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Economic Cancer: That Sense of "Entitlement"

When did we start to feel entitled?

In the Depression of the 1930's, the jobless father of 4 asked the farmer if he could work on the farm for a day in exchange for food to feed his family.

In the Depression of 2010 do we just take the food from the farmer because, after all, you and your family are entitled to eat?

Are we:

Entitled to a life better than our parents had?

Entitled to own real estate?

Entitled to dis-own real estate?

Entitled to be bailed out?

Entitled to a job?

Entitled to health care? And to social security when we grow old?

You would sure think so by what surrounds us.

Why work? Why pay your bills? Why take care of your health and your finances? Why respect what others have earned?

Do we take the course that will help us? Or do we just help ourselves to what others have produced?

When did we start to believe that America owed us more than life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

Is it because the government has redefined the word "rights" to include never needing to suffer?

Is it because a generation came of age when stock market wealth and real estate equity made it seem like real work was obsolete?

Did 100% stated income loans with a few years of teaser rates train us to believe the American Dream was what every American deserved?

Did plastic in our wallets make it seem like our rights included unlimited gratification?

Somehow, we have lost our way.

Let us hope to sprout fresh green grass across America we do not need to completely kill the roots.

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker and Direct Lender Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area

Posted by Janet Guilbault California Mortgage Banker/Broker on 10/23/2009 11:01 AM

Comments (68)

Bailout in the Mortgage / Finance Channel

economic meltdown, bailout, babyboomers, what really matters, housing crisis, american dream

Post is included in group: The Ninety-ninth Percentile
Post is included in group: Realtors®
Post is included in group: LOANS

68 Comments on Economic Cancer: That Sense of "Entitlement"

OCT

I have felt the same way. I have private health insurance and a job that I pay for it with. If I had neither, I could apply for the government to take care of it all. I will never get why people believe they deserve it all with no effort given on their parts.

How true, just turning 54 the other day, and looking at the younger world around me - you know what? I think that I am part of a generation - the last generation that doesn't expect a handout.

Great article you posted.

Janet - Agreed. I've taken a great amount of pride in watching my Father in all of this. He had lost his job with the YMCA and searched persistently for work, any work he could find. He garnered what could be a very positive interview for a great company recently, but in the meantime has been holding down two jobs.

A very thoughtful post. Hope it is read by all; becomes a featured blog. No easy answers, and you have touched on the philosophical aspect of lifestyle.

Readers: Someone under 30 years old told me the farmer story at the beginning of this post. It inspired me to question what has happened to our thinking.

The entire concept of work ethic seems to have some gaping holes in it.

Rebecca: I often look at my own paychecks...and get depressed. After taxes and the huge bite for healthcare it is gobbled up.

Then I look around at all the people not working who have healthcare and unemployment and wonder "what is wrong with this picture?"

Ed: It is very easy to feel the differences in the generations. Since you are a babyboomer like me, do you find alot of hostility from the younger generation?

They believe we have screwed things up and now they will need to "SAVE" us. Save us because to them it appears we have crashed and burned.

Jason: I am going to hope for the best for your Dad.

In my family there are 8 cousins in the 20-30 age group. Only 1 is still in school. All the rest have college degrees, MBA, lawyer, architects etc. Only one of them has a job!

How brutal it must be out there in the job market with older vs younger...especially because health care for someone older would be more expensive.

Janet: Great post and very thought-provoking. And you're right ... a "tude" does seem to crop up and rear its ugly head frequently. Could the current hardships be the attitude correction we need as a nation? Time will tell ...

Gene

Gene: Hard to picture this attitude being corrected by rewarding those that don't work and don't pay. Seems to me that encourage more of the same.

If you are talking about excess spending, I definatley think attitudes will change there.

Janet this is so true. There are many that take everthing they have for granted!

Bill: You do not take for granted ANYthing that you worked for. Blood sweat and tears....that is how you appreciate what you have.

People have a sense of entitlement because we as a society have allowed it. I worked as a child and family therapist before being a real estate agent. Most of my clients tried their hardest and did their best. It was that small percentage that really drains the system.

Maybe it is just me, but I think if you are getting unemployment or welfare some community volunteering is in order. Trash can be picked up along streets, parks cleaned, etc. I have gotten unemployment in the past and I know as hard as I was applying, that I wasn't spending 40 hours a week looking. I easily could have spent a couple hours a week working in the community. There is time to give back to the community which gives to you.

We lack this piece as a nation as such there is no respect for where that money comes from, or how the government got it. That is the essence of our problem, in my opinion.

Melina, you wrote this:

Maybe it is just me, but I think if you are getting unemployment or welfare some community volunteering is in order

I agree! That is a wonderful idea! How about volunteering for child care so that people can go back to school, look for jobs, and work part time?????

Most people that are on unemployment think they are entitled to a "break" because they have worked so many years.

there is no respect for where that money comes from, or how the government got it

There is also no sense that this money had to be produced by someone who works and then re-distributed to someone who does not work.

