That said, I do believe in the general principle that the best way for society to become stronger, fairer, wealthier and happier, is for individuals to take personal responsibility for their actions, and not to expect that 'the state' owes them a living, and that we should work towards a society where people strive to wean themselves off state benefits, as opposed to a society where people are encouraged to embrace and depend upon them.
That sounds all fine and dandy but based on the assumption that every woman will meet a partner who is committed to them and their children and not abusive in anyway and all relationships are happy and nobody ever feels like leaving. It also assumes that all these couples are financially well off enough to meet all the costs involved in bringing up children. Sounds a lot more like a fairy-tale Utopia than anything proposed by left.
I know next I will be told that people who cannot bring up their children without state support should not have children. If this happens there will be complete anarchy and breakdown in society in years to come as their will be not enough young people to support the aging population. Across Europe countries are trying to increase the birth rate for this reason. The French were the most successful and this was due to a generous welfare system and good quality state-subsidized childcare.
This is pretty centrist, but in comparison to 'the left' on here, which scornfully derides any suggestion that in any way reduces the scope of 'the state' (be that public sector cuts or requiring individuals to take responsibility rather than 'the state'), I feel like a baby-eating monster who takes pleasure in pushing disabled out of their wheelchairs whilst snatching their benefits
As Offral has already pointed out right and centrist policies of reducing the scope of the state is what led to the recession, particularly reducing regulations in the financial sector.
very nasty.