Food, Housing and Medial Care

“Wait… no government? No welfare office? Who helps the poor?” It’s one of the first questions Earth visitors ask. And here’s the surprising answer:

On OboxPlanet, people help each other more—not less.

Why? Because the desire to help is deeply human.

You don’t need a government to force it. In fact, people tend to be more generous when they aren’t being taxed and controlled. They help their neighbors. Their community. Even complete strangers. Doctors work pro bono (that means “for the public good,” for free). Volunteers organize support without paperwork or waiting lists.

And it works—not because it’s perfect, but because it’s real. Here, charity is personal. Help goes to those in real need. And since there’s no bureaucracy or government programs, people feel responsible. They give because they want to—not because they’re told to.

“No promises. No politics. Just people helping people.”

Oh—and by the way:

OboxPlanet is much richer than Earth.

So fewer people need help to begin with. But the willingness to help? That’s everywher

Believe it or not, Earth has seen something like this before.

During the Industrial Revolution, starting in the 1700s, something amazing happened:

For the first time, large numbers of people began earning more, living better—and giving back.

•People helped each other long before government welfare existed.

•Religious groups, local aid societies, and fraternal lodges supported the poor, the sick, and the elderly.

•In the U.S., by the 1830s, people were donating time, food, money, and care—without being forced.

French writer Alexis de Tocqueville noticed that Americans didn’t wait for officials.

They helped each other directly. He wrote:

“When help was needed, they hardly ever failed to give each other support.”

Even in 1984, Americans donated more to private charities—through time and money—than the total government spending on poverty relief.

In the early 1900s, fraternal societies (like local lodges) helped millions of people—across race, class, and gender.

They ran hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the elderly.

They offered health and life insurance long before the government stepped in.

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In fact and in many countries, by the time the state started it’s welfare programs, extensive private welfare organisations were already in place. To quote from a descripton of the book  “From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890 – 1967”  by David Beito, 2000. 

“During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, more Americans belonged to fraternal societies than to any other kind of voluntary association, with the possible exception of churches. Despite the stereotypical image of the lodge as the exclusive domain of white men, fraternalism cut across race, class, and gender lines to include women, African Americans, and immigrants. Exploring the history and impact of fraternal societies in the United States, David Beito uncovers the vital importance they had in the social and fiscal lives of millions of American families.

Much more than a means of addressing deep-seated cultural, psychological, and gender needs, fraternal societies gave Americans a way to provide themselves with social-welfare services that would otherwise have been inaccessible, Beito argues. In addition to creating vast social and mutual aid networks among the poor and in the working class, they made affordable life and health insurance available to their members and established hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the elderly. Fraternal societies continued their commitment to mutual aid even into the early years of the Great Depression, Beito says, but changing cultural attitudes and the expanding welfare state eventually propelled their decline.” 

Eventually, these groups faded—not because they stopped working, but because the welfare state replaced them.

🪞 Reflection Corner – Questions for You

1. Can you think of a time when someone helped you—not because they had to, but because they wanted to?

2. Do you think helping others has more meaning when it’s voluntary? Why or why not?

3. If welfare programs disappeared tomorrow, would you step up? What could you offer—skills, time, money?

4. Who would you choose to help first? Family, friends, local community, or someone far away?

🎨 Imagination Lounge

Imagine you live in a community like OboxPlanet. There are no taxes. No government programs. But you have more money and free time than ever. You’re not being forced—but you see people who are struggling.

•Would you help?

•What kind of project would you start?

•Who would you support—and how?

You don’t need permission. You just need the will.

✨ Bonus Prompt – The Big Question from Earth

Earthlings often ask:

“But who guarantees that people will get what they need?”

OboxPeople respond:

“Who guarantees that on your planet?”

“And who pays for it?”

“What happens when the taxpayers say no?”

The truth is: even on Earth, generosity has always started with free people—helping freely.

📌 Learning Points:

•Forced generosity loses its moral value.

•Real help comes from free people who care—and take action.

•Earth has a long history of private generosity: mutual aid groups, religious charities, pro bono work.

•OboxPlanet builds on those roots—with more wealth and more freedom.

•Helping works best when it’s voluntary, personal, and local.

Further Information and Studies:

An interview with Prof. David Beito by Tom Woods on mutual aid societies and the welfare state: