We all finance our national life, its security, maintenance, and development for our survival, enjoyment and fulfilment in the competitive world of today and tomorrow.

We contribute and benefit according to our capabilities and the opportunities we derive from the system, until we die. Our remaining assets then go to the nation and our beneficiaries, in that order.

Not directly to the establishment, public servants and our elected politicians, although it provides them with oft self determined and generous pay, early retirement and protected pensions. At their own discretion, they control and administer the vast sums generated with our endorsement, unless there is strong public opposition.

The health service, education, the many arms of the law, our armed forces, public servants and politicians are essential to us all. Our performance, stability and progress depends on them.

Our quality of life depends on how successfully we operate as a whole with the services we provide and each generation creates an improved platform from which the next one takes over and builds. Many of our parents and grand parents died protecting what we were left to build on for those in work today, just as there are some doing so today and always will be whenever we are under threat.

Those fortunate enough to reach retirement, after enjoying a full and loyal working life of contribution, should qualify for full life membership with all the benefits their labours have made possible.

Life would be very different if all the achievements of previous generations crumbled to dust.

We should not allow our politicians to inflict and perpetuate creeping poverty on us, brought about by the success of our own endeavours, as the resulting growing prosperity and climbing cost of living drives each new generation of pensioners towards the indignity of benefits and means testing. The only way to clear them of being labelled benefit cheats and frauds.

When forced to act, minimal adjustments are made to keep us quiet and the so called problem is filed for the next administration.

They are now trying to convince those in work that a few extra quid on the pension, (which will soon disappear down the drain of inflation,) and two more working years of contribution from everybody but them, is the only answer to the so called problem. For them, not us.

The overall cost of people and their equipment, involved in the unworkable benefits system and its administration, from the cabinet table down to the front office in the local finance office would dwarf that of creating a mandatory "cost of living linked national pension."

It would release thousands around the country for more satisfying work of general benefit. It would leave more time from the cabinet table down to fill with more creative thinking and activity.

Updated: 15:59 Tuesday, November 22, 2005