question:  What is the main reason behind the Welfare State operating as it does?
context: What's more important—Man's conquest of space, or one spaceman's life? It was better to retire on a limited crediting, on a confoundedly limited crediting, than to take the two or three more trips in hopes of attaining a higher standard. Time to decide that a one room mini-auto-apartment, complete with an autochair and built-in autobar, and with one wall a teevee screen, was all he needed to find contentment for a mighty long time. His explanation was that a phobia against having his eyes touched prohibited either surgery to remould his eyeballs and cure his myopia, or contact lenses. He said, "Nevertheless, both you and I conform with the present generation in finding it far more pleasant to follow one's way of life in the comfort of one's home than to be confronted with the unpleasantness of facing nature's dangers in more adventurous pastimes." Born in our Ultrawelfare State, he was guaranteed his fundamental womb-to-tomb security by being issued that minimum number of Basic shares in our society that allows him an income sufficient to secure the food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education to sustain a low level of subsistence. Automation being what it is, only a fraction of the population is ever called up. He is now legally eligible for retirement. He was drafted into the working force reserves, served his time, and is now free from toil for the balance of his life. Man has always paid lip service to adventure, hardships and excitement, but in actuality his instincts, like those of any other animal, lead him to the least dangerous path. If it is admitted that our organization has degenerated to the point that we haven't a single pilot, then it might well be that the Economic Planning Board, and especially those cloddies on Appropriations, will terminate the whole Department of Space Exploration." "Unfortunately, our present-day sailor can't be separated from his money quite so easily. "Nobody can spend your money, but you, yourself.
output:  Automation with computers has made the need to work largely obsolete.
options:  Automation with computers has made the need to work largely obsolete.  The current populace is not skilled enough to work, and thus most people are a part of the Welfare State  The government does not want new workers, and is content supplying people with the funds they need to get through life.  Overtime, the public has lost its drive to work. Thus, no one enforces a workforce.