Handout culture hurts SA: iLIVE

With reference to "One big soup kitchen'' (August 23), the horrifying truth is that very little will change for the better. Rather the opposite will happen. As long as people believe that handouts at the expense of others is okay, very little will change.

The mere fact that we re-elect people into power who have, over the years, done little to grow our economy in real terms and are proud to announce that the welfare payouts have increased, says little about our common sense or rational thinking.

When the last "milk cow" and "golden goose" have been slaughtered, who will pay for the endless promises made by those leaders who lack imagination in government, and by irresponsible unions? Surely not our politicians, who depend on our taxes for their overpaid and unjustified salaries.

The culture of getting without doing has infected not only our government. Leaders in the economy seem to think it is okay to take out as much as possible before economic chaos and disarray arrive.

Provinces with the least education and highest ruling party following are the most affected, and contribute the least to pay for the ever- increasing dependants on welfare. These provinces have the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and are the least productive.

The fact that these people complain about the quality of structures and water is surprising as these are the same people who litter and pollute.

The unrealistic union wage demands in a world suffering an economic slowdown will see to it that the size of our soup kitchens will have to grow even larger, again at the expense of working citizens.

The lack of a realistic economic vision in government and its allies and the absence of effective education will make sure that we slip more and move closer to becoming a failed nation.