Cancer Of Entitlement

I can remember when Food Stamps were a new thing.  Meant to help people get enough food for their families when they couldn't afford it.  I remember the slight stigma associated with being on Food Stamps.  To the public, they were meant as a helping hand to get through a families rough spots until they could start getting themselves more money.  But as politicians added more benefits (and more restrictions) to the programs, It wasn't long until it became quite difficult to get over the hard times and support oneself after getting on the program.
If you got ambitious, and started making more money, you could quite easily find yourself without health coverage, Food Stamps, or possibly even your public housing.

Once the government has you in its pocket, they want to keep you there.  Adding more and more "free" perks and "entitlements" and making it more and more difficult to do anything to better yourself without risking what you have coming in.
The lawmakers don't really care about that.  They know that as long as the people are getting free money and other things they have grown to feel 'entitled' to, they will keep voting in the people who give them the entitlements they feel are needed.

It used to be that the welfare system was to help people out of poverty.  Now, it has them trapped.  Rarely does someone through their own initiative and ambition use the system to get out of poverty and make a success of themselves.  That is why it gets used as such a success story when it does happen from time to time.

Now, the people have grown so accustomed to not being allowed to earn more than a specific amount of money or lose their benefits.  So they don't seem to look beyond that monthly check.  They don't have to worry about losing their "job"  (Unless they get caught in outright fraud.  Even then, they are likely to still get money for their children.) so they don't think, or care, about what an employer would want in an employee.  They grow so accustomed to the money coming in without really doing anything for it, that they begin to feel it is their due.  That the government needs to support them.  Which is just the opposite of what the programs were originally designed for.  Or so the government would have us believe.

Once you are under the governments thumb, that is where they want you.  You have to jump through hoops, and if you make enough money to get out of the system, you find they want their money back.  Tell me that isn't a very potent way of keeping people on the rolls, and under control.

Now a growing number of people don't seem to be as ambitious as when I was younger.  They expect good wages from the start.  Don't show respect, but demand to be respected without it being earned.  Demanding a family living wage for an entry level workers position.  Giving up on the idea that a fast food job for example is not a career, but a starting point to learn work ethics, and give you a basic wage.  Something to hold you over until your ambition takes you to the next level.  Now many of them are expecting their entry level jobs to pay as much as skilled labor, or jobs requiring special licenses and training.  Because they feel  they are 'entitled' to a living wage, for an entry level position.

Entitlements are a cancer that is finally beginning to matastasize throughout our society.  Low income families can have 'free' phones, 'free' internet, and seem to have a growing number of new high tech devices as they become more and more affordable.  Since many of these things are bought with the money the government allows them each month, the value of them isn't felt as deeply as if they had to work for the wages to buy them.  I have seen this myself, the things have no real value, except as toys for the children to keep them occupied.

Answer me this; if a person can have a roof over their heads, money coming in, and food on the table, and still be able to just sit around and watch TV all day...why should they want to go to work and improve themselves?  Working is a lot harder than hanging out and cashing that government check every month.

Good people have begun to lose their way.  No longer desiring to improve their situation, because their parents weren't able to, they haven't been able to, and their children won't be able to.  As long as they get what they are 'entitled' to, they will keep electing the same people over and over who give them what they are 'entitled' to.

That is how the government control of the people is maintained.  Threaten their entitlements and the people will tow the line.  The government has the control in these situations.  Control that the government will go to extremes to keep over their citizens.  Keeping the citizens addicted to their entitlements.  And thus to government control.

Catch ya on the road sometime...