But Parliament cannot see how it is the state's job to create work. Are not these matters in God's hands, and is not poverty and dereliction part of his eternal order? To everything there is a season: a time to starve and a time to thieve. If rain falls for six months solid and rots the grain in the fields, there must be providence in it; for God knows his trade. It is an outrage to the rich and enterprising, to suggest that they should pay an income tax, only to put bread in the mouths of the workshy. And if Secretary Cromwell argues that famine provokes criminality: well, are there not hangmen enough?
The quote reflects a perspective held by some members of Parliament who believe that addressing unemployment and poverty should not be a responsibility of the state. They suggest that such issues are part of a divine plan, implying that hardship is a natural order and a seasonal aspect of life. The belief is that societal roles, including wealth and poverty, are predetermined, and thus, interventions such as income taxes for the wealthy to support the less fortunate are seen as unjust and counterproductive.
Furthermore, the argument presented critiques the notion that alleviating famine could reduce crime, suggesting instead that there are plenty of punitive measures already available. This viewpoint emphasizes a reluctance to redistribute wealth or seek systemic solutions for poverty, instead attributing it to fate or divine will, reflecting a broader reluctance among the privileged to bear the burden of societal issues.
