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Riots and demonstrations seem to be the trend this fall. All over the world, governments are trying to cut back on expenditures, and those who live off the government teat are protesting violently. Yet had welfare and socialist entitlements not sprung up in the first place, there would be neither the extreme levels of debt at the international level nor the multiple street riots that have tax-paying citizens shaken. It’s all a cycle of mutually dependent relationships that are collectively ruining both society and the world economy.
The Rise of the “Taker” Mentality
Our Founding Fathers didn’t write a constitution full of entitlements for the people. Our Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence assert our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They don’t lay out a series of transfer payments, benefits programs, and other handouts granting us the rights to premium cable, two car garages, and freedom from the need to work to support ourselves. My, how times have changed!
A key word that has come to be associated with the taker or entitlement mentality is “deserve,” as in “I deserve” or “everyone deserves” certain goods. Politicians like to lecture on the things Americans “deserve” to have – free universal health care, affordable housing, or a functional economy are often mentioned. Work and the idea of earning things isn’t mentioned, yet all the things that others deserve are usually paid for right out of taxpayers’ pockets, with money taken away from the useful economy to be funneled through the hands of government and redistributed in ways that often make no sense at all.
Part and parcel with this has been the rise of groups of people who believe they deserve to have certain things and a certain kind of life – totally independent of any effort on their own part. They don’t work or contribute, but they expect to get regular paychecks and handouts from the government. While there may be certain individuals helped by government support, many others have figured out how to game the system to live comfortably off public assistance of one form or another for their whole lives.
Basically, these people are leeches – and they’re starting to outnumber the productive, contributing members of society. As a result, there’s not enough money flowing into government coffers to let the game continue. Yes, governments can print money and borrow, but there are limits to that sort of thing – you can only go so far before hyperinflation sets in or you get overthrown. In a quest to stay in power, governments around the world are reluctantly turning to austerity.
Austerity is a Threat
Austerity is a threat to the current order of things. When you have to stop spending and cut back as a government, it gets a lot harder to buy friends, placate special interest groups, or own elections. You can’t grease six palms with the same $20, and no one wants to take your credit when they know you’re broke.
In short, austerity is a public acknowledgment that the gravy train has ground to a halt. It’s an attempt to starve things back to a state of normalcy.
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No wonder people are hitting the streets! The Occupy kids with overpriced degrees don’t want to get the kinds of jobs they’re actually qualified to do. The dishonestly disabled don’t want to go back to work. Welfare queens like their thrones, and druggies like their subsidized housing. Government bureaucrats can’t stand the thought of working in the private sector for a boss that actually holds them accountable and doesn’t award them a big pension.
Basically, anyone who is dependent on the government for their daily bread is upset that the meals won’t just keep coming. The real surprise is that there haven’t been more demonstrations and riots as the entitled and those who “deserve” more get notice the show’s over.
Staying Safe in the Meltdown
As the streets fill up with protestors and rioters, it’s important to keep your family and your property safe. You can’t single-handedly rid the world of dumb politicians, lazy bums, and the bloated socialist state – but that doesn’t mean you have to get hurt during the coming realignment between those who pay the bills and those who want to spend the money.
Protect yourself physically, mentally, and financially. Financially, put your money in tangible goods that have long-lasting utility instead of into fiat currency investments, and try to build up a cushion for hard days ahead. Physically, stay away from areas of unrest, learn some self-defense, and secure your property. Mentally, try to stay strong against the flood of people all too happy to take advantage of your prepared nature and Christian heart.
There are going to be many people who feel aggrieved that they haven’t gotten everything they wanted out of life on a silver platter. Anyone who has worked and achieved success or stability could be a target, as rioters in the streets smash any signs that there’s a path in life to follow beside living off entitlements. Until the cycle of codependency between government programs and leeches is definitively broken, the headlines will keep screaming about street riots and protests, and prepared minds will want to be wary.
©2012 Off the Grid News
