Now I have said this before, but I’ll say it again. This is not a political blog, and I intend to keep it that way. However, with so many things happening right now in Washington that a) involves money and debt, and b) involves you, I think it’s relevant. I want to compare Government reliance to personal responsibility. I think personal responsibility has more benefits, delivers greater success, and allows us to be more free in the process. I think Government reliance robs us of incentive, and keeps us inside the box where our options are limited.
We all know that no matter who is in charge, Republican or Democrat, the Government wastes gobs and gobs of money! I personally think that one of the requirements, besides lying :D, to be eligible to hold public office in this country, is to be able to spend billions of dollars in the blink of an eye. (And that’s to be done before the first morning cup of coffee kicks in.) I said this wasn’t a political blog, I never said I didn’t have an opinion. 😀
For those of us who do not have the luxury of owning a state-of-the-art cash printing press in order to simply wish money into existence, we need real solutions. Just like with the Government, if I had a machine to print new wasteful spending sprees, the money would be worthless. Oh but the fun I could have though? Monopoly play money anyone?
If your Uncle was a drunk, and you needed to be at the most important interview of your life, would you give him that responsibility to get you there?
No, and here’s why. He may never show up, but even if he does…he’s DRUNK!
Am I the only one that hates standing in line at the DMV? Let’s face it, when the Government touches something the bureaucracy prohibits efficiency. Proof of this, besides ALL of the bankrupt programs currently in queue, is two of the latest failed/failing programs. The Cash For Clunkers debacle and the Mortgage Modification program. The Cash For Clunkers program which just started one week ago from today, has already been axed. Personally I think providing incentive for us to go into debt, while we are facing a volatile economy, is not a very good idea. Not to mention the fact that giving away up to $4,500 per person is grossly unsustainable.
Next we have the Mortgage Modification program. The Wall Steet Journal reported that this program is flailing along. Part of the problem is all of the red tape. The program is designed to help individuals modify their loan to something, oh I don’t know, better than ‘this sucks’. The problem is that in some cases people have been told that they have to be already behind, and for others the process took so long that they were behind by the time it was complete.
Kind of reminds me how the medicaid system works. A friend of mine had a baby, got promoted, only to find out that her medicaid would be stopped because her income went up. Meanwhile, she has a baby that has medical needs, and was scheduled to receive insurance from her company in three months, but couldn’t dare go three months with no insurance. She quit her Assistant Manager position! It would seem that Government programs are designed to keep people in the same spot, instead of help them stand up on there feet, which is what the programs usually claim to do. If the program really wanted to help her, she would have been given coverage until the new stuff kicked in. Am I the only one that thinks this is backwards?
What if you walked or ran, got a cab, took a bus, asked a reliable friend, rode your bike, or decided to parasail to your interview?
Besides allowing myself the opportunity to vent about a Government that seems to think spending our way out of a financial rut is the best way, my point is this. Why would you want to rely on THAT? Why would you want anything to do with any program Washington invents to save the day, but instead usually just prolongs the pain? You have one choice or many choices. WAIT OR CREATE! You can find a way out, or you can hope to be rescued until you become hopeless, the choice is yours.
Personal responsibility means that you aren’t standing still. It means you are taking action, which allows you to power your way through the maze. It gives you the strength to create a path when all other pathways seem to be blocked. It empowers you and accomplishment fills the air. It taps you on the shoulder and reminds you that even if you fail, you have the ability to pick yourself back up again.
Taking responsibility for our self straps us securely in the driver’s seat. It gives us the keys to start the engine, to speed in any direction we choose. If we crash, it’s okay, cause it’s not the only car in the lot. It says, go get in another car, JUST KEEP GOING!! It screams that others may slow you down, or even total your car, but it forces you to keep charging forward. What if you tried something else? If it worked would you continue to do it?
What If You…
- had an emergency fund?
- tracked your spending?
- spent less than you made?
- got out of debt?
- didn’t have a bigger house than you could afford?
- didn’t spend all your extra money shopping?
- had paid for cars?
- didn’t “need” everything?
- had a smaller television?
- didn’t have satellite service?
- didn’t eat out as much?
- weren’t taxed into oblivion?
You Could Afford To…
- save aggressively!
- buy health insurance!
- retire with dignity!
- build wealth!
- send your kids to college debt free!
