This is society breaking down

Originally posted by MasterStrategist ↑

I see your point, TD, but you seem to be judging everyone by your prescribed work ethic. And while your ethic is applaudable not everyone dances to the beat of your drum. There are (of your 90%) those not mentally equipped to hold down a 9 to 5 job of menial labour - I've done it from time to time in my youth, like many here have, but I found it soul destroying, so I can understand why the generational poor opt for the dole.
The trick, I think, is to individually find out what those in that predicament are passionate about and set them on that path - everyone has a passion, an asperation.
For example, about 10/15 years ago they (can't remember who) did an experiment here in Oz where they asked random kids in an underprivileged school with low average marks what they wanted to do. About 5 said they wanted to be doctors; and seemed quite passionate about it, even though they wouldn't have a hope of entering university, due to their low grade average. So, over the ensuing few years, the architects of said experiment paid the cost of the first few years of university medical training, and guess what - every of those 5 kids, regardless of poor high-school marks, attained a better than average pass in all medical subjects WTF .
So, perhaps the current punitive system of attaining social benefit for those outside convention is totally counterintuitive if you want them to enter the workforce.

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fascinating story about your kids who became doctors who were not really ??? expected to be etc..

obviously the key is ----------------------------- opportunity. Mr McGoo can see that one - and, so can Germany with free education - for all - including foreigners ----------- my guess is -------- especially foreigners.

I did note in your post "The trick, I think, is to individually find out what those in that predicament are passionate about and set them on that path - everyone has a passion, an asperation."

(spellcheck fail, btw - sounds like blood in a bottle )

one of the biggest things I've seen and experienced in Australia is that children cannot often possibly have a passion or an aspiration ---------------- IF THEY ARE TOTALLY UNAWARE THAT SOME WORLDS EXIST. One cannot have a dream or fantasise about something that one doesn't even know about.

You cannot dream of going into space to explore - if you don't know there is such a place as space. You cannot dream of playing the piano if you have never seen a piano or never heard a piano played or spoken to a piano player

never had the chance to fiddle with keys, never sat with someone who made it magic for you

it is just not possible.

There's the odd bird who comes out from behind - if one looks at say - the movie of 'Rocket Man' - well - Elton had help - he had a grandma. ( bit of a read at the bottom).

Millions of kids have no one - no one magically appears in their life. Many kids get stuck with fathers like Eddie the Eagles father ----------- thankfully, Eddie also had a mother - who was prepared to go for it.

Eddie was sort of lucky - he had this crazy arsed dream ----------- but, millions of kids don't even know about snow or sport or what it can bring or do ------------- there's just this blackness that's called -

normal

and, I can tell you ------------ it's absolutely bloody stifling.

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/elton-john-grandmother/