The death of conservatism? The death of capitalism? The death of free markets or deregulation?
I’ve heard it all, but none of it is true. Certainly we are mourning loss in our country, but its not capitalism, fiscal conservativism or even the banking industry that has died. We have lost something much more important to the foundation of our society. We should have seem it coming, for the better part of a century its been dying a slow death. But with the proposed bailouts and political posturing across both sides of the aisle… now talking about adding credit card debt, student loans and car notes to the bailout mix… it is unquestionably dead.
R.I.P. Personal Responsibility.
Is the bailout right? No. Is it necessary? Maybe. Would I vote for it? No. If you don’t have your principals in a crisis, then you are not very principled at all. In fact, I would suggest that your principals are more important in a time of crisis where you can’t see the valley through the trees and you need some guidance. It is then, when you are lost, that it is even more important to have something to rely on, something to lead the way.
Whether you are the homeowner struggling to make a mortgage payment, the recent graduate burdened with thousands of student loan debt, or the Chairman of the Senate
Banking Committee who has taken $160,000+ from Fannie and Freddie and obstructed multiple attempts to fix the system… where is your personal responsibility?
If you are the guy who voted four times for infanticide and supported a bill with sex education in kindergarten… why aren’t you standing up for your votes and ideals instead of lying about them and lying about the people who reveal them? Where is your personal responsibility?
If you are the guy who was for amnesty, and then wasn’t, and then kind of is again… who sought nuance and a bit of vacillation over the past week regarding the economy, where is your personal responsibility?
Of course I know the answer to that, its loss has affected virtually all of us and permeated our daily lives. Personal responsibility is dead, and liberalism killed it.
Arguably it started during the “new deal” maybe it was before. But for the better part of a century, personal responsibility has been sick, and now it is gone.
Need to save money for retirement? The federal government will take some of your money every month and then give it back to you when you need it.
Need help because you lost your job? The government will take money from all employers and then pay you when you find yourself out of work.
Get hit by a hurricane? The government will give you money, aid, and even a place to live for years because its better for them to give you everything than for you to do for yourself.
Want to take advantage of all of the wonderful blessings in our country… its ok to come here illegally, if you don’t break too many other laws, we won’t consider you a criminal.
Shall I go on?
What happened to our country? We are a nation of pioneers, which started in a tax revolt, which sought to overcome the burden of a large government and gain religious freedom. Yet in 222 years, we have become exactly what we left… an over-taxed, over governed people where religion (at least Christianity) is persecuted and must remain hidden from public view at all costs.
When I played high school football, we worked hard to get to the playoffs every year. One loss or one tie against a division rival, and we might not make it to the post season. Now, every team in the state goes to the playoffs so nobody feels left out, even if they lost every game.
The college I graduated from allows first year students to have a course expunged from their record if they fail. It is erased as if it never happened, so go ahead skip class and enjoy college life.
The Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee (the same committee that writes tax code) has been cheating on his taxes for a decade or two. Yet he gets to keep his influential place of power, and gets a slap on the wrist. Listen to him, and he’s the victim even though he committed the crime.
Don’t like your mortgage? It’s the lender’s fault.
Home lost value? It’s the realtor’s fault.
Don’t want to pay your credit card debts? You don’t have to.
Don’t want to pay your student loans? That’s ok too.
Want to go to college? The government will give it to you for free.
Want health care? They’ll give that to you too.
Underwrite bad loans… the government will bail you out. But it didn’t start or stop there. If the customers who took out the loans were responsible for their debt and didn’t take on more than they could afford, we would not have that problem in the first place.
A government that gives you everything can take everything away. But the overbearing government isn’t the only problem with that statement. If the government gives you everything, then you are responsible for nothing, and that lack of responsibility permeates the rest of our lives.
Why are we so upset when a CEO gets a golden parachute to leave a failed company when we expect homeowners to get bailed out of a mortgage they can’t pay? What’s the difference? It all amounts to personal responsibility. And in the United States of America today, personal responsibility is gone.
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