Something is wrong in America. The voices of millions of people whisper, shout, and tell a lie that Americans believe: "Somebody should do something about that. The government should do something about that." People have shaken off their personal and familial responsibility and shifted it to the government. American's physical safety, their retirement, the care of their children is increasingly placed in the hands of the government. In general, Americans have sold their birthright for a mess of pottage. They have allowed fear, complacency, and a desire for personal wealth to overcome their judgment and have willingly surrendered many of their rights. America is heading for disaster. The time has come for Americans to take responsibility for themselves and their families. If they don't do it now, they will soon find it is too late.
What is wrong with the government providing financially for its citizens?
The United States provides many benefits for its citizens. We can receive money and health care when we are too old to work, we can receive living expenses when we're out of work, and we can send our children to school without paying out of our own pockets. What's wrong with the government making sure its citizens are cared for and educated? The problem is that it is first each person's individual responsibility to make sure that they and their family are cared for, not the government's.
Allowing the government to provide for the people, instead of expecting them to provide for themselves, creates a people who are lazy, short-sighted, and unskilled. Furthermore, it fosters a false sense of security. Most Americans are no longer preparing for retirement. Young people squander their money and acquire excessive debt so they can have all the gismos and gadgets their hearts desire. They don't worry about the future because they expect the government to be there to take care of them when they are no longer able to provide for themselves.
The government was not created to take care of the people as though they were incapable of providing for themselves. When the founding fathers set up the government, they organized it to allow the greatest responsibility to rest on the citizens. The purpose of the American government, the reason why it is so great, is because it allows people to govern themselves while protecting their liberties. When people govern themselves, they usually choose what's best for everyone. The common good is the common concern. This system only fails when the people become complacent, give up the right to govern themselves, and allow themselves to be dictated by others.
Why is personal responsibility so important?
We suffer the consequences of our own choices. Allowing the government to make choices for us does not insulate us from the consequences of those choices. In the end, each individual will have to make an accounting of their own life before God. The successes or failures of the government will not save its citizens from individual judgment. Nor can it continually spare a person difficulties in this life because of unwise actions. Every person is subject to the law of reciprocation, just as they are subject to the law of gravity. The government can delay the consequences of unwise decisions, but that just makes the problem worse. Attempting to hold back the consequences of choice only adds to the problem, just as holding back water with a dam results in a pool behind the barrier. When the dam breaks, the surge of debris-filled water causes much more damage than the river ever would.
Furthermore, the greater good is put at risk when responsibility shifts from the individual to the government. It is human nature for a person who is given a little authority to abuse their position. Strong leaders resist the urge to take complete power and give as much responsibility to the governed as possible. The more power a person gains, the more susceptible they are to putting personal gain over common welfare. When a small percentage of people are allowed unrestrained government of a large body, the risk for corruption increases. Disaster results. Personal liberties are restricted, taxes are excessive, and the governing minority enjoys gluttonous living while the majority lives in squalor and poverty. In short, the common good is defeated and the extravagance of the few triumphs.
What evidence is there that the United States government has too much power?
When government policies begin to become burdensome for its citizens to bear, then the government has overstepped its bounds and become too powerful. We are beginning to see this happen in America. Many laws no longer allow Americans to decide what is best for themselves or their families. Taxes are so burdensome that they are harming people. Government officials receive remuneration far above the standard living wages of the average American.
