Would you rather help a poor man so he's comfortable in poverty, or help a poor man rise up from poverty?
Depends on whether you are a benevolent person and understand that the pursuit of happiness isn't something a politician can make happen. Politicians really like those dependents because it guarantees votes by having a dedicated, though desperate, base. If a person is elderly and/or disabled, I want to make them comfortable. We don't do that now. They live on the least amount of money despite many of them spending years earning that Social Security check.
People can't sit there and expect others to lift them from poverty. It's too cumbersome of a burden when they are unwilling to try. They must meet us half way, at the very least. People have way more power over their destiny than they realize, though liberal politicians have somehow made them believe that without government interferrence and expanded welfare programs and affirmative action, a person has little chance of succeeding on their own. The politicians also strive to make people as comfortable as possible in their dependent lifestyle. Most of the time, it means constant promises of more. Obama outdid himself with all the talk of redistributing the wealth when he goes after the wealthy. That sort of talk is music to the ears of the idle and uneducated.
As children, many of us understood that nothing was free. If we didn't toe the line, we would suffer for our bad choices later in life. Our parents often said do your homework and stay out of trouble or you could end up like your cousin on welfare and that was a dead end. Instead of teaching children that nanny government is there, we need to teach them that they must take control of their own lives and make decisions that will help build a good future for them. Get to them before they quit school and start having babies or breaking the law. Those things can cement their fate.
We were told if we wanted nicer clothes than their budget allowed, then we best find summer jobs. Those used to be plentiful around here. I babysat half the kids in town, worked at every restaurant in town, detasseled corn and even spent summers tying fishing lures during my school years. I took whatever was available and even held two jobs at once.
I was poor, but was never afraid to work and was too proud to take handouts. I felt that having too much help would only spoil me and make me less willing and able to do things for myself. Fending for yourself helps you grow as a person. It gives you confidence because you realize that you are capable of earning what you need instead of looking to other people to do what you can do yourself. I pity those who missed out on one of the most valuable lessons there is in life.
I see many people who look to government for all the answers. They think government is responsible for training them, feeding them, housing them and finding them a job, if they desire one.
Government has harmed millions of people by convincing them they needed help when they weren't mature enough to understand the truth about things. Get them while they are young minds full of mush and make them believe they are entitled to things because they exist. Expect nothing from them. Is it any wonder that we have 5th and 6th generations of families on welfare? When all that is taught in the home is that government owes you a living and all that is taught in school is that government and teachers are responsible for your well-being, how does a child grow into an ambitious adult who is willing to take the initiative in improving their life?
Now we have groups, like the Occupoopers, who demand a lot from others and they never stop and think who those "others" really are. Most tax payers are just average people who learned to make their own way in the world. Yes, many are tired of carrying those who failed to learn that lesson and refuse to try.
It's difficult now because too many jobs have disappeared. Before, the welfare to work was slowly turning peoples' lives around. It was a way of gently giving people that kick in the butt that their parents weren't wise enough to dish out.
