jm - artículo con vocabulario - what do we owe to each other

7/31/2019 JM - Artculo con vocabulario - What Do We Owe to Each Other

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What Do We Owe to Each Other? Welfare, Conditionality and

the Left

Published on 09 October, 2012

By Stuart White

Barely a week passes these days in the UK without a new story

and controversy over the Coalition governments changes and

cuts to welfare. One controversial feature is what policy wonks

call conditionality: making eligibility conditional on some

prescribed activity (usually) related to work. Most controversial isworkfare: requirements that benefit recipients work full-time

while receiving benefits rather than a wage. Many have compared

workfare, in this sense, to slavery.

Those of us on the left know we oppose workfare in this sense.

But this is only one kind of conditionality. What about

conditionality more generally?

The left and conditionality

At the Conservative party conference in 2010, speaking as the

new Prime Minister, David Cameronexplainedthe supposed

philosophy behind his governments welfare changes: If you

cannot really work, we will look after you. But if you can work,

but refuse to work, we will not let you live off the hard work of

others.

Stated as a general principle, many thinkers of the left would

emphatically agree with this.

Take the case of the Spanish anarchist, Isaac Puente.PuentesLibertarian Communismwas published in 1932. It was

adopted as the platform of the anarcho-syndicalist trade union,

the CNT, in 1936, just prior to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil

War.

Puente says that libertarian communism will bring into common

ownership everything that goes to make up the wealth of

society and at the same time make it a common

obligationthat each contribute toproduction according to their

Dictionary

wonk /w:k/nounpluralwonks

[count] US, informal + sometimes

disapproving: a person who

knows a lot about the details of

a particular field (such as

politics) and often talks a lot

about that subject

the policy wonks in the government

workfare/wkfe/noun

[noncount] : a program in which

people must do work in order

to receive money from the

government for food, housing,

medical costs, etc.

live off[phrasal verb]live off (something or someone): to

use (someone or something)

as a source of the money or

other things you need to live

He has been living offhis

inheritance. He has been living offhis

girlfriend. [=his girlfriend has been

supporting him financially] farmers

who live offthe land

outbreak/atbrek/noun

pluraloutbreaks[count] : a sudden start or

increase of fighting or disease

a cholera outbreakoften

+ of an outbreak ofviolence/war They

are preparing for an outbreak ofthe virus.
http://www.nextleft.org/2010/10/revolutionary-nature-of-his-doctrine.htmlhttp://www.nextleft.org/2010/10/revolutionary-nature-of-his-doctrine.htmlhttp://www.nextleft.org/2010/10/revolutionary-nature-of-his-doctrine.htmlhttp://www.anarchyisorder.org/CD%234/Lay-outed%20texts/PDF-versions/Puente,%20Isaac%20-%20Libertarian%20Communism.pdfhttp://www.anarchyisorder.org/CD%234/Lay-outed%20texts/PDF-versions/Puente,%20Isaac%20-%20Libertarian%20Communism.pdfhttp://www.anarchyisorder.org/CD%234/Lay-outed%20texts/PDF-versions/Puente,%20Isaac%20-%20Libertarian%20Communism.pdfhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/outbreakhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/wonkhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/outbreakhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/wonkhttp://www.anarchyisorder.org/CD%234/Lay-outed%20texts/PDF-versions/Puente,%20Isaac%20-%20Libertarian%20Communism.pdfhttp://www.nextleft.org/2010/10/revolutionary-nature-of-his-doctrine.htmlhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/outbreakhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/wonk


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aside fromchiefly US

1: not including

(something) : with the

exception of (something)

Aside from [=apart from, except for] a

few pieces of bread, the food is

gone. The movie has been praised by

most people, aside from a few critics who

have called its happy ending trite and

predictable.

