Mittwoch, 5. Oktober 2011

Welfare State - Epilogue

The ‘young man’ had grown older and he was now a seasoned manager himself. He had made a good career but between many ups there had also been several downs. He had switched employers 3 times, one time involuntarily; he had relocated his family twice. On the whole, he felt relatively secure: through various insurance policies he had financially provided for university education for his children; for health, accident and invalidity coverage as well as for ample pension benefits. Since the respective payments were tax deductible, part of the financial burden was actually borne by the state. That way, the state enabled him to better provide for the welfare of himself and his family. The ‘no-longer-so-young-man’ had developed a healthy interest in politics and he was a critical observer of the different political parties and politicians. He voted at every election, but not always for the same party or person, and he never shied away from voicing criticism where he felt criticism was due. The ‘no-longer-so-young-man’ had also developed a strong sense of social consciousness. Life had taught him that nothing could be taken for granted and that, notwithstanding personal skills and qualifications, good fortune was also an important ingredient for success. And he realized that not everyone could always count on having good fortune. Having had good fortune himself, he felt obliged to support those that were short of it. The Doctor of Business Administration had not used his title in years, but he often spoke of the values that life had taught him and that he was glad to live in a society that provided opportunities.

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