Are there no workhouses?

In a move not seen in this country since the Second World War, the Red Cross this week launches a winter food aid plan for Britain's needy. This is not really news though because the needy have always inhabited our society. The move sounds like a scene from "The Christmas Carol" and conjours up visions of the the sceptical Mr. Scrooge. The obvious question though is simply to ask why so little progress has been made since Victorian times and, indeed, the Second World War which ended nearly 70 years ago? We didn't have a welfare system during the war so things were arguably enough tougher then. Our habits were probably a lot different too in a world where marketing didn't predominate in the way it does today. Society was undoubtedly more cohesive in those days because there was no welfare state. In the end, humanity tends to come to the fore when the chips are down. One of the problems with the welfare state is that it almost removes the need for people to watch over their neighbours because that is the job of the state. It isn't the job of the state and never has been. In reality, it is the the job of all of us on just about every level you care to mention, moral or otherwise. It is not a bad thing that the Red Cross are helping in this way. What is bad is that our communities are not as cohesive as they once were. Our aspiration must be to return to those times and all pull closer together. Should we achieve this, the need for the State to do everything for us would be less obvious. We are a uniquely sociable species but have perhaps lot our way somewhat in recent times. Perhaps this is the beginning of an upturn in our fortunes form the perspective of community action. I hope so. The worst outcome in this matter would be if there was no Red Cross to help out...