The Vulnerable

There is a common claim in contemporary social and policy advocacy, and that is that society must look after "the most vulnerable" among us. It is an attractive proposition, loaded with compassion, and pathos, as well as proclaiming the selfless virtue of the declarant. The vulnerable, of course are due consideration, and compassion and protection, so those that stand up for the vulnerable risk little by their advocacy. There is however one trait that vulnerable people share that creates a dilemma for their protectors: people who are dependent are vulnerable. If nothing else, dependent people people are vulnerable to the loss of whatever it is that they are dependent on. True advocacy for the vulnerable therefore requires a vigorous opposition to dependency. It is simply inconsistent that a person or group of people be presented as vulnerable, with a subsequent demand that this vulnerability be addressed by programs that never go away because the vulnerable are thereby made moreso by self-perpetuating dependence.