What many Americans seem to miss is that the more we spread money around in an attempt to fix the inequities of society in the near term, the more anemic we become as a nation. There is a loss of incentive and an increase in apathy. More and more recipients of the social welfare state become dependent upon fewer and fewer “donors” and everyone loses in the end. The number of Americans receiving some form of governmental assistance jumped “to the whopping 29 percent… in 2020 – more than double what it was in 1996”. In 2022, approximately 22% of the federal budget accounted for some form of welfare assistance.
The Irony of Socialism
That is the irony of socialism. The more the country moves in that direction, and the more the government becomes the paternalistic parents of the masses, and the less resources are available to support the poor. I don’t dispute that capitalism has its significant problems. However, America was the most capitalistic country in the world at a time when we were the strongest and most prosperous nation in the world. Twenty years ago, this country certainly had a class of poor people, but to put things in context, “poor” in the US has never been the same as poor in many other countries. Now we see tent shelters of homelessness, more street drug addicts, and fentanyl abusers in most of our major cities. Prosecutors refuse to punish the lawless who steal and commit other crimes with impunity. Increased black-on-black murders and the demeaning of our police as a targeted group. A loss of respect from our partner nations. The list goes on and on. As China focuses on economic growth with coal fired plants, America focuses on climate change and the redistribution of wealth though government spending.
A Nation in Decline
As we move more and more toward equity and equality, we become weaker and weaker, lazier and lazier, and more and more satisfied with dependence rather than self-reliance. If one uses the Biden administration as an example, ironically, as the social programs increase, we also become more and more disenfranchised with the outcome. Current polls suggest that his progressive agenda now has 70% of Americans thinking we are headed in the wrong direction. The “squad” has been largely silenced and BLM, as an organization, has been “cancelled”. However, sadly, these are not trends more than they are temporary setbacks in an overall trajectory.
Conclusion
Historians will look back on the fall of America and speculate how we could be so blind.
Like the “frog in the pot”.
Prov. 6:9-11 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest– and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
2 Thes. 3:11-12 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.
Postscript
A reader made the valid point that there are many in the social support system that need assistance with living expenses. My intent in this post was not to restrict their source of help in any way. Those who can not provide a living wage for themselves must be legitimately supported by those who can. The debate on social services (which was only a small part of this brief post) centers around the definitional differences between those who can’t and those who choose not to work.
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Jeff Hilles | BCWorldveiw.org, a 501(c)3 Nonprofit