2: in addition to

(something) :BESIDES

Aside from being well written, the book is

also beautifully illustrated

strip /strp/verbstrips;stripped;stripping

5 [+ obj] : to take (something)

away from someone in a

forceful way

+ of They strippedthe slaves oftheir

dignity.often + away Their rights

were stripped away.often used

as (be) stripped The pageant

winner was stripped ofher crown/title after

the scandal. [=she was forced to give up her

crown/title after the scandal]

deem /di:m/verbdeems;deemed;deeming[+ obj] formal: to think of

(someone or something) in a

particular way

The building was deemed[=considered,

judged] unsafe after the fire.

We deemed[=believed,thought] it wise to

wait. Do whatever you deem (to be)

necessary. The principal will take

whatever action she deems appropriate in

this case.

energies and talents with the resulting output distributed

according to need (p.28).

Puente clarifies what is involved in making contribution to

production a common obligation. In rural areas: Whosoever

refuses to work for the community (aside from the children, thesick, and the old) will be stripped of their other rights: to

deliberate *in the local council+ and to consume (p.43).

Meanwhile, in the towns, unions will issue each worker with a

producers pass-book. The pass-book will include details about

consumption needs (for instance, size of family) but the number

of days and hours worked will also be noted in these pass-books.

The pass-book entitles the worker to goods and services. The

only persons exempted from this requirement will be children,

the aged, and the infirm (p.44).

This sounds like quite a strong form of conditionality for those

deemed capable of working. Turn up to the local store to get

some food without the requisite stamps in your producers pass-

book and you could get turned away or limited in what you may

take home. Shirk work in the countryside and you will lose your

rights to consume and to participate in communal decision-

making.

Puentes position is not that unusual amongst theorists of the left.

Rosa Luxemburgstatedin 1918 that: Only somebody who

performs some useful work for the public at largecan be entitled

to receive from society the means for satisfying his needs, a rule

from which small children, the aged and sick are exempted.

Going further back, to the Diggers of the English Civil War, we find

Gerrard Winstanley rebuking those, able to work, who share in

the fruits of work without labouring. Those who do this should

first be reproved; then, if they persist, whipped; and, finally,

delivered into the task-masters hand (See Chapter 6 of

theLaw of Freedom, in particular Winstanleys proposed law

number 17.)

So, to be true to itself, should the left just warmly embrace

conditionality and support the Coalition governments policies on

this matter?

No.

It is certainly the case that many thinkers of the left affirm a basic

principle ofreciprocity. If you share in the fruits of your fellow

citizens labours, and you are able to work yourself, then you
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/besideshttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/besideshttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/besideshttp://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1918/12/20.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1918/12/20.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1918/12/20.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/winstanley/1652/law-freedom/http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/winstanley/1652/law-freedom/http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/winstanley/1652/law-freedom/http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/winstanley/1652/law-freedom/http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1918/12/20.htmhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/deemedhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/striphttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/besideshttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/deemedhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/strip


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should reciprocate the efforts of fellow citizens with efforts of

your own. It is wrong to free-ride on the efforts of others. This is

a widely shared moral precept. Sam Bowles and Herbert Gintis

argue that ademand for reciprocityof this kind (though

combined with what they term basic needs generosity) is hard-

wired into us as social beings.

However, a great deal depends on exactly how we elaborate this

principle of reciprocity. There are at least four key points around

which left and right approaches to reciprocity - and hence

conditionality - differ. Ill try to summarise these points and then

consider what they imply for a better, fairer politics of welfare.

Reciprocity applies to the economic system as a whole - not just

welfare

Whenever David Cameron makes a speech in which he attacks

the way welfare benefits allegedly enable people to get

something for nothing, one reaction on the left is to say

something like: Who is this person with millions of pounds of

inherited wealth to lecture anybody about something for

nothing?

This gets to the first point. It is not reasonable to frame

reciprocity failure something for nothing - as confined to the

welfare system (if, indeed, it is a problem in the present welfaresystem). We need to think of reciprocity and reciprocity-failure in

relation to the economy as a whole. (Laurie Penny makes a similar

point about the rhetoric of entitlement in herresponseto David

Camerons June speech on welfare.)

