved to property tax, bank tax, and the like required, upon closer inspection, the group mainly taxed but always remains the same: the much-vaunted "middle class". Redistribution thus leads to the death of more and more middle class, a dissolving of that members of the middle class, belonging to the net-state financiers. Of all the means of redistributing resources produce the state that will prevent it. Wilhelm Roepke, this trend, this death of the middle class in the name of redistribution in favor of the poor, already 1950s with little political correct described
"growing proletarianization means decreasing resistance to a policy of income smoothing and the further destruction of the middle class be more specific. Proletarianization has exceeded a certain level, then perform the demands presented by the proletariat to the wider society is easily to such a pressure on the Treasury and the monetary and credit system, be that constant inflation pressure, and over-taxation avoided less and less.
In the modern proletarian, the welfare state 'with its almost limitless programs, social security' and 'full employment' is increasingly a continued Tendency for inflation (along with the permanent reduction in the purchasing power of money) and emerge to a fiscal policy that discourages them to own property to enjoy the fruits of the property and in general to earn an income that education allows property.
discouraged While this tendency, the individual savings, can be the engine of state-organized society, more and more people, more or less adequate, stable feeding be 'left to fall through the state to tenants of the government. Bread and circuses. Once before has the history of the world is experiencing a similar process "
The cost illusion
Since conventional taxes alone will sufficient to pay for social peace are long gone, the state is forced for decades to make two types of taxation, the issue raised by Röpke inflation, which is really taxation through the back door and debt, so deferred taxation.
Both measures have fooled away the fact that the state as we know it is more expensive than shown.
Ludwig von Mises' article has always described the true effect of inflation and the expansion of money supply unit takes place simultaneously with a general increase in prices (which is its corollary).
In the time window between expansion and rise in prices benefit those who receive the extra money as long as prices are not increased. The rest, who before and after the price increase as much money can then pay less than before - their money, no matter in what form, is rendered worthless in the long term - because the salaries are rising less rapidly than the daily cost. Hence come the feeling of shortness of money, although the salary "increases." The different times
bank bailouts in the wake of the financial crisis was an expression of that policy - as if by magic stood in the midst of the rhetoric of the general at once saving huge amounts of money available; sums in the long run to by the masses available be made - at least since the last time know that the money system is wrong.
The third addition to taxation and inflation form of financing a state's debt, which is perhaps the most obvious expression of the illusion of the financing of the now - since the heyday of the welfare state based on a financial advance in the form of loans to pay for future generations have.
The welfare state standard, which is currently in essence, to fade, so it was impossible from the beginning to maintain long-term - like any pyramid scheme also meets the State, consisting of taxes, inflation and debt, at some point in his Limits.
new debt are only a limited extent, the credit ratings of the first (western) countries have already lowered the existing debt burden weighs now extremely difficult. Slowly, the fear is rampant in front of hyperinflation and the collapse of the euro. And becoming less and less net tax payers are groaning under the burden of taxation.
Last but not least, the state seems unwilling / unable to profound changes in himself, his administration and its services to carry out. In this climate of general confusion seems to be only one thing is certain - the fat years are over and were never really there, the redistribution has limitations.
Distribution conflicts - the struggle of all against all
Under the cloak of social peace has always been smoldering conflicts, for redistribution is an ongoing process that never ends as soon as it is once set in motion. Once the principle recognizes that all have a role (in very different degrees) to a larger whole, to make out all the possible lines of conflict.
by the principle of redistribution, because the people whose belongings will be distributed (no matter how they may have come to that), played against each other in position.
they exist long enough money, so the cake was large enough, it seemed as if the state is a community to of each (with exceptions) reasonably willingly contributes his mite - because you had the feeling, even rauszubekommen much, they gave off a little too happy.
This ever-present state of war of all against all appears now that the redistributive state is reaching its limits, manifest. And, although really far-reaching reforms were yet to begin.
In France, for example, the people rise up in arms because the retirement age was increased by two years.
In Austria, students demonstrate against the abolition of the family benefits from 24 years ago. Of the working population as lazy students and pensioners as a cost considered, to name just two examples. An Austrian political scientist recently suggested before even talking to pensioners after a certain time, the right to vote, as they have because of their sheer number about too much power and live at the expense of the current generation that will no longer enjoy its benefits.
Even minor actions are sufficient to make the lines of conflict to attack, which were still hidden, as long as the prevailing illusion of affordable welfare state. This in turn
are all sorts of groups in the fight for the last pieces of the shrinking pie over - students and workers, pensioners and the unemployed, Employed and unemployed. All have arguments as to why just backed her play or even increased needs, students are important to the future of the country, workers would start at the earliest, to pay taxes, pensioners have earned it after years of deposit in the pension system, secured their retirement to spend and so on.
This is still an intensification of ethnic divisions as one might have thought it impossible for a few years ago, immigrants who were brought into the country to finance the welfare state are now as an additional negative factor.
Hobbes dictum about the struggle of all against all seems Today, despite - or perhaps because of - ever redistribution more than to apply.
The social peace prevailed only as long as enough money was there, or at least it seemed. Money that today seems not to suffice with a steadily increasing state spending, including through the interest on the debt, and rampant inefficiency in the state. Who wants to push through radical reforms, is facing an insurmountable wall - no one is willing to cede some of his privileges, which were at times the illusion even forgive generously. Rather as a tax, a tax there, a little more inflation - cuts only to a limited extent and only where the lobby is low (currently in Austria about students and families).
seems Given this indignation among the population and with it the policy to require a national bankruptcy, to wake up and see that only a few bones left. Or the conversion of which no one says that he is the best place, slowly, but instead some success. Fear should be in front of both scenarios.
Until then, however sound still cries for tax on the rich and the like and made a few superficial adjustments to the illusion of a large cake as long as possible to maintain.
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