The Responsibilities of the Citizen

Citizenship isn't all rights and keg parties...

Published on August 30, 2004 By cactoblasta In Politics

`As an Australian I have no rights. As a Canberran I have a few, but as they would never stand up in court I will neither name them nor consider them important. Instead I have responsibilities. I have a responsibility to my fellow citizen. I pay taxes on my assets and on my income in the full knowledge that that money will be spent/wasted/whatever to Advance Australia Fair. I have a responsibility to ensure that the skills of my fellow citizens are not going to waste. I have a responsibility to do what I can to uphold the ideals which gave my friends and family in this great nation strength.

Each and every other member of my country has exactly the same responsibilities. In a perfect world all of us would do exactly what is required of us without needing to be asked. Unfortunately this is not the case. To ensure that everyone meets their responsibilities we agreed to have a social contract, or in other words banded together to create a state. A small group of elected people ensure that everyone meets their obligations, that everyone contributes, that every Australian has what is necessary such that no skill is wasted, that noone gives less than their share.

This is why there is subsidised healthcare and education in Australia. This is why we have a PBS and HECS. The community as a whole through their elected representatives had a responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind and that no one suffers to the detriment of the community as a whole.

The system is not perfect. A great deal of the money entrusted to it is wasted. However we have a duty to the survival and wellbeing of our people that we do not encourage the slums of Los Angeles or the sheer grinding poverty of Somalia. In taking on our collective responsibilities we make our nation a better place. The rights of the community are just as important as the often wasted rights of the individual.

Comments

Draginol

on Aug 30, 2004

Countries with more individual freedom tend to have less poverty.

While the poverty rate in the United States is about 12.5%, what we consider "poverty" would be considered quite well off elsewhere -- including Australia.

The US poverty rate doesn't include non-cash welfare which increasingly is a larger and larger percentage of aid.

There really aren't that many legitimately poor people, as a percent, in the United States.

In 2003, approximately $40 billion was spent just by the federal government on food aid. The states spent even more.

Those who are poor receive free health care in the United States in the form of medicaid.

In short, we are already doing a great deal for the poor.

cactoblasta

on Aug 30, 2004

Yes - the article wasn't targeted at America per se; Los Angeles was just an example of a well-known third world city with massive slum problems. America is doing what it should. However those receiving aid don't have a right to it, we who can give it have a responsibility to give it where needed and wanted. That's the point I'm trying to make.

Madine

on Aug 31, 2004

Los Angeles was just an example of a well-known third world city with massive slum problems

According to figures compiled by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, if Los Angeles County, with a gross product of $389.72 billion in 2001, were a separate nation, it would rank 14th in the world for gross product. Its gross economic output is larger than that of either the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Taiwan, Argentina and Switzerland. Los Angeles County ranks second nationally only to New York City.

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