The real debt danger is from people’s sense of entitlement
The contemporary welfare state’s origins go back to 19th-century Germany, but some of its biggest expansions in Europe occurred after 1945. Given Europeans’ yearning for economic security after two devastating world wars and the Great Depression, this wasn’t a surprising development.
What was surprising is just how quickly European politicians recognized that the state’s ability to provide social programs and subsidies was a potent way for them to build reliable voting constituencies. Governments of all stripes realized they could attract support by making promises regarding pensions, retirement ages, subsidies, unemployment benefits and government jobs. This was paid for by increased taxation.
And when that didn’t cover costs, debt became the means to meet the shortfalls.
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Egotism And A Sense of Entitlement On College Campuses: A Microcosm That Exposes Everything That Is Wrong With America
M2RB: Jack Nicholson & Adam Sandler
Resist We Much on January 15, 2013 at 7:54 PM
How many PHD’s did it take to figure out that water is wet.
Bishop on January 15, 2013 at 7:59 PM
The way things are going, they’re not going to be “entitled” to eat every day.
Rebar on January 15, 2013 at 8:07 PM
The underlying problem is our belief in universal suffrage. This is a mistake. The only people who should vote are those actual stakeholders.
Active duty military or veterans. Police and firefighters.
Real property owners over a certain dollar amount. (The dollar limit would prevent liberals form dividing some property up into a ridiculously small portion and claiming a franchise.)
Business owners who provide jobs for others.
trigon on January 15, 2013 at 8:22 PM
I agree with your beef about universal suffrage, but I have always maintained that no-one on the public payroll should be allowed to vote – including benefits.
OldEnglish on January 15, 2013 at 8:29 PM
Anyone who is a net taxpayer.
Washington Nearsider on January 15, 2013 at 8:30 PM
…you forgot ‘and the pandering a##holes in our government that cater to them….’
Anybody else ever hear that old canard…’The world doesn’t owe you a living..’ growing up?
If yer alive and kicking and can shamble your sorry ass to the voting booth…YOU DESERVE is the new credo!!
Parasites Unite!!!
BigWyo on January 15, 2013 at 8:48 PM
trigon on January 15, 2013 at 8:22 PM
There are several things this country messed up on, but I don’t think universal suffrage is one of those. The mistakes are:
(1) We should have had a balance budget amendment in the constitution. The only exception would be in times of a declared war.
(2) We should have given the president a line-item veto in the constitution. This would have prevented some of the congressional pork projects we have seen.
(3) Should have been term limits on House (6 terms total) and Senate (2 terms total). This would have prevented states and districts from re-electing congressmen for the pure purpose of getting them goodies via seniority. Also should be limits on federal judges (no more then 15 years at a certain bench), same with federal employees (no more than 15 years total in the federal government) with an exception for the military. Public Service should not be a lifetime job.
I am sure there are others we could have done. Oh well, maybe in the next America we can fix those things.
William Eaton on January 15, 2013 at 9:26 PM