Social greed

THE joint federal parliamentary committee on human rights and the Australian Senate must be commended for stopping the Abbott government’s plan to bar all young unemployed people under 30 years from receiving the dole for six months.
The Australian Prime Minister can do himself no credit whatsoever by his uncompromising stand for a doctrine which amounts to nothing less than Social Darwinism.
Social Darwinism believes in the survival of the fittest.
That competition is the most important instrument in both society and the economy.
Today this 18th century doctrine finds expression in the language of leaving everything to the market place, laissez faire.
Such a model, however, imposes heavy costs on society and the environment.
Today there is already an oversupply of private goods (tobacco, fast foods, etc) and an under supply of public products (such as schools and hospitals and so on).
The more unequal Australia becomes the more our health and wellbeing is compromised.
Social balance becomes the victim when governments and prime ministers become the uncompromising exponents of such an extreme competition creed.
John Glazebrook,
Endeavour Hills.