I don't believe anything is owed to me. I have been working since I was 14. My parents provided for my needs but when it was time to buy the "wants" I had to save my money. I bought my own car, I bought my house with no gift money from anyone. Most of my friends are the same way. I'm 27 and I feel the teenagers today are in a worse position because their parents have given them everything. I know people that have teenagers and they feel that they haven't taught them enough financial responsibility. My friends have kids and their kids are getting their needs met now because their parents do not have the extra money.
I think people are getting angrier because we aren't manufacturing any products in USA anymore. We need more manufacturing jobs to keep the middle class together, which there is not much of anymore. I don't really see it getting better now that we are losing the car industry.
I like the post and am interested to what others have to say.

Janet - I'm feeling your pain girlfriend. Recently hubby laughed at one of my paychecks (for an extremely difficult loan) and asked "what's the point?" This too shall pass.

To be honest, I'm getting fed up with with the attitudes of many people these days. The selfish attitude that permeates everything can be donwright exhausting!

OCT

I watched the movie Dillinger on TV last night, which obviously took place during the big depression. It showed very clearly, the difference between how people reacted to economic difficulties . . . in this new depression, we just had bank robbers without guns. Some would say the robbers were on the other side of the counter this time. :0)

I agree and when did this all start? I was watching a campaign ad here in IL where they said, 'make the wealthy over $200K pay more taxes.' When is 200K wealthy? Give me a break. The 'have nots' want the same things the 'haves' have without working for them. I'm personally sick of it and maybe not everyone should own a home.

Susan has a great point.

What a wonderful observation! And, so true. The question is, ''What are we going to do about this attitude?'' My response is to continue to do what I did 2 nights ago. My husband & I went to my niece's college campus & taught them about saving money & budgeting. We taught economic independence, personal financial responsibility and living a debt free lifestyle. One step at a time, one person at a time....

Stacey has a great point. Most youth groups would welcome older adults getting involved, to teach some life skills that school administrators and politicians seem to be neglecting. What about volunteering at after-school programs? Hmmmm ...

(You'll have to forgive me, whenever I hear about a problem, I like to hear a solution being promoted.)

Janet, This is probably the best non-real estate post that I have ever read on ActiveRain. Our community is so diverse that this post will not go over well with many that feel the opposite of what you do but I'll tell you this. My wife lost her job in February and has found work here and there in the mean time. I've had a rough year being a REALTOR® but all the time we have asked what else can WE do to help OURSELVES. We don't have insurance but we know that if we want insurance, we can certainly go and PURCHASE some if it is one of our PRIORITIES. It's not a right. Indeed, even those with insurance through their companies probably don't know that INSURANCE was introduced by companies as a way to lure and secure the best talent. A benefit...not a right. Somewhere along the way it became a right or at least our mindset became that it's a right.

Thank you for a well written and thought out post and to tell you the truth, no one could explain it better than the 1930's farmer illustration vs the 2009 farmer illustration. It truly was a shift in mindset that has taken better than 70 years to accomplish but now we have to deal with it.

I guess some of you have not been to a town where there are 8,000 people and 4,000 jobs were lost when a plant moved to Mexico. The city cut the plants taxes to zero dollars and the employees took a 50% pay cut to keep Electrolux there. But they still went to Mexico....can't compete with ten bucks a day labor costs, no benifets to pay, no environmental safety .... So now where do 4000 people go ? Maybe to the big city to an automotive plant...oops, they closed down too. Maybe to get a waitress job in a small coffee shop...oops, that closed down too.

You must be fortunate to live in an area where you can just go out and find another job....it isn't able to happen in so many places...Not all the people you put into the hand out group are wanting to be there. Most of these people held the jobs for 20 or more years and now there are a lot of little tent cities forming on the edges of town.....

Hope it doesn't happen to your town or family. Seems easy to just say pull your self up and get a job when there aren't any to be had in some areas Many of you must not remember when Houstin market lost about 85 % of housing value and there were no jobs....Texans moved to Michigan for auto factory jobs...now where will they go...Maybe Mexico for their 10 bucks

Why we're in trouble... The population of this country is 300 million. 160 million are retired. That leaves 140 million to do the work.
There are 85 million in school. Which leaves 55 million to do the work. Of this there are 35 million employed by the federal government. Paid with our tax dollars.
Leaving 15 million to do the work. 2.8 million are in the armed forces protecting our country. (our tax dollars at work for us)
Which leaves 12.2 million to do the work. Take from that total the 10.8 million people who work for state and city Governments,paid for with tax dollars. And that leaves 1.4 million to do the work. At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals.
Leaving 1,212,000 to do the work. Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons.
That leaves just two people to do the work.

You and me.

And there you are, At your computer, reading jokes. Nice. Real nice. Tongue in cheek... great post.

