The Global Temper Tantrum

The Global Temper Tantrum

Excellent short article on the current unrest in Western Europe and the US.

What all the Indignant have in common is the refusal to address squarely the problem that nearly all Western countries face. That problem is that the welfare systems that evolved in the mid-20th century are unaffordable under the demographic and economic circumstances of the 21st century. The financial crisis has merely exacerbated what was already a severe structural crisis of public finance, boosting deficits while slowing growth. The scale of the challenge ranges from the really, really hard to the absolutely impossible.

Uh oh. Current social welfare systems becoming unaffordable? Does this mean the government is going to have to stop doing the church’s job? Who will look after the poor and the sick and underpaid? What about kids in state custody?

What are people of faith to do?

(I’m clearly not talking about early retirement or government pensions here)