Reluctant immigrant: socialism and welfare, view on unemployment.

In my old country and I should remind my kind reader, that I am from former Soviet Union, living in Canada now. In my old country there was no welfare, no unemployment. Under socialism of course, not afterwards, after it fell apart. May be Gorbachev pushed it down a little bit faster, may be not. I don't know. I am not a politic. Just an ordinary person. If there are bread and butter in the store I will buy it. If not, I go by...

In my old country under socialism everybody was entitled to a job and everybody had one, no unemployment, unless you are too old or too young to hold one - you have a job. If you are really sick and cannot work - you will get a small pension. To survive on that pension - is another story.

But when you are dead your problems are dead too, so it's a solution in away and your well-meaning relatives can help you to survive if they have means to do that.

Here in Canada there is unemployment. In 2005 we had 1,679,800 people collecting welfare.

I do not think that numbers have cringed since then. Five years ago my middle son was working. Now he is not. He is getting welfare. He is sitting at home fully depressed on a medication, lost all drive to get up and go, and he is not even trying.

I think that feature of socialism - absence of unemployment is really good, as it eliminates fear of loosing your job, loosing your means of existence. When you are working you are connected to the world, you do not feel worthless, stupid, you fell needed. I wish we had something more elaborate, than welfare. Some kind of job replacement, if you understand what I mean. When you have to work, may be a manual job, may be primitive one for you paycheck. Sort of workfare, not welfare. Until you can find a better job.

You have to do something if you are not a complete invalid and can do something with your arms and legs. Not just getting miserable money and feeling bad about it. And may be we should teach at school more survival skills, to learn how to live without “things” and how to be flexible in difficult times.

We should help people to relocate to different places, with more chances to find a job, teach children how to cook well on a small budget, how not to waste money.

If you live on a very limited budget, may be you better sell your car and rent the cheapest apartment possible, or rent out part of your own place to somebody else and DO NOT SMOKE! You cannot afford that.

Well in this slack economy we need some sort of socialism, just a little bit. Like free medical help, when you need and possibility to find a job when you need it. Is it too much to ask?

I don't know, I am just a reluctant immigrant and I still have a job, thank you.