“THE BIGGEST THREAT TO OUR COUNTRY”

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #307

In our upcoming YouTube video show entitled “Becoming America – America is a Perfect Idea – the United States of America is a Work in Progress” I often say that I believe we are a better country today than we were ten, twenty or fifty years ago. And I mean it! But when asking myself if we will be a better country ten or twenty years from now, I am not as convinced. Why? Because I believe that the biggest threat to our great country today is the increasingly pervasive culture of Victimization. And this is not only a trap for the country, it is also a trap for all individuals involved. In that regard, we should all be aware of a quote by Henry Ford, which is “Anyone who feels they can thrive by relying on the government should talk to the American Indian.” It famously has not worked for Native Americans for the last 220 years, and it will not work for anyone else either. The trap is that not only can the government never pay these “victims” enough to satisfy them, the recipients of that compensation invariably lose their incentives to better themselves both by getting an education and by rolling up their sleeves, being reliable and working hard. So they are left behind and often then become bitter and resentful. I believe that most people seeking to come to America do not come for our welfare, but instead to work hard and pursue the American Dream for themselves and their families. But they often get caught up in the political promises that they are somehow entitled to government handouts. And that is self-defeating.

So, yes, as I have said before in this series, I believe that we should choose to employ a financial safety net for people who are here as citizens or with a green card, as long as the program always provides incentives for people to earn the extra dollar and otherwise improve themselves. But, otherwise, people should be forced to rely upon their own efforts and creativity. Why? Because we want the best for everyone, and that is what works! So no reparations, no other welfare (except for people with truly special needs), and no victimization! The only people who profit from those programs are the bureaucrats who administer them, and politicians who continue to get elected by sponsoring them.

Quote for the week: “I was still a Marxist after taking Milton Friedman’s course (at the University of Chicago). One summer in the government was enough to let me see government is really not the answer.” Economist Dr. Thomas Sowell