There are plenty of ways quite legal and respectable ways - one

can get something for nothing in a capitalist economy. You can, if

you have the right kind of luck, live off inherited wealth. You can

enjoy capital gains on property that appreciates in value without

you lifting a finger. You can be paid a salary well in excess of thevalue of what you actually contribute to production.

The Edwardian Liberal,Leonard T. Hobhouse, put the basic point

particularly well:

The moralist...is concerned lest we should insist too much on

rights and too little on duties....The only doubt is whether the

stern disciplinarians who insist on self-support fully realise the

revolutionary nature of their doctrine. If a system is wrong which

maintains an idle man in bare necessaries, a system is much more

wrong which maintains an idle man in great superfluity, and any

shirk /k/verbshirks;shirked;shirking: to avoid doing something that

you are supposed to do [+

obj] He's too conscientious to shirkhis

duty/responsibility. [no obj] Henever shirkedfrom doing his duty. They

did their duty withoutshirking or

complaining.

shirkernoun,pluralshirkers [count]

She's no shirker.

rebuke /rbju:k/verbrebukes;rebuked;rebuking

[+ obj] formal: to speak in an

angry and critical way to

(someone) often +for She

wasrebuked[=reprimanded]forbeing

late. The boss rebukedusfortalking too

much.

rebukenoun, pluralrebukes [count

]

He was stunned by the harsh rebuke fromhis father.

free ridenounplural rides[count] : special treatment that

involves giving away

something that is valuable or

expensive

The state university offered him afree

ride for all four years of collegehis

football scholarship would cover tuition,

room and board, and other

expenses. companies getting afree ride atthe taxpayer's expense

alleged /ld/adjectivealways used before a noun1: accused of having done

something wrong or illegal but

not yet proven guilty

The allegedthief was arrested.

2: said to have happened but

not yet proven

He denied

the allegedconspiracy.allegedabuse

allegedly /ldli/adverb She allegedly stole the money.=Allegedly, she stole the money.
http://bostonreview.net/BR23.6/bowles.htmlhttp://bostonreview.net/BR23.6/bowles.htmlhttp://bostonreview.net/BR23.6/bowles.htmlhttp://www.newstatesman.com/lifestyle/lifestyle/2012/06/cameron-risks-wrath-younghttp://www.newstatesman.com/lifestyle/lifestyle/2012/06/cameron-risks-wrath-younghttp://www.newstatesman.com/lifestyle/lifestyle/2012/06/cameron-risks-wrath-younghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Trelawny_Hobhousehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Trelawny_Hobhousehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Trelawny_Hobhousehttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/allegedlyhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/allegedlyhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/rebukehttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/Shirkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Trelawny_Hobhousehttp://www.newstatesman.com/lifestyle/lifestyle/2012/06/cameron-risks-wrath-younghttp://bostonreview.net/BR23.6/bowles.htmlhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/allegedlyhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/allegedlyhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/rebukehttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/Shirk


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system which allows the inheritance of wealth on the great scale

is open to criticism on this score.

Reciprocity is itself conditional

Once we reframe the issue of reciprocity in terms of theeconomic system as a whole, a further point looms into view.

Nobody (surely?) thinks that slaves are obliged to work in a slave

society. The condition of slavery makes the society fundamentally

unjust and people cannot be said to have duties to work

indeed, enforceable duties to work in a society that is so

obviously unjust to them.

In other words, if, as citizens, we have a moral obligation to our

fellow citizens to work, then this can only be in the context of a

society that is sufficiently just to us in other important respects.

Otherwise the duty to work becomes a duty to comply with ones

own exploitation.

This means that any reciprocity-based duty to work is itself

conditional. If Smith owes her society a duty to make a productive

contribution, she owes it if and when her society offers her

sufficiently fair rewards and opportunities to work.

