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| Friday, July 30, 2010 |
| NYTimes article debunks "culture of independence" |
The New York Times article: Are We a Nation of Property Owners? takes issue with Michael Barone's statement: “The fact is that we are once again, as in the days of the early republic and not in the heyday of the Progressives and the New Dealers, a republic of property owners. Most Americans have accumulated — or will, during the course of their working years, accumulate — significant amounts of wealth. And that is why, I believe, American voters seem to be rejecting the policies of the Obama Democrats.” The article goes on to review data (lots of pretty charts to look at) and comes to the conclusion: Instead I see a people with a very short horizon over which they appear to measure their cherished “independence from government” — the years when they are younger and healthy and have a good job, ideally one that provides them with good health insurance.
As they grow older and sicker, however, very large cohorts of Americans have come and in the future will come to look to the rest of society — that is, government — for their main source of income maintenance and health care financing, even as they may protest, at political rallies, that they want “government out of their Medicare.”
For millions of retired Americans, the bill for only one serious hospital episode would wipe out whatever lifetime accumulated net worth they have.
Life-cycle independence from government may be part of the American Dream, but it is just that — a dream. In the end, when the going gets tough, the tough in this country tend to run to the government — even the self-styled rugged individualists. |
| posted by Boston Gal @ 8:32 AM *
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| 7 Comments: |
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I think it all returns to the inability to assess risks and empathize. People doing well have a hard time believing that they are so close to bankruptsy, One layoff, expired COBRA and serious illness. Since Americans are so unhealthy in general I would have thought it would be more on peoples minds.
I guess that is the point of government at its best, able to make better decisions than a given individual.
Having said that I just listened to this podcast from This American Life. It is a very scary view of New York budget and the people making decisions. It also has a very positive story about prosperity in Barbados. It is mainly about budget cuts but contains a lot about how people view government. (So not completely off topic.)
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/sites/all/play_music/play_full.php?play=410
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The "self-styled rugged individualists" often seem to be millionaires who won't see the negative consequences of their philosophy; living on the street, not getting simple medical treatments, having family/friends die of treatable diseases.
Also pig-ignorance and patriotism seem to go hand in hand with being a self-styled individualism!
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Hey BG. The new Kindle Wifi is available for preorder for $139. I hope you waited for it.
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That last paragraph gets my blood boiling. I would love nothing more than to live independently from the government. However, the government through all its programs, have made it such that I cannot. I give annually approximately 40% of my income a year to the government to make me a better person for when I get old. Between a 7% sales tax, a 25% income tax, and 22% tax on my paycheck. And that is even before healthcare insurance costs. If I had that 40% back - I would be a hell of a lot better off and have the ability to handle those "one serious illnesses" they speak of. However I work my tail off and give it away to those who are not willing to work their tail off. We have coddled so many people for so long, they don't know how to stand on their own two feet. That is the destruction of the American Dream, not when the going get tough - they run to the government.
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It always amuses me to hear the complaints of those who feel they're taxed too much and lack any appreciation for what those dollars actually provide (even above and beyond future income and health care benefits). Of course, had you invested all that money you've been taxed over the years could you do better on your own? Maybe, but I doubt it unless you're somehow both smarter than the best money managers and blessed with perfect genetics.
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lol....the "best money managers" barely beat the standard indexes
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Yeah, I have to say that while
taxes ARE necessary, and some programs work, government has been working nonstop to make themselves the prime provider of many services they have no business in, LIKE health care and health insurance. I'd like nothing better than to pay for my own health care by buying insurance. What I see, though, is that the government, lawyers, (AND the health care profession), have simply priced me out of the market despite trying to stay in shape and live healthy.
'Anonymous' of letter #4 seems to have the right idea.
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I think it all returns to the inability to assess risks and empathize. People doing well have a hard time believing that they are so close to bankruptsy, One layoff, expired COBRA and serious illness. Since Americans are so unhealthy in general I would have thought it would be more on peoples minds.
I guess that is the point of government at its best, able to make better decisions than a given individual.
Having said that I just listened to this podcast from This American Life. It is a very scary view of New York budget and the people making decisions. It also has a very positive story about prosperity in Barbados. It is mainly about budget cuts but contains a lot about how people view government. (So not completely off topic.)
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/sites/all/play_music/play_full.php?play=410