The Dependent Society

I'm stuck on the idea of dependence. As our governments, from local to federal, become increasingly larger, I continue to see reliance and dependence on our governments increase. This dependence comes at the expense of our long-term strength, independence, and ultimately our freedom.

Another example of ways our government is increasing this dependence is additional loans to people who can't afford them. A.K.A. Slavery.

"Another $1 billion will go to a new program being run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It will provide homeowners with emergency zero-interest rate loans of up to $50,000 for up to two years."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/38658978


I haven't figured out what happens when someone doesn't repay the loan after two years, but the well-meaning, big government hacks who keep coming up with these plans to loan more money are simply missing the point. Debt serves no one. Debt hinders us from becoming self-sustaining.

When someone is suffering under the stress of debt, more debt will only prolong the agony and make the fall to the bottom worse when the eventual collapse comes. This is true for individuals and our nation. Our big government proponents play politics with issues like this, claiming that they are helping those in need, when they are simply pushing their collapse into the future so they can gain a few votes.

There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon as the Feds rethink policies that encourage home ownership, but the crux of this issue then boils down to fixing the problem that the government created. Instead of getting out of the way and letting the market determine how loans work; letting banks and lending institutions shoulder the burden and the risk, the big government response is to make the bureaucracy bigger by creating rules and regulations that drive up costs and force the direction of the market.

Then there's lovely line in the article above that says the government will help low-income renters even more in the face of limited lending; thus driving rental prices even higher. It's a never ending cycle of higher costs and more entitlements.

Our politicians are creating problems and then campaigning on the idea that they can fix the problem. Rather than undo the policies that created the problem, they make them even further reaching. In most cases this is happening on the R and D sides of the aisle. We need to be demanding that entire departments within the federal government be downsized and/or eliminated.

The case for local control and oversight of most programs is more powerful now than ever. Cities and States can much more easily manage and allocate the resources coming out of their communities than the federal government.

Of course, we need to start with ourselves. We need not rely on our government for our needs. If we find ourselves in this position, the options for success in the future are becoming smaller and smaller. We already have far too many people relying on the government for food, housing, and now health care. What else is there?

I keep going back to the analogy of feeding the bears in the state park. What can't we feed the bears? If we do so, they will stop hunting for themselves and eventually forget how.