Why do people feel that government owes them?

Question

In the U.S., people want universal healthcare, welfare, social security (like anyone under 40 will see that), government oversight on just about everything, etc. Is personal responsibility fallen by the wayside?

Answer 1

I think that people feel this way because the government is solely there to provide service to the people and the people are paying their taxes to get each of the benefits that the government provides. When these benefits are not that satisfactory enough for the people then the taxes they pay is too high for the given services and that's what makes people feel that the government should do something more that makes the people feel satisfied. I think because the government is an instrument that hears its people's needs and it is there to stand for the state's existence and carry on it's functions to the people.

Answer 2

Wash your mouth with soap. Individual responsibility is a DIRTY WORD.
However, the reason people feel this way may well be because government has made committments to the peope, which government is now unwilling or unable to keep.
Example...Social Security, established in the early 1930's to provide a MINIMUM retirement for working people, where the employee and employer paid into a trust fund (SERIOUSLY) which earned interest. However, Republicans (under D.D. Eisenhower) used that trust fund to balance the budget in 1953, I believe, with the committment that Government would fund social security out of the General Fund. Democrats share blame for taking other social programs under Social Security (Welfare, medic-aid, etc.) which means that the General Fund can no longer keep its committments to fund Social Security.
Additionally, people feel helpless in dealing with large business--ever tried to negotiate the price of gas as an individual? Think of your own outrage at the price of gas and the large profits of the Oil Industry, and their tax breaks? Or dealing with large issues---like health care, prescription medicine? The average individual can not provide their own money to pay for these services. Remember that the cost of medical care and gasoline has been the most rapidly increasing costs of living for a long time.
And think about this, you work your entire life, to find out in your old age that you can't afford both medicine and food? The feeling of unfairness does creep into the equation too!
Personal responsibility is one thing, dealing with things beyond your control, especially those things that may mean you can continue to LIVE, one does tend to want help.

Answer 3

Because that's WAY easier to do than actually working and planning for your own future.
The Socialists that run the Democratic party WANT people to think that way. Keep it centalized and controlled by the Government. It takes a particularly arrogant, eltist, (dare I say aristocratic) mindset to think that they can run my life and control my future better than I can.

As for the Republicans...well, crap, what a DISAPPOINTMENT they have turned out to be. I'm moving to the moon if anyone wants to go.

Edit:
Just an aside to go along with a couple of the posts above me. In 2006, the wealthiest 10% of the population paid 40% of the taxes levied. Hmmm....
(You can bet that you'll never hear the Democrats quote that one)

Answer 4

I thought that the government was a representation of all of us in the United States. When we are asking the government to to start doing things to help out the needy, aren't we just saying everyone needs to start contributing to the solution to this problem? I would prefer heavy government regulation on Health Insurance providers to make healthcare affordable to regular people making average incomes. How personally responsible is any one person if the economy they are born into is totally screwed up and they find themselves unable to afford necessities? Let's say that everyone is personally responsible; and they see that someone is suffering, don't they have a responsibility to help if they are in the position to help?

Answer 5

All of these programs, health care, Social Security and unemployment are forms of insurance. Insurance is a very valid economic activity that spreads the risks that we all face. It does not show that we believe that someone "owes" us something. After all, we all pay into these systems. I pay into the state unemployment fund and the Social Security trust fund with each pay check. By the time I retire I will have paid into Social Security for 50 years. So it is hardly something for nothing. No one is getting a freebie from these programs anymore than you get a freebie from an insurance company.

Answer 6

Since I pay money into the government each paycheck, yes I want something BACK for my money.

Representation, a fair shake, whatever.

Are you as upset that Iraqis have gotten over a half TRILLION US dollars (money they SURE didn't earn) , while US CITIZENS are starving to death? Why are handouts for Iraqis and corporate giants making billions (and still getting millions in taxpayer funded subsidies) ok, but you don't want an actual US citizen to get help?

Why does Republican distaste for handouts only include their "fellow" Americans? This merely proves you "love" America, but hate Americans.

I was at the grocery store yesterday. An old man with a VFW hat was sitting there at the entrance, selling fake poppies for "Homeless Veterans", yet ANOTHER group of Americans who could have used the $500,000,000,000.

WHAT IN HELL HAS IRAQ EVER DONE FOR US? Why are you in favor of giving THEM all our money, when we have veterasn living on the street in this country? When did you decide Iraq was more important than America?

Answer 7

Our elected officials appeal to those that do not want to help themselves and we hard working people need to vote them out of office. People also do not realize that the people are the government. Our hard earn sales, property, education and income taxes pay for services that are for those that fall on hard times, which can happen to anyone. The services are intended for a short period of time until your can get back on your feet, not for a lifetime. I am tired of paying for career deadbeats.

Answer 8

could it be because the government takes all that money from the people of this country via taxes? you know....all those hundreds of trillions of dollars the gvt has in its coffers actually belongs to the people.

So if you start with that premise.....they either owe it to the people or need to stop taxing the people ...your choice.

But I submit that the government takes too much from the people in taxes...how do I know that? I know that because the government clearly has way too much money on its hands cause I see how easily they waste it and spend it like drunken sailors.

Answer 9

The US was founded by people who wanted the opportunity to make better lives for themselves and their families.

I blame liberal Democrats who have made up social programs and used those programs to buy votes.

We should be self-reliant in all areas except national security. That should be the main function of the federal government.

Answer 10

Yeah, only a complete jerk would expect the government that they fund through taxes to spend some of that money on the people.

It must be fun living in crazy-world.