This is why I’m a libertarian. This right here…this quote I heard on an interview on CNN last Saturday evening.
Contrary to popular belief, I’m not an “I’ve got mine, so screw you guys, I’m goin’ home” kind of person. I believe in helping the needy, the poor, the hungry, the whathaveyou. But I believe that it’s our job–as adult people–to do that ourselves.
You know, we are adult people. We have jobs and houses and cars. Sometimes the jobs lay us off, the houses have burst pipes and the cars break down. It sucks. It’s called “life” and it happens. And as adult people we do the best we can. But if we just can’t find another job or enough money to fix the pipes or the car then there are charities that can help.
But this new attitude is sickening me. This attitude of chronologically grown people who behave like children. Newsweek says “We’re all socialists” (partially because the Newsweek editors haven’t met me), but they ought to say “we’re all acting like babies”.
Uncle Sam will take care of me? Really? That’s how you want to go through life? Yes, Virginia, there IS an Uncle Sam.
What sickens me most about this attitude is not that there is hope for the truly needy. It’s that so many adults don’t understand what true need is. Going without something you want does not you a needy person make.
True story. There are a few people I know around the way. One of them desperately asked another one for money. We’ll call that person “Annie.” Well, “Barbara”, the person Annie asked for some cash, figured that Annie’s need must be desperate if she was asking. So Barbara–who is struggling financiallly, by the way–took the few dollars she had set aside to go out to the movies on her birthday and gave them to Annie. Barbara was sad about missing the movie but she at least felt good about being able to help Annie out. The very next week, just a few days after Barbara spent her birthday alone at home, she heard the grapevine that Annie had gone to a concert and out to dinner. Turns out that Annie can always find the money for fun stuff–dinners out, concerts, movies but just doesn’t like paying her light bill. A few months after that I found out that Annie was also spending a lot of money on buying pot. (See, I’m not in love with all pot smokers, mom.)
I have the feeling there are a lot of Annies nowadays.
And I’ll be honest about something. Part of my libertarianism is a “judge not” attitude. I believe that if you’re an adult you should be able to do just exactly as you please as long as you don’t hurt anybody. But here’s the thing. I’m finding myself getting awfully judgemental about the folks who are receiving stimulus money. And I don’t know if I mind. Because honestly, if you can’t pay your way and are asking other folks to do that for you I think it’s perfectly okay for those folks to ask if you are going to concerts, restaurants or pot dealers with the money they gave you.
Uncle Sam may take care of you. But that also gives Uncle Sam a right to know what he bought with his dough. And if that were me, I’d worry. I don’t want to have to justify myself to anyone else–especially the government.
Just Another Pretty Farce 
Link?
I can’t link to the tv hanging over my table at Pizza Perfect and I can’t find it on YouTube.
If it helps it was at four fifty-eight cst on CNN.
[…] is why Kat Coble says she’s a libertarian. You know, we are adult people. We have jobs and houses and cars. Sometimes the jobs lay us off, […]
Well said. I know some Annies myself who could use a kick in the rear. Although they’re not pot smokers (at least, not that I know of — I’m not that tolerant). :o)
OK, Kat, but what was the context? Was it some idiot who used all the rent money to buy drugs but it’s all good because Uncle Sam will take care of me? Or was it someone who has worked all these years and paid in Social Security/FICA and paid the mortgage on time and has now been downsized and it’s good to know that in such a situation Uncle Sam will take care of me (through unemployment insurance and possibly some future mortgage relief)? Those are two very different statements; context matters. As for those private charities you mention, if you mean the many of them that will help me if I let them into my bedroom and attend their church, I’ll take the help from Uncle Sam first, thankyouverymuch. Because, with Uncle Sam, I’m part of the community.
it was an interview with someone connected with President Obama’s administration talking about the $75million Mortgage assistance package. He said that Americans can rest easy if they lose their jobs because etc.
I’m from the government and I’m here to help.
Ronald Reagan never spoke for me.
I would never have assumed he did. What was scary to you, I presume, is that he or his spokespeople said things you found outrageous or incorrect.
I think this was both outrageous and incorrect.
Reagan didn’t scare me — why would you think that? No, I think the scariest words are “I’ve got mine.” That’s not where you are coming from and I don’t quite think that’s where Reagan was coming from, although he was very useful to people who were. I just think he was dreadfully wrong about what government can do, and he did a lot to make gov’t less able to help people effectively. (The best way to keep gov’t [or any organization] from working properly is to put people in charge who don’t want it to work.) But even so, gov’ts still can help. Heck, my life is full of people who have worked hard, loved their families, helped their neighbors, and who have been helped by their gov’t in very concrete ways.
The key is that the “Government” (Bush and Obama) want to help people. The issue is that they look to their own interest first when “helping” people. The stimulus look more like a pay-off than true help.
Further– NM–many NFP(not-for-profit) do not control your bedroom nor make you go to church. (United Way fund, YMCA est.) The NFP need your help when you do have a job and are working. If you contribute to NFP of your choosing when you have means, then the NFP will be there for you when you need help. This is why those who go to church and contribute for years can go ask their church for help.
The problem is many who do not go to church or connect to an NFP only ask the NFP for help and never give anything back. The selfish society or the society that acts like my five (5) year old. It is all about me. My eight (8) year old has moved past most of society.
The YMCA today may be non-denominational, but it has had a history of not welcoming non-Christians, which is why there are YMHAs and JCCs all over the country. And United Way disburses money to a lot of religious organizations that do get into the bedroom and into religious questions, and which target their help to members of a specific religion. They look out for their own interests as much as any other organization. Nonetheless, NFPs do get my help in various ways. I hope I’ll never need to ask for a return, but if I do I won’t be an utter freeloader. But, you see, one isn’t necessarily a freeloader in getting help from the gov’t either. I genuinely can’t understand the concept that one is.
And I meant to say, Kat, that I can see why the remark, in that context, would bother you enormously.
It’s weird how some people assume “Uncle Sam Will Take Care of Me” is an okay thing to say, unless the context proves otherwise. For many others, it is vice versa.
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