Government assistance was a stigma for the poor in the past. People would go hungry rather than ask for help. Many immigrants in the early 1900s were against receiving any government assistance since it made them appear inferior to other citizens. Most wanted to prove their worth and prosper on their own. Their dignity was more important than receiving charity from other people or tax money. They appreciated the economic opportunity of being a free American and did not want to remain on the bottom rung of the economy.
Today too many citizens have bought the false idea that government is god-like entity that bestowed gifts on his followers. These people believed that they are entitled to these nanny state presents. They have no awareness or concern that there are negative attitude changes in the recipients that weakens their strength of character.
Once people get “something for nothing” by their parents, state or federal government they expect more things and appreciate them less. Anyone who gets sucked into being a parasite rather than a producer is going down a dangerous road. These takers become addicted to searching out any angle to get government handouts and lose their shame in playing the game of beating the system rather than maintaining their pride in order to continue a self reliant life style.
Just like the free Obama phones whetted the appetite for more freebees or other giveaway programs, these programs have escalated from food stamps (now SNAP, Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program), free gasoline, travel vouchers, free insurance, and rent assistance for people who meet the lenient criteria. As the program grows, the benefits decrease but the person is already trapped in the welfare safety net. As the system becomes top heavy with too many participants it becomes harder for government to justify robbing the taxpayers to finance these ever increasing programs. Those out-of-control welfare programs result in federal bailouts or government bankruptcy.
Buying votes through government handouts increases the tendency for people to become more reliant on government. They tend to be less willing to work for what they want. Increasing dependency on the government automatically encourages growth of government and a significant decrease in the work ethic. As they become more entitled, people begin to take whatever they can get even if it means deception in order to qualify before others who really need it.
Individual dignity in obtaining something for nothing is sacrificed. These citizens know they are using others hard earned assets to take care of their selfish wants. This behavior destroys a sense of self worth, while their addiction to government to provide their needs strengthens. The concern for being embarrassed by this despicable behavior vanishes as their appetite for government assistance becomes insatiable.
As government creeps into every aspect of a person’s life there is a corresponding loss of freedom. These welfare traps besides extinguishing freedom and self-initiative, divide the nation into productive and non-productive citizens. As the productive citizens realize the welfare parasites are granted their tax money that approaches or even surpasses their hard earned income. At this juncture they have a decision to make: join the give-away-club or continue to work with more income taken out of their pay for taxes. It becomes very attractive to enlist participants in this giveaway debacle creating a disincentive to work for citizens who never before considered taking any welfare.
Once you are seduced into a part of the government system, it is similar to stepping into quick sand. The rulers need to maintain their “gift giving” to prevent the dissolution of the nanny state and thus become even more intrusive into a person’s life. Government agencies begin to require visits, more documentation, more testing for drugs or whatever they decide they need to justify their government gifts to the taxpayers. The strings attached do not decrease but only increase by the growing bureaucratic pressure to rationalize their program’s existence.
The increase in requirements to keep the welfare means a loss of freedom, and self-respect. This results in dissatisfied and angry recipients. Not only do the welfare system participant feel cheated and eventually a victim of the giveaway program. This fosters divisiveness in the ranks of the takers who organize and rebel for greater benefits.
Hopefully a leader, a president and his congressional supporters arise who have sufficient courage to reverse the federal and state giveaway programs. This will send the message that the true economic advancements in the United States happen through climbing the opportunity ladder of employment. Starting a business or obtaining a better job situation is the best way to reach greater freedom and prosperity.
Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio has a new book, available on Amazon and other sites, entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.