Many on the left will argue that the background structure of

opportunity and reward in present-day UK society is unfair. On,say, aRawlsian view of fairness, our society almost certainly has

not attained anything like fair equality of opportunity in access

to education and jobs. Nor has it arranged rewards so as to

maximise the prospects of the worst-off group in the labour

market. Isnt further action in these areas morally prior to

enforcement of duties in the welfare system? In a society with a

lot of background injustice, tighter conditionality risks weakening

the bargaining power of disadvantaged workers and thereby

compounding the injustice they suffer (as emphasised byRichard

Seymour).

entitlement/ntatlmnt/noun

pluralentitlements

1 [noncount] a: the condition of

having a right to have, do, or

get something my entitlementto a refund

b: the feeling or belief that

you deserve to be given

something (such as special

privileges)

celebrities who have an arrogant sense

ofentitlement

2 [count] US: a type of financial

help provided by the

government for members of a

particular groupentitlements such as medical aid for the

elderly and poor

superfluity/su:pflu:wti/noun

[singular] formal: more of

something than is needed

a superfluity of volunteers

1loom /lu:m/verblooms;loomed;looming[no obj] 1: to appear in a large,

strange, or frightening form

often in a sudden way

A ship loomed(up) out of the

fog. Storm clouds loomedon the

horizon.: to appear in an

impressively large or great

form The mountains loom above/over

the valley.

1prospect/pr:spkt/noun

pluralprospects2 [count] : an opportunity for

something to happen usually

plural He has fewprospects for

employment. She has a lot of

businessprospects. = She has a lot

ofprospects for doing business.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_as_Fairnesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_as_Fairnesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_as_Fairnesshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/10/prison-labour-tory-assault-incomeshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/10/prison-labour-tory-assault-incomeshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/10/prison-labour-tory-assault-incomeshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/10/prison-labour-tory-assault-incomeshttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/prospectshttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/loomhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/superfluityhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/entitlementhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/10/prison-labour-tory-assault-incomeshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/10/prison-labour-tory-assault-incomeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_as_Fairnesshttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/prospectshttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/loomhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/superfluityhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/entitlement


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This has particular relevance for sick and disabled people. Our society currently configuresworkplaces and job packages in ways that make it harder for sick and disabled people to do

owe /o/verbowes;owed;owing1: to need to pay or repay money to a person, bank, business, etc. [+ obj] I still owe money on

the car. [=I have not yet paid back all the money I borrowed to buy the car] We owe no income tax. He owes me $5. Don't

I owe money to you? = Don't I owe you money? I owe the bank a lot of money. Additional payments are owedon themortgage. How much is owed? = What is the amount owed? How much do I owe (you) for this? [no obj] I still owe on

the car.

2 [+ obj] a: to need to do or give something to someone who has done something for you or

given something to you

I owe you a drink/favor. I owe you my thanks. (informal) What do you mean you won't help? Youowe me! She

still owes me for all the times I've helped her out. Thanks for your help. I owe you one. [=I will give you help when you need

it]

bused to say that something should be done for or given to someone You owe me an explanation. I owe you an

apology. The senator is oweda degree of respect. [=the senator deserves some respect] We owe it to the veterans to build a

memorial. [=we should build a memorial to honor and thank the veterans] You owe it to yourselfto have fun. [=you deserve

to let yourself have fun] He owes it to himselfto travel while he still can.3 [+ obj] used to indicate the person or thing that made something possible She owes her family for her success.

[=her family enabled her to become successful]often + to I owe my success to my teachers. [=my teachers deserve credit

for my success] She owes her success tohard work. [=she has succeeded because of hard work] He owes his wealth to his

father. He oweshis fame to several movies. [=he is famous because he was in several movies] His success owesmore to luck

than skill. [=is more because of luck than skill] I owe my life to the surgeon's skill. [=the surgeon's skill saved my

life] We owe our understanding of gravity to Newton.owe a debt of gratitude/thanks to someone

bargainverbbargains;bargained;bargaining[no obj] : to discuss an agreement or price in order to make it more appealing

