The Servile State - Hilaire Belloc - Birth of the Welfare State

The Servile State is probably the best political work Belloc has ever written. He explained in the book how the effect of socialism on capitalism is giving birth to a new infant in the world economy and society – the servile state, or what we call as a welfare state.

Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (/hɪˈlɛər ˈbɛlək/; French: [ilɛʁ bɛlɔk]; 27 July 1870 – 16 July 1953) was a British-French writer and historian and one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. Belloc was also an orator, poet, sailor, satirist, writer of letters, soldier, and political activist. His Catholic faith had a strong impact on his works. He was President of the Oxford Union and later MP for Salford from 1906 to 1910. He was a noted disputant, with a number of long-running feuds, but also widely regarded as a humane and sympathetic man. Belloc became a naturalised British subject in 1902 while retaining his French citizenship.

His writings encompassed religious poetry and comic verse for children. His widely sold Cautionary Tales for Children included "Jim, who ran away from his nurse, and was eaten by a lion" and "Matilda, who told lies and was burned to death". He also collaborated with G. K. Chesterton on a number of works. (Wikipedia)