Land of Opportunity or Entitlements

Remember the phrase “Land of Opportunity”?     It’s getting a bashing lately.   Seems the land of the free, home of the braves fundamental belief of opportunity and pursuit of happiness is fading from our grips.   Why is it that our self image and portrayal of self sufficient, sustainable hard working Americans is getting harder to maintain?

There is an old expression that defined many administrations and communities of the past:

“You should give people a hand up, not a hand out”.  

 

This expression holds true in every way.   If you have to work for your money, you get better satisfaction and results.   If you expect to be given money for doing nothing, you usually get self centered dependancy and a cycle that is difficult to break.

More people rely on the government entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, to meet their daily needs.    Social security was NEVER intended to be a “savings account” for when we are old to live on.  Social security was supposed to be a minor supplemental insurance against problems we may experience later in life.   So what changed?  We did.

A symbiosis of the poor and a government dole is always there, yet the poverty level remains the same – billions of dollars and decades later.      Helping people is important, but sometimes people need help in motivation.  One of my favorite quotes from Friedman:

“Nobody spends somebody else’s money as carefully as he spends his own”

 

Achieving self value and recognition of ones efforts is critical in a healthy society.   We should be paid what we contribute toward a product or service and the more we produce, the more we should get paid.   The fact is many people do not have the necessary skills and therefore, remain limited.   Programs help reeducate people and some get jobs, but opportunity just doesn’t always come knowing…  It takes hard work and vigilance!   In the 19th century (and earlier), when opportunity didn’t show up, you went to it… you packed up your belongings and went west to make a better living.  Today, this lifestyle seems to be vacant in practice.   Why?   Because its easier to stay where you are, and get a small amount of money to “get by”.   No motivation to change.

I know it sounds harsh, but sometimes tough love is needed to create independence and self reliance for a person.

Lets keep our country pushing forward as a Land of Opportunity for those who want to do more than just “get by”.    I suggest we reduce entitlements and maximize reward for producing as well as make entrepreneurs essential to the business cycle.   If that happens, prosperity for MORE will follow.