- out give Washington!
- buy your own used, reliable cash car(s)!
- go back to college!
- start your dream business!
- walk with your head held high! (not arrogantly but proudly)
- be recession proof!
Don’t get mad at me, I’m just saying. Stop me when I lie!
No one owes you anything, as much as YOU owe yourself everything. Don’t sell yourself short. Realize your potential and avoid sitting around waiting for your drunk Uncle to get you where you need to go. Search for options and the first thing you should do is get out of debt! Unlock your potential! I’m in your face because I believe in you more than I believe in Washington! Actually, I believe in you more than Washington believes in you!
Do you disagree? Leave a comment as long as you are respectful and courteous. I am friends to all people with many beliefs. This is just my opinion, not the end of the world. This is as political as I will get here on Enemy of Debt, and even that doesn’t happen often.
Can’t say I disagree with much that you’ve said here. I think people have become way too reliant on the government to provide them with everything they need, and if they don’t receive something suddenly it becomes a new right that everyone has to pay for. We would be in so much better shape if people would step up to the plate and accept responsibility for their own lives.
I guess all we can do is continue doing our best to educate people, and living our lives responsibly – and hope it is enough to stem the tide. Great observations!
When we allow government to provide relief and assistance to others, we run the risk of:
– establishing expectations of continued help from “on high”
– creating dependencies instead of strength through independence and self reliance
– rewarding irresponsible behavior
– encouraging others to insist that government help
– force others to help (with their tax dollars) against their will
– encourage government to “butt in” as a nanny when they would do best to “butt out”
– empower those in government by allowing them to continue to promise more rewards for dependent behavior
– provide an excuse for the rest of us to stay home and ignore the true need of others simply because we’ve been trained that it’s the job of government
We have to remember that what we reward will be repeated. If there is no penalty, then why change our behavior?
When a woman told me “the more babies I have, the more money I get,” it was abundantly clear to me that we’re rewarding irresponsibility and creating dependence on government.
When a friend of mine, who ran a red light and struck a highway patrol car, offered that he shouldn’t have admitted responsibility so quickly because the highway patrol has special driver training and that patrolman could have avoided the accident, then I see clearly that the idea of self responsibility is melting away.
On the flip side, responsible individuals are penalized through higher taxes, more insurance requirements, more regulations, and more government to implement the regulations.
The real problem is that many government programs allow you to survive, and there are plenty of people that are happy with that. Their initiative has been dampened.
Survival isn’t what our lives should be all about. The only great things in our lives will come from our own initiative, our own sense of achievement, and our own unwillingness to be simply part of the masses.
If we don’t believe in ourselves, no one else ever will, and we’ll never be able to better ourselves above the level of basic survival – something that deer do in the winter out in the snow.
Clair
While I agree that people need to take more responsibility for their actions, I might point out that one of the biggest receivers of gov't largess is the military, who has never seen a weapon they don't want. Talk about spending beyond your means. Probably one less bomber would take care of every child's healthcare. They say that the Stealth bomber is LITERALLY worth it's weight in gold. This is a myth that we don't have money to help others. I would suggest it's more a matter of how we spend the wealth they collect each April. I can't tell a person who has lost his job at a local car plant and has a sick wife or child that needs healthcare that he just needs to be more responsible. There are times when people need a hand up.
Hey Bob, thanks for your comment.
The Government is wasteful. That’s nothing new, but what does that have to do with ANYTHING that supports your argument. The government wastes things so you’re saying we shouldn’t be more self-reliant because of it. It should be THE REASON we take more responsibility in our lives.
It sounds like you’re saying that when someone loses their job or whatever, that they should just give up. Roll over and die, waiting for someone like you to feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for t hem too but that doesn’t mean they should quit trying or quit looking for ways to make their situation better. We all have bad things happen to us. I have been in bad situations myself. You don’t have to tell anyone anything, go help them out, but don;t expect your help to matter much until they start taking action themselves. Someone’s situation only changes when they want it to. It’s easier to help those that are already taking action as opposed to those who just sit around and wait for people like you.
You missed the entire point of the article. You can wait or you can create. Personally I find that the waiting part is for the birds. I have solved many of my own problems by taking action. Sitting around feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t do anything for anyone even if you were dealt an unfair blow in life. IT HAPPENS TO US ALL DUDE!