Is there an "entitlement mentality" in America?

[kamikaze483]

What do YOU think American's are truly entitled to?

 

[American]

Among some people, yes.

 

[Jetboogieman]

Oh look, it's that video again :doh

Random Youtube Video =/= Random Youtube Video

 

[Tigger]

There is most DEFINITELY an "Entitlement" mentality. I could regale the membership with hours of stories from my own hometown of individuals and familes whose entire plan for living was based around what they felt the City/State/Federal Government OWED THEM..... FREE housing. FREE food. FREE cable tv. FREE electricity. All because they happened to fall into some particular social group. I went off to college and found them there as well. Individuals who felt that they were "owed" something for one reason or another. After college it was even worse.

The only thing that an American is OWED by the Government is the opportunity to make as MUCH or as LITTLE out of themselves as they choose to. On the other hand, every American citizen OWES certain things to his/her Government as well..... That citizen has the responsibility to be active in knowing and understanding what goes on in the Government, and working to ensure that Government does not exceed its proper Constititional scope.

To his/her fellow citizens they OWE the responsibility to live a decent, moral, and proper lifestyle that neither harms society as a whole nor their fellow citizens individually or as a whole. They DO NOT OWE their fellow citizens any portion of their goods, monies, or intellectual property that they do not choose to willingly give.

 

[kamikaze483]

There is most DEFINITELY an "Entitlement" mentality. I could regale the membership with hours of stories from my own hometown of individuals and familes whose entire plan for living was based around what they felt the City/State/Federal Government OWED THEM..... FREE housing. FREE food. FREE cable tv. FREE electricity. All because they happened to fall into some particular social group. I went off to college and found them there as well. Individuals who felt that they were "owed" something for one reason or another. After college it was even worse.

The only thing that an American is OWED by the Government is the opportunity to make as MUCH or as LITTLE out of themselves as they choose to. On the other hand, every American citizen OWES certain things to his/her Government as well..... That citizen has the responsibility to be active in knowing and understanding what goes on in the Government, and working to ensure that Government does not exceed its proper Constititional scope.

To his/her fellow citizens they OWE the responsibility to live a decent, moral, and proper lifestyle that neither harms society as a whole nor their fellow citizens individually or as a whole. They DO NOT OWE their fellow citizens any portion of their goods, monies, or intellectual property that they do not choose to willingly give.

After debating on here and finding that it seems everyone is not seeing what I see when I mix and mingle in the community, I had almost started to wonder if these irresponsible behaviors and mind blowing mindsets were specific to the south. I didn't think that was the case, but I was starting to wonder. Good to know it happens in New England too.

I really wish I knew how to rationalize or explain PRODUCTIVE people who insist on defending this dependency on the government, this entitlement mindset, and the irresponsible behaviour of a huge number of social service recipients. It is not ALL of them, but it is a lot of them... and I wonder why people of a liberal political bias are unwilling to concede to this- only choosing to minimize it's importance on the totality of the problems we face in health care, social programs, and entitlement reform. It just seems as if because SOME people legitamately need the assistance, we should just stand by and allow the system to be abused by others. It seems that there is no requirement among people on the left for the recipients of these programs to demonstrate what they are spending their money on and WHY they can't contribute to their own wellbeing.

Again, the programs exist for the truly needy. Those that CAN'T, and not for those who WON'T. There was another video I saw of a man complaining because his welfare check was late. He had lost a leg in an accident, and therefore was content to use that as an excuse not to be productive. This is what I mean. 100 years ago that man would have been out figuring out how to making a living, because otherwise he would have starved. There's something to be said for the motivation of hunger.

Random Youtube Video =/= Random Youtube Video

Random? My video supports the thread, wherease yours does not.

 

[MaggieD]

I always ask the question, "Why?"

So my why question here is, "Why does our government do exactly what Kamikazie says?" Provide benefits for:

Those...who WON'T.

There must be a reason because all of our safety nets are rife with abuse...every single one: Section 8 Housing, Social Security Disability, Unemployment Compensation, Food Stamps, Medicaid... You name it, it's being abused to the tune of billions. As if this isn't bad enough, those people who abuse the system? They're allowed to waste their potential -- and put all together, their lost potentials are a serious drain on the mindset of others, the productivity of our nation, and our future promise.

