The media in Germany has been ranting a lot about citizen's income
recipients and sanctions in recent months. A shockingly large part ofthe debate seemed to be underpinned primarily by perceived truths, if
not blind populism. The right moment for a more detailed and also
partisan classification of the topic - just from the other side. And all
without having to twist the facts. "It doesn't take much"[1]by Helena
Steinhaus and Claudia Cornelsen is a kind of political and recent
historical "travel guide" through the depths and absurdities of the
Citizens' Hartz regime. Well prepared in terms of content and told in a
relaxed and understandable tone, highly informative and enlightening in
the best sense, the authors depict the harsh realities and missed
opportunities of the Citizens' Allowance reform. In doing so, they do
not forget to illuminate valuable side paths through the history of "the
biggest social reform of the last 20 years" - Agenda 2010 and Hartz IV -
or to address the fundamental conflict between rich and poor in our
society. Sometimes quite funny, even if the laughter threatens to get
stuck in your throat at more than a few points, they lead you through
fake news campaigns, fictitious and artificially trimmed calculation
bases for Citizens' Allowance standard rates, the threatening
bureaucratic gibberish of the job centers and the brazen ignorance of
scientific studies by politicians and institutions. All in the name of
bourgeois self-assurance of a supposed performance ethic, behind which
there is little more than a pushed low-wage sector and a reduced wage
demand expectation in middle-income groups.
With a lot of empathy and solidarity, the book tells the story of
individual fates of those affected, without ever losing touch with the
systemic. Between the chapters, those affected also have their say. With
sentences like "I could have contributed something to this society. But
I have the feeling that that is not wanted at all."[2]or "I neither
receive benefits from the job center nor am I insured, although all of
my documents are available. Now I am to be sanctioned. For what and,
above all, 10% of what, of nothing?"[3]these inserts oscillate between
empowerment and poverty voyeurism. However, they undoubtedly
impressively illustrate the real experiences and struggles behind the
sometimes abstract political debates about EUR6 more or EUR24 less.[4]
In addition, as a kind of accompanying thread through the various facets
of our punitive and only partially adequate welfare state, the history
of the founding of the Sanktionsfrei e.V. association is recounted. In
lovingly told anecdotes, interested readers learn about the founding,
the difficulties and successes of an initiative that was brought to life
from a fixed idea, with a lot of courage to take action, a little
naivety and a good portion of luck. And all of this for nothing less
than to take up the fight for the inviolability of human dignity in the
Bürgerhartz, which is as often cited as it is trampled on. Or at least
to outwit the undignified sanctions regime in basic social security. The
idea is as simple as it is brilliant: Sanctions-free e.V. compensates
for sanctions and other deficiencies in the receipt of citizen's
allowance for those affected, thus cushioning a particularly hard part
of the euphemistically named basic security, the official failure to
meet the minimum subsistence level.
In summary, a worthwhile introduction to the everyday terror of the
current basic security system. Those affected will find themselves in
many of the stories. For people who have not yet looked into the topics
of Hartz IV, citizen's allowance and job centers, reading "It doesn't
take much" provides a well-readable initial insight without claiming to
be complete. In terms of political classification, it can be critically
questioned whether the declared objective of a democratic, fair and
poverty-proof welfare state does not fall short because it does not take
into account the fundamental contradiction of capitalist conditions - to
the point that such a welfare state would simply represent a paradox in
capitalism.
At the same time, a more social state could certainly be imagined under
existing conditions and would certainly be desirable. In this respect,
Steinhaus and Cornelsen can only be agreed with. And the concluding
calls for empathy and activism already point in a direction that is
clearly compatible from an anarcho-syndicalist perspective: organize,
show solidarity with those affected, redistribute privately where
possible, put your finger in the gaping wound again and again.
Ultimately, the text ends with an admonition for the necessary reform of
the existing welfare state, which should be written in all of our mental
poetry albums: "It doesn't take much. But it takes many."[5]
Steinhaus,Helena/Cornelsen,Claudia (2023): It doesn't take much. How we
make our welfare state democratic, fair & poverty-proof. S. Fischer
Verlage, 256 pages, ISBN: 978-3-10-397557-4
https://direkteaktion.org/aber-es-braucht-viele/
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