In our environment, the fish and the metaphor around the cane are deeply rooted. A person is not given the fish, is given the cane and is taught to fish so that he can catch the fish on his own. The phrase reflects a very deep-rooted idea in our society: employment is the axis of integration and the means – the trade – of getting bread. It is also a phrase that underlines the personal responsibility of each and is one of the main arguments for opposing the economic aid offered to people who do not have a job.

Despite offering a powerful argument, I am at least increasingly hesitant about the idea behind the phrase. Clearly, employment remains the main instrument of integration, which at the same time shows increasing weaknesses.

Firstly, in recent years it has been noted that, although people know how to handle the cane and fish, sometimes they are not in their hands to fish fish; secondly, more and more fish are caught in their hands, and not in the background, we cannot forget that in some cases, for one reason or another, there are people who are never going to use the cane and who also have to eat the fish.

Apart from the metaphors, in these times of the economic system, the precariousness of employment has led to more and more poor workers – working poors – who have jobs, or groups that are currently totally despicable and “unusable” for capitalism.

In this context, we can discuss it depending on the size of the fish, but more and more will have to receive some additional material protection outside employment, as is currently the case. Some advocates of fish and cane should be clear about this, because they are deceiving society – involuntarily, or even worse, intentionally.

That is the stage and from now on we can begin to discuss it. The starting point may be several of the aids we currently have, starting with the different types of pensions, unemployment benefits or the reflection on Income Guarantee.

Proposals such as the Basic Income of Citizenship will also be an idea that needs to be followed with increasing attention in the medium and long term.