Many black Australians live in poverty and are permanently unemployed.
There are claims that the benefit payments they receive have stripped them of any motivation to work and can lead to serious health and social problems.
This BBC News story raises some important issues, and I don't want to sound flippant. But the welfare system that underpins the Australian government's relationship with the Aborigine people is clealry unacceptable. Indeed it produces the exact consequences that people suspicious of welfare claim - dependency and perverse incentives. Those of you who advocate welfare in other countries - if you accept the tragic plight of Aborigines - should wonder why. It seems that there's only really two things that could be wrong: welfare, or Abos. I'd rather blame the former. And you?
No expert, but it has been suggested that Australian Aboriginal tribal culture may be a confounder here. Under their model, the elder distributed goods amongst the tribe on the basis of need. Welfare payments usurp the role elders play in the tribe.
I'm not suggesting the tribe's payments go directly to the elders - the context they find themselves in is too far removed for that.
Posted by: mighty mike | November 21, 2005 at 11:22 AM