Is global interdependence really global dependence? Recent events suggests that if a country goes bankrupt, due to excessive spending and entitlements, other countries – tax payers – will bail you out. However, most experts will tell you that the trillion dollar give away to Greece will not solve the problem. Because there are no guarantees that Greece will dramatically restructure its dependency policies, we are likely to see more handouts, entitlements and most of all violence.
The spread of violence through Greece should be a strong warning to other nations that a dependency state will ultimately lead to chaos, destruction, and terror. Fortunately, many European leaders are beginning to recognize that a culture of dependency will lead to disaster. We can only hope that President Obama and the Congress will get the message. The handwriting is on the wall.
Below are some important indicators of why we need to move from a state of dependency to independence, self-reliance and personal responsibility.
1) When the public believe the deck of cards is stacked against them – It’s time to end government regulated programs that favor one group of people over another. With the election of the first African American President, there is no need or logical reason to maintain rules and regulations that are not based on competence, expertise, and personal responsibility. Given the amount of money that is being allocated to our urban schools, government entitlements, and the government’s control over college grants, all legal United States citizens have an equal opportunity to be successful.
2) When the government assumes the responsibility of the family – The government has no constitutional authority to assume the role and responsibility of the family. Yet, each day, more and more elected officials at all levels of government believe that they have an ethical responsibility to take care of our children. From food to recreation, government bureaucrats believe they know best. Families are primary to our democracy and represent the foundation for the core values that have made the United States an exceptional country. A government bureaucrat can never take the place of a parent and it’s time for elected officials to put an end to this dangerous trend.
3) When people are viewed as a means to an end – We are a nation of producers where a strong work ethic is fundamental to the culture of success created since the founding of the United States. Throughout our history, Americans have rejected the notion that must depend on the government for our success. Rather, Americans want government to stay out of their way. While grounded in law, our country is also driven by a social contract where each citizen is responsible for their own destiny. Most important, people are independent and free to act based on the simple, powerful philosophy of the Golden Rule.
4) When a dependency state is created by government – The more individuals, groups, and organizations believe that others – in this case the government – will take care of them, the more likely they will be dependent on the government and less self-reliant and resilient to act on their own behalf. Personal responsibility and independence does not happen in a vacuum.
The above four factors create a state of dependency and encourage a culture of victimization. Within this culture personal responsibility and the capacity to act is greatly inhibited. People and their institutions are frozen, unable to act, waiting for someone else to provide support, assistance, or help. When people are victims, patronage, pandering, and manipulation dictate the relationship between the people and their government. As long as the government continues to provide support, the people are content. However, if a reduction in services occurs and the dependency state is interrupted, individuals do not know how to respond as they are ill equipped and have little capacity to rely on their own talents and strengths. As we have seen in Greece, a dependency state must continue to seek out external support and resources for its continued existence. In this case the people of Greece have been treated as victims by their government and ironically Greece now is victim to the world community.
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