I've only failed one test in my life (a written Utah driver's license test -- after I'd been driving for five years on an Arizona license! -- and I cried), but the worst grade I ever received as a student was in Econ 100. I think I have pretty good economic instincts, but economic concepts themselves are difficult for me to grasp. (I take some comfort in the knowledge that many people have a hard time understanding the 'dismal science.')
So (especially in difficult economic times like these) I appreciate it when anyone can illuminate the dark recesses of my mind with a better understanding of economic principles.
Today I heard a self-proclaimed 'capitalist pig' explain what is fundamentally wrong with Obama's plan for the redistribution of wealth ('wealth' being a relative term -- ask Joe the Plumber.)
He said that when the government tells you that you will take care of your neighbor -- that you will not have a choice in the matter, but will pay for his doctor's visits, his groceries, his subsidized housing, his prescriptions, etc. -- you have surrendered your freedom. A part of you has become enslaved. You have become a cog in a machine. Your dreams as an individual are officially less important than the needs of the collective.
There have always been and there will always be individuals who have a legitimate claim on support. As a compassionate people, we ungrudgingly allocate part of our nation's wealth to meet their needs. But we are at the tipping point now in the United States where half the population receives some sort of government support. Now taxpayers are supporting investment firms and car companies, too, lest they fail. We need to return to basic principles of self-reliance.
I sometimes wonder if people were happier and more satisfied with life when they had to depend upon themselves, their loved ones, and their religious communities instead of the government.
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