Spread the Wealth
"These rose colored glasses that I'm looking through show only the beauty, cause they hide all the truth." these are the lyrics to a 1978 hit by John Conlee; they're also a perfect depiction of the mainstream media's view of this administration's policies.
In 2009 The United States had an estimated 4 million people collecting welfare, 10 million receiving unemployment, and an additional 37million people collecting food-stamps. Yet, the leaders in Washington
just passed the largest entitlement bill in U.S. history, while paying only nominal respect to an unemployment rate of 9.7%.
I believe most Americans are fed-up with watching their liberties slip away, while politicians continue to promise their hard-earned money to an ever-increasing welfare class; a class that has now grown to epidemic proportions.
Now, it's time a couple of questions were asked, and real solutions sought for a problem that's beginning to plague our prosperity.
What role should a government play in the health and prosperity of it's citizens? This is a hard line to draw, but our approach will determine our outcome; therefore it is critical.
I believe a government has a responsibility to provide security, and opportunity to it's citizens, and this can be done quite simply through creating an environment of low-taxation, and encouraging economic growth by having a business friendly tax and regulatory policy.
You cannot implement a system of payment without work and expect any outcome, except that in which you created: unproductive collectors of welfare payment. However, if the recipients of such governmental
generosity were to be required to supplement the burden placed upon their community, through work programs, or community service the likelihood of their remaining on welfare assistance would greatly decrease, as well their prospects for proper employment would significantly increase.
What responsibility does a community have to the poorest of it's citizens?
Charity, this is the only obligation society has, and it's best done through family, church, or non-profit organizations; these entities can do with great precision what the government hap-hazardly attempts through massive programs.
We have to be careful however, we want to support charity, but sometimes the line between it and the enabling of dependence can be crossed. Governmental or charitable dependence is something we must
avoid.
When assisting one in the goal of self sustainment, the goal should never be given freely, if the goal is reached without personal effort then the need for perseverance is undermined; therefore, only the tools for success should be given freely, the effort for the desired outcome should solely be that of the recipient.
This is real charity; to give someone something they haven't earned, does nothing to build the character,or work ethic needed to thrive in a capitalist society; it helps neither the benefactor nor the beneficiary.
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Photo by: chris-fritz/@flickr.com
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