So. I put these question out there: Why is abuse not curtailed? Why do the good people of the United States of America not demand these programs be cleaned up? I could stop most of it in a New York Minute. The powers that be -- Dems or Reps or Ind's? Nope. Ask yourselves why this is...I'd really like to know.

 

[Cameron]

I don't think very many people expect the government to give them money for doing nothing. It's interesting, you so often hear how people receiving public benefits are lazy or whatnot, but I don't know I've ever seen a shred of evidence to back that up. I certainly didn't run into any such people while I was working on public benefits cases a few years ago. We seemed to have a lot of cases where the government had come up with fishy reasons to suddenly cancel benefits though.

 

[Tigger]

So. I put these question out there: Why is abuse not curtailed? Why do the good people of the United States of America not demand these programs be cleaned up? I could stop most of it in a New York Minute. The powers that be -- Dems or Reps or Ind's? Nope. Ask yourselves why this is...I'd really like to know.

Very simply we have a society where being seen as "heartless" or "not compassionate enough" is among the most cardinal of sins. Expecting people to pull their own weight is seen as both. In some ways they're seen as Robin Hood.... stealing from the "wealth" of the Government and "getting one over on The Man"

 

[liblady]

it's kinda funny that i never see these people, nor do i know of their personal circumstances. how do you all know so much about these people who supposedly abuse the system? yes, certainly there ARE abuses, just like the abuses that happen when people make insurance claims, especially home owners insurance or auto accident claims. i can regale this board with many instances of exactly that.

yes, there is fraud. could you clean it up in a new york minute? a resounding no.

 

[liblady]

Very simply we have a society where being seen as "heartless" or "not compassionate enough" is among the most cardinal of sins. Expecting people to pull their own weight is seen as both. In some ways they're seen as Robin Hood.... stealing from the "wealth" of the Government and "getting one over on The Man"

complete bull****. republicans don't believe that.

 

[MaggieD]

it's kinda funny that i never see these people, nor do i know of their personal circumstances. how do you all know so much about these people who supposedly abuse the system? yes, certainly there ARE abuses, just like the abuses that happen when people make insurance claims, especially home owners insurance or auto accident claims. i can regale this board with many instances of exactly that.

yes, there is fraud. could you clean it up in a new york minute? a resounding no.

Oh, but yes I could.

Effective Monday morning, November 28, 2011, any employee (in any of these programs) who uncovers systematic fraud will receive a 10% bonus based on a year's worth of savings. Bonuses will be paid upon investigation and discontinuation of benefits, so be sure to have your ducks in a row.

Tom's a cab driver. I hear more stories than I can count about the people he drives who abuse "the system." They brag about it all the time.

Then there are these reports:

An audit of the government program in five large states found about 65,000 instances of beneficiaries improperly obtaining potentially addictive drugs at a cost of about $65 million during 2006 and 2007 — including thousands of prescriptions written for dead patients or by people posing as doctors.

The report, by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), represents "an enormous opportunity to save money," says Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., who has scheduled a hearing Wednesday on the findings.

When bills for the doctors' visits are added, along with the potential for Medicaid fraud in states not reviewed by the GAO audit, Carper said: "We're talking hundreds of millions of dollars."

GAO report: Millions in fraud, drug abuse clogs Medicaid - USATODAY.com

And these...

A Marietta convenience store owner faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday in federal court to allowing food stamp customers to buy more than $500,000 in alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and other unapproved items. Prosecutors said Shamsha Mirza Vasaya would also give patrons 50 cents on the dollar for their food stamps, in addition to allowing them to buy items not allowed, such as gasoline.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the food stamp program, says $330 million in taxpayer funds are diverted annually from the $64.7 billion program through similar unscrupulous means.

Marietta store owner faces prison in food stamp fraud *| ajc.com

What's people's motivation to be honest when they see dishonesty all 'round them?

