As compelling as this revisionist history seems to be to liberals, the factual reality is that taking from others has never been a necessity of survival in this country. The personal responsibility, hard work and independence that existed before the birth of the entitlement state resulted in a self-sufficient society where individuals took care of themselves. Confidence and pride in this capability is what fueled America’s bitter battle for our independence from British sovereignty. Prior to the birth of the welfare state, the vast majority of Americans were able to support themselves through productive work. Those who fell on hard times relied on family, neighbors, church groups, local ethnic groups, and trade unions, rather than the government. They exhausted personal savings, pursued private and commercial credit, and sacrificed on all but the bare necessities. Today, most families living at or below the poverty line have cars, color televisions, and cell phones with data plans – none of which were provided by government entitlement programs.
Much has been written about the crippling cost of burgeoning entitlement programs – Medicaid, healthcare reform, welfare, housing and education subsidies, corporate bailouts -- and the inability of our local, state and federal governments to bear the growing financial burden. These programs are clearly at the heart of our current financial crisis. But what of their unspoken costs; the insidious undermining of ingenuity, motivation, tenacity and drive –the very qualities that made America great?
There is a not-so-subtle numbing and demotivating effect that comes with the “free-lunch”. Why sweat, struggle and persevere when an outstretched hand will garner the same reward? Furthermore, repeated acceptance of handouts creates an on-going dependency – and growing commitment to – the giver, and a slow, steady abdication of freedom. Even mother birds eventually, and predictably, push their young out of the nest. That’s how they learn to fly.
Given Democrats’ recent consternation about Mitt Romney’s support of “unshackling” the private sector from onerous, job-killing regulations,--and the Vice President’s irresponsible retort that Republicans intend to “put ya’ll back in chains!” -- where is the moral outrage that our current entitlement policies are not only bringing us to our knees economically, but are functioning to enslave millions of Americans – Black, white, male, female, young and old? An entire generation has forfeited any hope of self-sufficiency or independence in exchange for government freebies. This time around, however, no one has been forced into involuntary servitude; instead, they have been lured, by the millions, into the lair of dependency, with the tantalizing promise of security and the chimera of “something for nothing”. In the process, they have unwittingly traded personal freedom for the latest party favor.
Supporters of the welfare state will cry that any comparisons of entitlement programs to bondage are apocryphal and intentionally incendiary. But make no mistake: Once the government controls and provides your food, your housing, your education and your healthcare, they own you. They own you every bit as much as if you were picking cotton in their fields. Physical chains have been replaced by economic and psychological ones, but the impact on the individual is the same. Ultimately, what allows men to be free is self-sufficiency -- the ability to choose and control where to live, what school to attend and what doctor to see. Once an individual becomes reliant on the government for these services, and once the entitlement becomes ingrained in the culture, financial and emotional enslavement ensues. In each case, the recipient trades independence and free choice for the handout.
Liberal politicians always want us to believe that they have launched a “free-lunch” program that is intended to address some gaping chasm that will otherwise swallow leagues of under-privileged and downtrodden citizens. But surely no one truly believes there is such a thing as a “free lunch”. Politicians, and the government institutions they control, always want something in return. Ultimately, their goal is not to provide improved nutrition or to keep the poor from starving, but to create dependency. Dependency on entitlement programs translates into votes, political support and control. Empowerment and self-sufficiency make for a healthier and more resilient society, but dependency is what gets politicians elected.
Despite the country’s dire financial situation, the current administration has upped the ante even further: They have expanded their approach from ensuring that entitlement programs are available, to actively recruiting people to sign up for them. A recent set of radio ads features two women out on a shopping excursion when one exclaims to the other “My, but you sure do look good these days!” Her friend explains that her new, attractive figure is a result of improved nutrition since she has signed up for food stamps. She goes on to encourage her friend to do the same: “It’s easy -- You can sign up too!” Democrats are actively pursuing new members to join the dole! What was once perceived as shameful and a resource of last resort has been elevated to high-fashion status.
In retail, every season has its sales theme that directs consumer marketing; we have “White Sales” in the spring, “Father’s Day Sales” in June, “Labor Day Sales” in September, and we will have non-stop “Free Lunch Sales” between now and the November election. Liberal politicians will work desperately to garner votes by promising to both protect current handouts and to expand entitlement programs even further.
Promulgators of entitlement programs would have us believe that anything not provided by the government will directly result in deprivation of the populace: if you cut school lunch subsidies, children will starve, and if we fail to provide free healthcare, people will die on the streets. And the entitlement mentality that has become so prolific in this country will lull the masses into further submission and dependency. Liberals will continue to tell their tale of impending misery if program cutbacks are allowed to occur, while conservative politicians will be buried in a heap of opprobrium for simply attempting to rein in spending and balance the budget. In the words of Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) "We [conservatives] reject the idea of the safety net becoming a hammock."
In a recent prayer for our nation, American Christian Evangelist, Billy Graham, offered “Your Word says 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare… We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it politics… We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.”
And we have allowed politicians to disguise control as a “free lunch program” and called it entitlement.
America cannot and will not return to greatness until we break free from our current entitlement mentality, and elevate self-reliance, tenacity and personal responsibility to their former iconic status.
