THE other day I got an e-mail from a British reader passing on a low-key press release. It announced that the Department for Work and Pensions had ruled that polygamous men were entitled to receive spousal welfare benefits for each of their wives. My correspondent then wondered whether I’d planted someone deep within Her Majesty’s Government “who comes out with this stuff just to boost sales of your book?”
Well, no, that would be pretty expensive. Still, to reprise the line of Canadian cynics apropos James Jesus Angleton’s belief that Pierre Trudeau was on the Soviet payroll: Why bother paying someone when he’s prepared to do it for free? Every day around the developed world, minor government bureaucrats get advice from minor government lawyers and make small incremental adjustments to Western civilization. “Where there is a valid polygamous marriage the claimant and one spouse will be paid the couple rate,” read the new British guidelines. “The amount payable for each additional spouse is presently £33.65.”
Comments