We must be vigilant for vulnerable

WELL done to Colette Browne (Opinion, Jan 3) for her brilliant analysis of what lies behind the campaign of vilification being run by the government against those in receipt of welfare.

The campaign is a softening-up process to facilitate further cuts that cannot be defended. Martin Gilens spelled out the strategy in his study, Why Americans Hate Welfare as follows: “A large majority of Americans agree that government should provide monetary support to those who are unable to support themselves. But the perception of welfare abuse is widespread. Indeed, as the survey evidence suggests, it would be hard to exaggerate the level of cynicism toward welfare recipients held by the American public. This perception of welfare recipients’ dishonesty and freeloading is at the core of Americans; conviction that welfare spending should be cut”.

This inaccurate perception resulted from similar propaganda that the system was rife with fraud when no evidence was available to support that claim.