Posted by
Patrick Bohan on Thursday, July 09, 2009 2:58:05 PM
I was never a big a fan of President John Kennedy and thought he was grossly overrated. However, he had one of the best lines of any president in our history. Kennedy pleaded with Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” These were great words and I have always interpreted them to mean that Kennedy wanted each American to be “responsible”. If each American is responsible then there would not be a great need for a big government. Think about it. If a vast majority of Americans were responsible about their finances, health, children’s education, and so forth, then America will continue to be a great nation without a need for a huge federal government. If Americans were fiscally responsible and did not run up outrageous debts on their credit cards and bought homes they could afford, then the financial meltdown could have been avoided. If Americans were more responsible about their health, medical costs could have been curbed since the demand for services and medications would be lower. Instead, the United States is one of the unhealthiest nations in the world with obesity plaguing nearly 40% of our citizens and growing out of control. If our parents were responsible and took the initiative in their children’s learning from birth then we may not have this outrageous drop out rate in our country and failing school systems. This is one of the premises that I harp on in my book. It is my observation over my lifetime that I have seen Americans on average become less and less responsible and hence, more and more reliant on the government.
I grew up poor, but my parents were proud and never took any handouts. Today, it seems that everyone with a sob story claims to be victim and demands government assistance. And what is worse, they get it! What has changed since the “great generation” of Americans ruled this country 60 years ago? The federal government has gradually grown in power and stature at the expense of state governments. Government entitlement policies have been spoon feeding every person that is economically challenged. Thus, Americans have been trained like “Pavlov’s Dog” that the government will take care of them and therefore, there is absolutely no incentive to be responsible. Children raised in impoverished neighborhoods know they do not have to learn to read or write. Their environment has told them that they can have kids and the government will send them a check every month without ever working. In turn, these irresponsible parents brainwash their kids into believing the same is true for them.
Today, the government is taking the current recession as an excuse to grow and spend like no other government in our history. The government is trying to spoon feed us with even more entitlement programs they claim are a birth right such as ObamaCare and other spreading the wealth tax plans such as cap and trade and massive stimulus spending. In essence, the predominate American dream will no longer be becoming a doctor, teacher, lawyer, engineer, pilot, and so forth, but to be a “deadbeat” that lives off the wealth of others. Who needs to be responsible when it is our government’s position that every American is entitled to an income, health insurance, and a bunch of other rewards for irresponsible behavior without working a day in their lives.
My Book: Is America Dying? (Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com)