PrintMarch 8, 2010
Entitlement Obesity
As obesity in America seems to be a topic of much concern, it is only fitting that we also make the correlation of how Americans are feasting at Uncle Sam's table like never before; Feasting, with an insatiable appetite, on the ever-expanding entitlement and handout programs that continue to be the economic death of this nation. The problem is that as we get fat, government gets fatter!
It was reported last week that, for the first time, the payouts on welfare programs finally exceeded tax receipts. While we are inundated with the term "unsustainable" it continues to befuddle most Americans as to how we profess our sincere concern for the problem and then merrily go about the proliferation of the same. We just can't seem to find the courage to push back from that big ‘ole table and quit gorging ourselves. Something for free...then it's for me! The overhaul of the health care system is just another example of an entitlement program that, like Social Security and Medicare, will become a "third rail" of politics and we will continue to gnaw on those bones until such time that our dear Uncle goes broke and can no longer provide the table scraps. Loosen up the drawers, let's keep feasting!
In our lives, if we eat too much and exercise too little, we get fat. The more reliant on free food to satisfy our needs, the fatter we get. In essence, the more dependant on the free food we become. Do you see a pattern here? For decades now we have been treated to the entrees; we've tasted the morsels of Social Security. We have nibbled on Medicare. Now, we're being offered the main course called healthcare reform and we can't bring ourselves to say "NO". Through an entitlement mentality and the belief that we have a right to these "goodies", we have come to expect...nay, demand our free treats. The bottom line is that we've become fat on entitlements and the fatter we get, the more dependant on them we become. It's time we quit adding another hole to the belt and call this what it is: Entitlement obesity.
