Welfare State Were in

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Summary: The corruption of the British welfare state
Review: Many Americans look to the European welfare state as the answer to the inequality and social problems that affect American society. In The Welfare State We're In, British journalist James Bartholomew demonstrates that the welfare state actually makes matters far worse. This book, which is extensively researched and extremely well-written, explains how well-meaning efforts to relieve distress have exacerbated exactly the problems they were meant to relieve. Bartholomew targets the full range of social services which were taken over by the state in the 20th century, everything from health and education to pensions and housing for the poor. In every case, he successfully deploys statistical and anecdotal evidence showing how bureaucracies-far from solving social problems-- have become dependent upon the perpetuation of the problems they are supposed to address. He shows how government handouts have corrupted morals by inviting fraud, and he shows just how widespead that fraud is. Among the most corrosive effects of the welfare state are the resentment and depression felt by those who become dependent upon handouts and services. For Americans, perhaps the most unsettling evidence is his account of the effects of welfare for single mothers. No one will be able to read this book and still believe that America has a lot to learn from the supposedly more humane and liberal cultures of Europe.