I wrote this long “reply rant” to a Facebook post by a friend that expressed the philosophy that the government doesn’t owe us squat… but I never posted the reply. So I’m posting it here.
The government does owe us something. In fact, we the people ordained it and imbued it with, and should expect no less and demand of it the things we empowered to it… “justice, domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity”
As of late, this isn’t the case. When our financial industry causes a global financial melt down and no one goes to jail, that’s not justice. When the government spies upon its citizens, militarized its police, and removes our rights, that’s not insuring tranquility. By fighting multiple real and imagined wars, overseas, against terrorists, against drugs, etc our defense industry prospers, but our freedoms dwindle. Through poor economic policy, bad governance, over spending, waste, corruption, corporatism, and politics as usual; when the risk of a single illness can bankrupt families, when we indenture college students with debt, when we fail to lead by example in the world – America crumbles. Figuratively and literally from our social contract to our infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economy, our general welfare is eroded and erased.
And because ours is the first generation to fall behind our parents in living standard, wages, home ownership, and equality of opportunity, wealth distribution, and social mobility – the blessings of liberty for us and our posterity is fading.
So no, a handout is not necessary, but equal opportunity, fairness, justice, and freedom for all is required. And lately, it’s not reaching every citizen equitably or completely.
We are the United States, the richest most prosperous country ever, no citizen should fall through the cracks, suffer in poverty, fear illness, homelessness, or be disadvantaged through a lack of education opportunity. We can not allow the fear of a few who will scam and steal from our systems to jade and coerce us into neglecting, stifling, or punishing the many in need. And no one should be beyond the law; not bankers, presidents, politicians, corporations, or even those in our secret agencies.
