The cost of government dependency

Things are going to get ugly if we don't stop this now.

We have already seen what dependence on the government has done to our once-vibrant society.  Those who have succumbed to the lure of taking government handouts have often found themselves locked into an evil trap.  The government handouts don't provide enough to actually lift anyone out of poverty.  All they do is rob their recipients of initiative and their work ethic.  The longer one is dependent on the government the less able a person is to re-enter the workforce.  And even if they do manage to find a job, it is unlikely to pay much more than the government benefits and will often disqualify the person from other benefits.  Too many find themselves with no financial incentive to work their way out of poverty.  They are locked into a form of economic and social slavery; dependent on the government master with no means to escape.

As horrible as this cycle of poverty and dependence is, it has become a way of life for millions.  Our formerly robust economy was able to support this welfare state for some time.  It was always unsustainable, but we once had the excess capacity to hide the damage it did to our economy.  Unfortunately, those days are over.  We borrow 40% of our federal budget, are $17T in debt, have somewhere North of $100T in unfunded liabilities and the burdens of excessive government spending and regulations have crippled our economic potential.  More and more people are falling into poverty and government dependence and the socialist policies of Barack Obama continue to expand the entitlement burden.  We are rapidly approaching the point where we will not be able to support this massive Ponzi scheme.  So what is in our future?  Look to Greece to see where we are headed.

What we have to look forward to......

In Greece half of the new HIV infections are self inflicted.  Why would anybody give themselves HIV?  In Greece, where government dependence is a way of life, drug addicts infect themselves with HIV so they can receive 700 euros a month from the government and get into government-run drug substitution programs.

It is shocking to see what people will do when they have no opportunities, no options and no hope, other than what is provided by the government.