Thanks for clarification.

I am a big advocate of negative welfare (or universal basic income).

I like that idea, too. For exactly the same reasons you do. I think, it is a step in the right direction. Sadly, where I’m from most people are not even aware of it. But even if they were, I doubt that our country could afford it on its own.

It seems money does buy happiness but only up to a certain point.

No doubt. It can alleviate the raw existential pressure, and one can focus on more “lofty” topics. But — throughout my adult life our household income put us roughly in the lower 35% (i.e. where I live, 65% of households earn more). In absolute numbers it’s a family net income of ca 1300€ monthly. Sometimes it was more, sometimes it was less.

I won’t go into details, but when I hear westerners whine about how poor they are, I think, “Give me a break! Look at Africa, India, or Afghanistan — those are poor people! That is abject poverty!”

Not that I don’t know really poor people around me, but heck, some people in the west (from me) have a higher welfare than what I earn.

And as I said earlier, the problem these people in abject poverty have is that they have no resources to educate themselves, and the education that is offered to them “for free” is either religious dogma, or they are incited to pursue “American dream”, i.e. money. Well, they are the most vulnerable, and the vultures know it (on top of it, the promises sound tempting, but with the lack of education it’s a vicious circle).

And this brings me to your point

Living in concentration camps drains most people of their spiritual nature

I must say that it must have been a pretty cheap spiritual nature to begin with. No wonder that you equate it with religion. Indeed, religion is unimportant in dire straits. But it’s not the same as “spiritual nature”. So, those with genuine spirituality saw it strengthen, those with merely religion saw it fall away. Our “spiritual nature” cannot be taken away (and by that I don’t mean spirituality, neither religion).

it is obvious that someone is of a lesser nature than I

I don’t want to come off as rude, but the sooner you get rid of that attitude the better. For you and the whole world. Because that attitude is at the root of all evil in this world. No one is of a lesser nature. You are not better than an insect or a pebble on the shore. And vice versa. And it’s even more pronounced when we talk about people.

Anyway, thanks for response.