The price listed is quite high, but the seller might be willing to bargain. He was bargaining[=haggling] with the taxi driver

over/about the fare. Teachers are bargaining [=negotiating] for higher salaries.bargain away[phrasal verb]

bargain (something) awayorbargain away (something): to lose or give up (something) as part of an

agreement

The employees on strike are concerned that the union will bargain away wage increases for other less desirable benefits.bargain for/on[phrasal verb]

bargain for/on (something): to expect or plan on (something)

The Internet service is better than what we bargained for. [=better than we expected it to be]No one bargained forthe

change in weather. = No one bargained on the weather changing. Theybargained on getting married after college. He

hadn't bargained on how his new position in the company would change the way people treated him. [=he was surprised by how

his new position changed the way people treated him] The job ended up being more than I had bargained for. [=more

difficult than I had expected] I got more than I bargained forwhen I signed up as a volunteer. [=being a volunteer was harder

than I expected]bargainingnoun [noncount]

After hours of hard bargaining, they came to an agreement.often used before another noun The larger corporation has

more bargaining power. They are in a good bargaining position.
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/owehttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/owe


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jobs (as Sue Marsh discusses in arecent articlelaunching a new

campaign, #DisabilitysNotWorking). We are very far from

equality of opportunity. Nevertheless, as a society we have

pressed ahead with changes to the benefits system which put

great pressure on sick and disabled people to get into jobs. We

are enforcing contribution without first establishing a fair context

for the demanded contribution.

Reciprocity matters as part of something bigger

A third thought emerges from what I have just said.

In a recentpresentationon thefuture of social security, Kate Bell

and Declan Gaffney make the point that social insurance is not

only about reciprocity but about something bigger: solidarity.

Reciprocity matters at all, I would argue, precisely because it is

itself an aspect of solidarity. Someone who tries to live in a

society by taking and not contributing (when they have the

ability and opportunity to contribute) is in an important way out

of solidarity with their fellow citizens.

The bigger, background value of solidarity, however, also shapes

and limits reciprocity.

This is why reciprocity is not to be thought of as strict tit for tat:

getting just what you put in and no more, no less. People haveunequal capacities to put in and solidarity requires that we try

to even out some of this in what people get back for their work.

Reciprocity, in the context of solidarity, is more a matter of

doing ones bit than of tit for tat. Ideally, we would each put in

according to ability and take out according to need.

Reciprocity is not just about employment

Much discussion of conditionality assumes that contribution

what we do to reciprocate - is the same as work which, in turn,is the same as employment.

But notions like work, employment and contribution have a

much more complicated relationship than this. There is, for

instance, a huge amount of care work in our society which is

unpaid. But would anyone really want to deny that it is a vital

contribution to meeting human needs?

The ways in which we contribute to our society are plural and not

reducible to having a job. As Sue Marsh hasrecently argued, sick

and disabled people make all kinds of valuable contributions to

on the way out oron someone'sor something's way out1: leaving a place or position

The phone rang while I was on my

wayout. [=while I was trying to

leave] There are rumors that the

superintendent of schools is on the way out.

[=leaving his/her job]

2: becoming no longer

popular

Bell-bottom pants are, once again, on

their way out. He incorrectly predicted

that the Internet would be on its way

outwithin three years.

tit for tat /ttftt/noun

[noncount] : a situation in which

you do something to harm

someone who has done

something harmful to you

a tit for tatbetween two rival politicians

3evenverbevens;evened;evening[+ obj] : to make (something)

equal

He evened[=tied] the set at two games

apiece.even out[phrasal verb]

1: to become level

After a long climb the ground evened out.

[=leveled out]

2even (something) outoreven out

(something): to make

(something) even and smooth

Let me even outthe rug.

