Recently I read an interchange on Facebook and it set me to thinking about an aspect of what is constantly being presented to the American public under the guise of news. It was an interchange in which one respondent spoke of "the man" and "corporations." His contention seemed to be that these nebulous entities were disadvantaging people. For the sake of this discussion I shall forgo the fact that even if such entities as did exist they do not possess the power that seem to be given to them. What was missing in the discussion was the whole matter of personal responsibility.
Perhaps the reason that there is "the man" and "corporations" is that such notions seek to absolve one of personal responsibility by seeking to blame others. If I can blame “the man” then I can safely assume victim status and therefore gain a plethora of benefits. For example if I am a victim, then I can commit a crime and not be held responsible. If I am a victim then I can assume an entitlement mentality. If I am a victim, then I “should” be, rather entitled to have that which the next fellow has worked for. Then comes another of those words, “deserve.” If I am a victim, then I deserve to have what others have. It is almost as if there is a proactive entitlement.
Let’s do a reality check here. In terms of the “corporations” it was as though the employees of those entities were entitled or deserved to work there. It was an opportunity that had become a right and thus when said corporation did something that may have made perfect business sense but that did not fit the paradigm of "best interest of the employee" the company was seen as "getting over on" the poor disadvantaged employees.
Look! All of us are victims of something or another. However, some choose to get on the victim train (a train that goes to nowhere) and some choose to keep a firm hold on personal responsibility and press on with life. The reality is that the NO ONE can make anyone do anything they are not willing to do. No one including the large corporation and the unions that are involved can make an employee continue to work for that company, keep an employee from being personally responsible for his own welfare, his own future, etc. As I read the Facebook interchange a thought two thoughts came to me.
The problem is twofold. First, as has been discussed there is the matter of personal responsibility. Second, there is the matter of personal dependence. In the matter of dependence, the individual must have become so dependent upon the employer, union, government, etc. that he cannot see himself moving on to a different situation and better opportunities. This of course is a matter of choice.
The simple truth of the matter though often avoided, one cannot hand off one’s own personal responsibility. Problems abound when one comes to believe he can do so and invest these and other entities as their ultimate source of security and care.
The sad part is that when this happens, another element of life flees from us. It is the whole matter of seeing and seizing opportunity. When I divest myself of personal responsibility and become dependent upon another be it union, business, or government, then there is a very real chance that I will not exercise the initiative to seize such opportunities as may be present in my world. This is the whole problem with extending unemployment over and over again. Interesting how suddenly people find jobs when the unemployment benefits end.
The real tragedy is not that opportunity is gone it is that initiative is gone. Even when one comes from a “faith in God” view, still in all it is a matter of personal initiative. Such is gone because we have come to believe more in what goes on inside the union leadership, corporate office, and government than we believe in and trust in God. Still in all it is personal responsibility lived out in personal initiative with a healthy dose of faith in God, that will carry the day!
Finally, people make choices and we must respect their right to do so. However, I highly resent that the Congress seems to think that it is their role to fund safety net programs for people who have and continue to make stupid and irresponsible choices. People must be allowed to be responsible for and to suffer the consequences of their choices. If nothing else it is a great learning tool.
So the question becomes, should a person choose to trust his employer, the union, or the government with his present care and future security? The question then becomes what happens if that business or the union, or yes, the government should fail. Such a person should then be allowed to suffer the consequences of his choices. The same would apply to any other “dependency” entity that you might list.
If a person does not exercise personal responsibility and initiative, and if that person does not provide for the lean times, and if that person then does not put something aside for the future, there is nothing at all wrong with allowing that person to "enjoy" the consequences of his choices! Now before you class me as a less than caring conservative/libertarian, yes, there are exceptions. Certainly there are people who need a helping hand up, people who need care because of unfortunate circumstances not of their making, etc. However, know this one thing! There are not as many in genuine need as are on the welfare rolls. There are not as many as the mass media, the evening news, those on the left, academia, and the Beltway Gang of Thieves have led us to think that there are!!!
Reduce the government give aways, allow people to deal with the harsh realities of personal responsibility, allow people to experience the consequences of their choices, encourage people to be productively take initiative, and watch the economy heat up as people go out and productively resume responsibility for themselves. Remember this one thing, you cannot give up nor can you give away personal responsibility. It is one of those things that one simply cannot give away.
No comments:
Post a Comment