[lawrencefan]

Is self reliance dead in this country. Are we as Americans finally unable or unwilling to provide for our individual or familial needs?

[thecavemaster]

Is self reliance dead in this country. Are we as Americans finally unable or unwilling to provide for our individual or familial needs?

We come into this world NOT self reliant. We are never completely self-reliant. Do some people abuse the system created as a safety net? Of course. That people sometimes have to fall into the soceital safety net to survive hardly merits the blanket statement above.

[ComfortEagle]

Yeah, really, we are not even BORN self-reliant, so technically self-reliance is DEAD before it even started.

I don't think America, the country, has been composed of self-reliant people since before the industrial revolution and before social welfare programs were put in place. But I may be wrong about that. There will always be, and I think there always was, a number of people who rely on the government or others to survive.


I'm not getting where you are going with your question though. Certainly the majority of the people in this country can and do provide for their own needs. If you're trying to make a point that certain people can not, or choose not to, then I think that's a bit obvious.

[lawrencefan]

I don't know, I guess I'm just turning into an old curmudgeon. It seems that people more and more are looking to government to solve their problems. When I was young, I had a wife and a kid. I was a full time student, and I had two jobs. We had to sacrifice, but we paid our own way. I just think that government is making too many of it's citizens dependent. This is purposely being done by politicians who are buying themselves support. If you work hard and take care of your own, government has nothing for you.

[thecavemaster]

I don't know, I guess I'm just turning into an old curmudgeon. It seems that people more and more are looking to government to solve their problems. When I was young, I had a wife and a kid. I was a full time student, and I had two jobs. We had to sacrifice, but we paid our own way. I just think that government is making too many of it's citizens dependent. This is purposely being done by politicians who are buying themselves support. If you work hard and take care of your own, government has nothing for you.

I see your point about making a way for yourself. But, government does provide social security, roads, garbage service... all things, along with others, that are good things, service things.