3even outoreven (something)

outoreven out (something): to reach

a balanced or middle state

between extremes over a

period of time

The economy had good periods and bad

periods, but it all evened outby the end of

the year.Any variations will be evened

outeventually.do (one's) bitTo do one's part or contribute one's

share
http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/disabilitys-not-working.htmlhttp://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/disabilitys-not-working.htmlhttp://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/disabilitys-not-working.htmlhttp://ppu.politics.ox.ac.uk/past_materials/2012_18Maypresentation.pdfhttp://ppu.politics.ox.ac.uk/past_materials/2012_18Maypresentation.pdfhttp://ppu.politics.ox.ac.uk/past_materials/2012_18Maypresentation.pdfhttp://www.tuc.org.uk/social/tuc-20994-f0.pdfhttp://www.tuc.org.uk/social/tuc-20994-f0.pdfhttp://www.tuc.org.uk/social/tuc-20994-f0.pdfhttp://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/disabilitys-not-working.htmlhttp://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/disabilitys-not-working.htmlhttp://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/disabilitys-not-working.htmlhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/tit%20for%20tathttp://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/disabilitys-not-working.htmlhttp://www.tuc.org.uk/social/tuc-20994-f0.pdfhttp://ppu.politics.ox.ac.uk/past_materials/2012_18Maypresentation.pdfhttp://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/disabilitys-not-working.htmlhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/tit%20for%20tat


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society that do not take the form of having a job. Ellie Mae

OHagan has similarlyarguedagainst overvaluing paid work. Of

course, employment is important, not least for sustaining a

generous welfare state. But it should not set the limit of how we

think about contribution.

A different politics of welfare?

What is the upshot of these points?

Here are some possible political responses (Im sure there are

more):

Oppose all conditionality. The whole issue of contribution is so

contentious it is perhaps best to take a firm stand against more or

less all conditionality. This leads us in the direction of ideas

likeCitizens Income: an income grant paid to all as a right of

citizenship with no test of contribution (or means).

Conditionality is conditional. We should accept some

conditionality but try to make a political and policy link to other

measures that address background injustices. The message

should be something like this: People receiving welfare benefits

do have responsibilities and benefits should be conditional on

meeting them. But they should also have better job

opportunities, better wages, and more dignity at work in return

for meeting their responsibilities to find jobs. And if securing

these improvements costs money, then let us pay for them by

fairer taxation of those enjoying unearned wealth, e.g., through

aland value taxand a better designed capital gains tax.

Democratise conditionality. A third approach is what one might

call Democratise conditionality. Those who stand to be directly

affected by conditionality rules should have a much greater voice

in determining their content. As theSpartacus reportshowed,

existing processes of consultation around benefits reform are far

too weak. This approach would seek to make them much

stronger, ultimately shifting from consultation to something like

co-determination.

Democratisation also has an important public-facing aspect. It is

not just about affected groups talking to policy-makers but to

the wider public. Bluntly, it is about educating us all about the

realities of life on welfare benefits and about conditionality.

Personal testimony, e.g., in the blogging ofBendy GirlandSue

Marsh, is one aspect of this.

upshot /p:t/nounthe upshot

: the final result or outcome of

a process, discussion, etc.

The upshotis that we'll see him

Thursday.

often + ofThe upshotofthe decision is that the park will be

closed.

contentious/kntns/adjective

[more contentious; most

contentious] 1 a: likely to cause

people to argue or disagree

I think it's wise to avoid such a

highly contentious [=controversial]

topic/issue at a dinner party.b: involving a lot of arguing

After a contentious debate, members of

the committee finally voted to approve the

funding. They have

a contentious relationship. [=they argue

with each other a lot]

2: likely or willing to argue

a contentious student The dispute

involves one of the region's

most contentious leaders.

contentiouslyadverb

contentiousnessnoun [noncount]

1blunt /blnt/adjectiveblunter;bluntest[also more blunt; most blunt]