Oh, I could post links the rest of the evening, btw, but I'd surely get a Fair Use Violation. Ha!

 

[vvx]

It will depend upon your definition of entitlement. Most parents expect the government will fund their child's education, for example.

 

[liblady]

no, maggie, you couldn't. fraud will always exist. you might be able to reduce it, but you can't end it.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

do we have a definition of "entitlement mentality" ?

 

[MaggieD]

no, maggie, you couldn't. fraud will always exist. you might be able to reduce it, but you can't end it.

Wish I could find a jpg for "splitting hairs." Ha!

Have a great Thanksgiving, my friend.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

it's kinda funny that i never see these people, nor do i know of their personal circumstances. how do you all know so much about these people who supposedly abuse the system? yes, certainly there ARE abuses, just like the abuses that happen when people make insurance claims, especially home owners insurance or auto accident claims. i can regale this board with many instances of exactly that.

yes, there is fraud. could you clean it up in a new york minute? a resounding no.

There is very little enforcement on abusing the safety net system we do have.
The fact is, our safety net has morphed into a lifestyle subsidy, not to provide a meager for decent existence but to provide one, that is at least middle class.

Most of the safety net programs are designed to passively encourage people to spend and never save.
There are a lot of inherent moral hazards.

 

[Risky Thicket]

A few example of entitlement are:

Oil and gas subsidies

Farm subsidies

Corporate tax write offs

Off shore incorporation

Off shore banking

Corporate Aircraft Tax Breaks

All off the top of my head just to name a few.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

A few example of entitlement are:

Oil and gas subsidies

Farm subsidies

Corporate tax write offs

Off shore incorporation

Off shore banking

Corporate Aircraft Tax Breaks

All off the top of my head just to name a few.

Off shore banking and incorporating are not entitlements.
Should you be prevented from moving to another country as well?

 

[Risky Thicket]

Off shore banking and incorporating are not entitlements.
Should you be prevented from moving to another country as well?

No I shouldn't, but that is coming. The assets you will be allowed to move out of the country will be limited. Not yet, but give the bastards time.

No matter, I'll give you that for the time being. We both know there are **** loads of corporate entitlements and THAT is the point. Pot meet kettle.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

No I shouldn't, but that is coming. The assets you will be allowed to move out of the country will be limited. Not yet, but give the bastards time.

No matter, I'll give you that for the time being. We both know there are **** loads of corporate entitlements and THAT is the point. Pot meet kettle.

And while some of that may be true, that doesn't mean a business should be restricted from international trade, just because they're incorporated outside of one of the countries they trade with.
It's ridiculous.

If enforced, millions of necessary consumer goods would disappear of the shelves of stores over night.
You need to think a little about what you want, before you goad legislators in to making these laws.

 

[Risky Thicket]

And while some of that may be true, that doesn't mean a business should be restricted from international trade, just because they're incorporated outside of one of the countries they trade with.
It's ridiculous.

If enforced, millions of necessary consumer goods would disappear of the shelves of stores over night.
You need to think a little about what you want, before you goad legislators in to making these laws.

So you support entitlements?

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

So you support entitlements?

I believe in a safety net, a real safety net, that encourages people to become self sufficient.
There are a few exceptions were I could understand creating a system for life long benefits, for specific people (like those born with life long, potentially severe disabilities).

I'm ok with corporate tax write offs, as long as people are getting tax write offs too.
What's fair is fair.

 

[American]

do we have a definition of "entitlement mentality" ?

Yeah, people who think others owe them something.

 

[Risky Thicket]

I believe in a safety net, a real safety net, that encourages people to become self sufficient.
There are a few exceptions were I could understand creating a system for life long benefits, for specific people (like those born with life long, potentially severe disabilities).

I'm ok with corporate tax write offs, as long as people are getting tax write offs too.
What's fair is fair.

So you support entitlements?

 

[American]

A few example of entitlement are:

Oil and gas subsidies

Farm subsidies

Corporate tax write offs

Off shore incorporation

Off shore banking

Corporate Aircraft Tax Breaks

All off the top of my head just to name a few.

This post is a fine example of partisan hackery.