Treasury kleptomania, socialism and the broken social contract

While I agree that taxpayers should not fund social care, the current crop of those in need of care have been duped by the government; it owes them that care.  What a pity we can't extract the necessary funds from the pockets of politicos who duped them.

Andrew Lilico asks:

Why is it a problem if the person having the money spent on her is the one that pays?

It's a problem because:

• Those currently in need of 'care' were probably duped into thinking that by paying NI, they'd purchased (if involuntarily) their 'care' after a lifetime's contributions. They weren't told that their monies only paid for the current crop of government victims - err, taxpayers. In effect, the government voided their 'contract'.
• Government has scuppered them at every turn - trashing their pensions, taxing their assets and savings via a constant stream of short-term changes that affect long-term planning.

I'm all for self-reliance but it is damned difficult to be self-reliant and to make long-term provision for one's future when the government constantly pulls the rug from under the feet of even the most responsible people.

Many OAPs have paid for their care 100 times over via income tax, levies, NI, VAT, stamp duty, property taxes/rates/council tax and a host of other taxes, most of which are paid out of already taxed income. Has this redistribution of wealth worked? Has it encouraged people to take care of themselves? Or does the government require still more of our money to throw at the same failed policies?

Has someone done a study on the amount of tax an elderly person has paid by the time he needs care?

Perhaps we should remind ourselves of why socialism always fails ...

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Incidentally, I tried to post the gist of this on Lilico's ConHome article, but it was promptly deleted. I think the guy is peeved because I once accused him of being an EU-rent-seeker - after which he has never permitted me to comment on his offerings. ;)

Related

• Caring for the elderly - John Redwood