2: saying or expressing

something in a very direct way

that may upset some people

bluntlanguage a bluntstatement To

be perfectly blunt, I find herannoying. He was bluntabout needing

more privacy.bluntlyadverb

She bluntly refused their offer. To putit bluntly, I think he's out of his mind.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/30/paid-work-britain-valueshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/30/paid-work-britain-valueshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/30/paid-work-britain-valueshttp://www.citizensincome.org/http://www.citizensincome.org/http://www.citizensincome.org/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_value_taxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_value_taxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_value_taxhttp://wearespartacus.org.uk/spartacus-report/http://wearespartacus.org.uk/spartacus-report/http://wearespartacus.org.uk/spartacus-report/http://benefitscroungingscum.blogspot.co.uk/http://benefitscroungingscum.blogspot.co.uk/http://benefitscroungingscum.blogspot.co.uk/http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/Bluntlyhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/contentioushttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/upshothttp://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/http://benefitscroungingscum.blogspot.co.uk/http://wearespartacus.org.uk/spartacus-report/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_value_taxhttp://www.citizensincome.org/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/30/paid-work-britain-valueshttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/Bluntlyhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/contentioushttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/upshot


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8

Endnothing for something. Punitive conditionality policies feed

offan us and them perception of welfare: they the benefit

scroungers get it, while wethe respectable taxpayers

dont. In theirrecent report, mentioned above, Bell and Gaffney

suggest that one way to tackle this perception is to redevelop a

contributory social security system in which those making

national insurance contributions into the scheme receive clearer

benefits for their own contributions. This might enhance the

sense of the welfare state as a system into which we allput in and

from which we all take out, rather than a system of stigmatised

transfers to the (undeserving) poor.

Which of the approaches should the left adopt?

The Citizens Income route has many attractions and deserves

wider discussion. But it faces major political problems, not theleast of which is the fact that conditionality is popular.

An alternative is to try to combine the other three approaches.

This is also compatible, of course, with outright and

uncompromising opposition to specific kinds of conditionality

(such as workfare).

Central to the success of any approach is the continued

development of effective, educative campaigns rooted in the

experience of benefit recipients themselves.

The challenge is to move the question away from the punitive

What do they *the benefit scroungers+ owe to us *respectable

taxpayers+? to What do we, as citizens, owe to each other?

About this article

Published on 09 October, 2012

By Stuart White

New Left Project

Dictionary:

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

feed off[phrasal verb]feed off (something): to gain

strength, energy, or support

from (something)

Shefed offthe crowd's enthusiasm. His

angerfed offhis jealousy. We are able

tofeed offeach other's ideas.

scrounge /skran/verbscrounges;scrounged;scrounging1: to persuade someone to

give you (something) for free

[+ obj] I managed to scroungeenough

money for a bus ticket.often

+ offorfrom I scroungeda few

bucks offmy friend forlunch. She scroungedsome

moneyfrom her folks. [no obj] He's

always scrounging offhis friends instead of

paying for things himself.

2US: to get or find something

by looking in different places,

asking different people, etc.

[no obj] We scroungedaround for

firewood. [+ obj] We managed

to scrounge some firewood.often

+ up I tried to scrounge up some ticketsto the show, but I didn't have any luck.

scroungernoun,pluralscroungers[count]

1outright/atrat/adverb

1: in a full and complete way

They rejected the idea outright.

[=altogether, completely] She won the

competition outright. The painting is nowowned outrightby the museum.

2: quickly and completely : not

gradually

Those who were not

killed outright[=immediately] later died of

hunger. Their house was

destroyed outrightby the fire.

3: in one payment of money

I bought the car outright.

4: in a direct and open way

that does not hide anything Some people laughed outrightwhen he

told us his idea.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/social/tuc-20991-f0.cfmhttp://www.tuc.org.uk/social/tuc-20991-f0.cfmhttp://www.tuc.org.uk/social/tuc-20991-f0.cfmhttp://www.newleftproject.org/http://www.newleftproject.org/http://www.learnersdictionary.com/http://www.learnersdictionary.com/http://www.thefreedictionary.com/http://www.thefreedictionary.com/http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/outrighthttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/scroungershttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/http://www.learnersdictionary.com/http://www.newleftproject.org/http://www.tuc.org.uk/social/tuc-20991-f0.cfmhttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/outrighthttp://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/scroungers

jm - artículo con vocabulario - what do we owe to each other

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