Should We Be “Entitled” to Anything?

The 2018 midterm elections were some of the most expensive in history. It seems like this same story comes out after each election cycle. I don’t know about you, but the constant harassment of advertisements through my phone, in my mailbox, on the radio, broadcast on every news channel, and all over the internet was a huge waste of money that could have been spent much more productively in other areas of society. This money was spent primarily by lobbying firms, given to candidates and political parties who best represent their interests. Basically, they gave money to get people in power so they could get favors from those people in the future. If you look at some of the biggest contributors, they often donate to both parties so they can have some leverage regardless of who gets elected.

Everyone is looking for a handout these days, from big businesses who look for new laws and regulations that will help their businesses thrive, to everyday blue-collar workers who struggle with day-to-day life and feel that they need a “break.” Politics seem to bring this into full view for everyone to see. Republicans often want more tax money spent on defense, and Democrats want more tax money spent on welfare, although those lines are becoming increasingly blurred. The question I wish to examine here is, why should anyone expect anything that isn’t earned by our personal hard work? Why does anyone feel that they are “entitled” to benefit from another person’s labor?

Back when my wife and I were planning our wedding, we struggled financially, sometimes to the point that we had to cut our groceries just to be able to pay the bills. We decided to plan a smaller wedding than what we would have liked at the time, so that we could be able to afford to pay for it ourselves. We didn’t ask for money from friends and relatives to help pay for our celebration, because we were trying to grow into responsible young adults that could provide for ourselves. The financial struggles we faced were caused by our own mismanagement of our finances during our younger days, so we wanted to prove to those who cared about us that we could do it on our own. It was a great pride point for us to be able to do this ourselves. We ended up getting help from some of our family and friends for some things, but we never asked for it, we didn’t expect it, and we were in a better place financially afterwards because we had learned to manage our finances better.

We both realized that we weren’t “entitled” to any sort of financial support from anyone long before our wedding, but we were very grateful for the help. As a so-called Millennial, this is in sharp contrast to the way many in this generation are portrayed to the rest of society. Often, when you hear “Millennial” the next word that comes to mind is “Entitled.” Most younger people now are seen as always looking for someone else to pick up the tab for their wants and needs. They are even labeled as “Entitled” by older generations. Of course, there are those kinds of people out there, who don’t want to be productive and think they should be supported by someone else and then aren’t really appreciative of this since they view it as their “right.” However, there is a large portion of this generation that refuses to associate themselves with the “entitled” and work hard to be able to support themselves. They take pride in making a good life for themselves and not depending on anyone else. This group is often overshadowed by the noisy “entitled” crowd because they are too busy working hard, and too proud to feel they have to point this out for all to see. It’s not about notoriety for them; instead, they take it as a personal accomplishment and quietly celebrate their achievements.

This attitude of entitlement is present everywhere in society, so is it really that shocking that there are youngsters out there like this too? I mean, aren’t we all raised and influenced by things in our immediate environment? And just for the record, I’m not talking about the people who have worked hard and paid into Social Security and Medicare. Even though these widely abused programs were forced on them by the federal government, they paid in, so they are entitled to benefit from them. (A better solution is to make these social programs voluntary, but that’s a topic for another discussion.) There are so many who have not worked for these benefits, who choose to not support themselves because they know the government will never let them fail. And it’s not just people who think that way. During the worst recession in modern history, beginning in 2008, several banks and larger corporations depended on “bailouts” from the government to keep them from going bankrupt. They effectively stole money from you, the citizens of this country, to keep their businesses afloat. These large corporations were given a lifeline that allowed them to survive, while many other smaller businesses were not offered the same benefits and had to close. And it all goes back to who had given the government the most money and felt they were “entitled” to be saved. The smaller companies simply weren’t able to come close to matching with those contributions and thus, did not receive any form of support.

Is it fair that one group should be given favorable support over another group? Is it fair that hard working individuals are forced to give up a quarter of their income in the form of taxes, while others, who do not wish to work, wait on their monthly handout from the government, often having never contributed at all? What makes anyone “entitled” to be supported by the hard work of anyone else? I’m all for helping other people that are struggling, but it should be done voluntarily by the individuals, through legitimate charitable organizations, and not handed out by a government who routinely mismanages the simplest of tasks. The main thing is that if you feel you should help those that are less fortunate than you, then do it, but no one should ever be forced into supporting anyone else.

It is my belief that the welfare state we have now is the root cause for many issues we face as a society. It stifles productivity. If you are guaranteed a benefit without having to do anything for it, then why would you work for it? It’s human nature to always do what’s easiest, which is why so many people depend on the government for assistance. They have realized that they simply have to sit back and wait for that check every month instead of doing anything for it. I’m a believer in open boarders and free societies, but the immigration crisis we have now is partly caused by those who come here knowing they will receive assistance from the government and will not have to pay taxes, and boils down to a failure of both the immigration and welfare systems. They give others who come here with good intentions a bad name. And honestly, they’ve learned all the tricks to the game by watching the government do this for it’s own citizens. These are not dumb people; they’re simply taking advantage of the many broken systems within our society. Many come here to create a better life for themselves and their families, and are hard working individuals who would gladly be productive members of society if not for the crushing immigration system that forces them to come here illegally.

Personally, I do everything in my power to not depend on anyone else for my success, and I know I’m not alone with this thought process. There are many people out there in my age group that have become very successful in their lives and do not look for any help in accomplishing their life goals. When I first started driving, I had help getting a loan for my first car, but I paid the payments and insurance, and got a job to be able to afford to put gas in it. I believe that if I would have just had it handed to me, I wouldn’t have respected it as much as I did knowing that I was working to have something to call “mine.” So it started at a young age for me, which I definitely appreciate looking back at it now. It changed my whole outlook on personal property, and influenced my appreciation for working hard for the things I want in life. Not everybody has this upbringing, and many parents feel obligated to provide for every need that their child ever has. I believe this is one of the reasons that some in the younger generation feel that it is their “right” to have this support; they’ve received everything they’ve wanted for their entire lives, so why should it stop when they turn 18? I feel indebted when I borrow money from someone, and I’d rather not feel that way, ever. Unfortunately, due to the continuous outpouring of generous handouts from the government, many people now feel that they are “entitled” to these benefits because they see so many other people taking advantage of it. They see everybody else doing it, and just go with the crowd, not understanding that they are simply contributing to the soaring national debt and participating in the ongoing fraud, waste and abuse of these systems that were designed to help the less fortunate and were not meant to be used by able-bodied people for everyday needs.

I believe the solution to this issue is to show these people the need to take more responsibility for their lives and their actions. If you are depending on others for all your needs, then you are not responsible for anything in your life, successes or failures. And some people prefer this way of living. But in reality, it makes you accountable to someone else and there is no real freedom in your life. The only acceptable way to live free is to do things for yourself and not to rely on others to satisfy your needs. To do whatever you can to make your life what you want it to be, and to work hard to accomplish the goals that you set out for yourself. If people were more open to this frame of mind and determined to work hard for what they want in life, the need for government “entitlements” would become nearly non-existent.