I once had a major argument with a Probation Officer about the underclass. After a lengthy time, I realised we were not talking about the same thing at all. She meant that handful of people who fall through the cracks in the welfare system. I did not.To me, the underclass is not defined as much by relative poverty as it is a lifestyle; an attitude; a state of mind.
Imagine you are 25 and drawing benefits. Your council flat is paid for. You are answerable to nobody and get up in what ever part of the afternoon you choose. If you are truly canny and streetwise you may well have got yourself on disability benefits knowing that this is a milch cow for life - which is just as well as your indisciplined life, motormouth and inability to follow any task through, have rendered you unemployable anyway.
You do occasional cash-in-hand jobs for unscrupulous businessmen you know. You sell contraband cigarettes and do a little wheeling-and-dealing with goods which have 'fallen off the back of a lorry'.
You are generally anti social and any family remnant around you will typically make appalling neighbours. You keep unsociable hours and play your music loudly until the police are called whom you tell to **** off in full knowledge that there is effectively nothing which can be done about you - not in the short or medium term at least.
You bring large amounts of children into the world who learn from you.
You despise all authority: social workers, police, teachers, probation officers and you enjoy browbeating your doctor into signing all sorts of forms to back you up. Nonetheless, you will continue to enjoy all the benefits of our society without ever making any contribution.
All of this before we even consider the hardcore criminals who live in this world. You abuse bail; laugh at court orders; fail to pay your fines and do not worry too much about a short stretch in Doncatraz as you already know that the facilities are very fine and it is no more than a very minor inconvenience.
You laugh at your neighbours and see them as fools as they, though fairly poor, try to lead an honest hardworking life.
Your knocked off electrical goods, cheap fags, Benidorm holidays, untaxed, untested and uninsured vehicle ensure that your carefree lifestyle is infinitely better than theirs and do-gooders truly believe that you want to give this all up in exchange for a job and becoming a respectable contributor to society!
"If a man will not work - let him not eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10. The Apostle Paul surely got that one right!
And this before we consider the majority in this group who are active in the world of drugs.