Seriously now... we've tried to get involved with people to help. One in particular is outstanding in my mind, we helped her in so many ways and finally got her a good job. She got herself fired at the end of her probation period because as she stated, "I was making more money not working!" And therein lies the problem. All our problems are created by and for our government... and this was for number 23. I feel for you... but government caused this problem and you want them to address it too which ultimately leads to more problems. Our government produces nothing. They have nothing. All they have comes from 1 of 3 places, taxes, borrowing and/or printing.

Janet, great thoughts. I agree that somehow our society has gone astray. I hope this post provokes a lot of thought!

Janet....Thanks you for sharing your thoughts. I agree.

Jerry Gray CRB,CRS,GRI / Prudential Carolinas Realty / Winston Salem, NC

Excellent post....

Tim

What we are seeing is the gradual failure of a social system where core values are no longer taught because parents have resigned from their parenting jobs and decided to let the government, TV programming, media, public schools... do it for them.

Great post. This sense of "entitlement" has blossomed into the notion that we do not need to live within our means. We can ignore what we earn and instead live off of debt. That is what caused this whole mess to begin with. Why can't we just accept that everyone can't own a newer 2,500 to 3,000 square foot home? Instead we are getting government bailouts that are lining the pockets of Wall Street Banks, Home builders and others that profit from artificially propped up housing prices. Home owners are being told that the government will bail them out of their bad financial decisions. Of course that means the rest of us who lived within our means and saved money are getting hammered. Our incomes are down too, but we do not qualify for bailouts. However, you can bet we will "qualify" to pay for those bailouts.

Janet I am in agreement with you. A big part of this is government. Today the guy working would have his back go out and the farmer would get nailed for not having him covered under Worker's Comp and have to pay the payroll taxes. Then he would get sued for not providing the minimum wage. If he had let the guy sleep in the barn the guy would not move out under some rent control ordinance and would require him to bring the barn up to code.

Hi Janet, Thanks for a very well thought out and presented post. It does seem like too many feel that sense of entitlement !

My first thought when I read this was, "In today's society, "Where would one find a farmer to allow them to work for food?"

If the farmer allowed anyone to work for food these days, he would need products lliability insurance, workmens' compensation insurance, health department inspections, implied income tax estimates, and many other layers of government intervention and cost. He might well decide that he could not afford to do this.

Seriously, the entitlement mindset has crippled a large percentage of our population. But for every one who abuses the system there are two or more who really do need and deserve the help. Unfortunately we do not hear about those that deserve it, just the ones who abuse it.

"This is a great time to buy a house."

I absolutely agree with you on all but one point. If we have worked all of our lives, we ARE entitled to Social Security because we and our employers (or just ourselves if self-employed) have been REQUIRED to pay in to it.

As for those who have never worked receiving the benefits, that's a completely different story. No, they aren't entitled.

For all the rest of it - I agree with you completely.

I jusst read an interesting article "Should Unemployed People work for Free" in Parade magazine (October 11 issue) You can go to Parade.com/unemployed to vote on the issue. There are some good arguements in the article both pro and con.

I forget if it was Jim Rohn or another good speaker who said that before a welfare check should be delivered, the recipient should have to do something to improve their own circumstances. Paint the front door, pull the weeds, clean the house, etc. I believe in that for many reasons.

So... the big question we always come back to: What can we do about it?

You've got it right Janet. People need to take more responsibility for their own lives.

Great post. I always enjoy your blogs. Gene's comments #30 are freaking awesome.

Janet,

You have touched a nerve, in the last couple of years I have certainly seen some crazy things, for one, how about the moratoriums on foreclosures. Can't pay your mortgage, don't worry the Government will take care of you. I think the biggest problem today is a lack of character, in todays society, instead of asking for work, the Father would go to get a benefit card (food stamps), sign up for AFDC (aid) then go steal the Farmers food, claim he got ill from eating it, sue the Farmer and collect a large settlement, because he is know afriad of fresh foods... Only in America

Janet, You are so right. And the problem is getting worse with each new generation.

OCT

Janet,

This is why this period of time is important. We all need a wake up at some point in time, maybe this economy will put a fire under some of us out there that nothing is free. It's been 30 years since the last time our economy tanked. Those of us that came out of that know that the Gov't can only help so much.

Those that have children should be teaching them right now that they have to grow up with a good education to get a decent job. For those that had a decent job but the plant/business shut down, recognize your mistake, know that you have to either find another field of work or go back to school for a better education. For those of us that are older, and can not go back to college, recognize that the Gov't is only going to help out for so long. That your family suffers because of your lack of planning for problem times like what is going on now. Personal responsibility is key here.

I understand that those of us that have children always wanted to give our kids more than what we had, wanting them to have a better life. I get that, and have done that for my son, but I never gave him something that he didn't have to earn, except for his birthday or Christmas. You want allowance each week, then you have to chores for it. You want money for movies, then you have to earn it. That his school homework was his job, and that he had to do well to be rewarded for it. I taught him to go out on his own, that I wouldn't always be around, but that he could fail and come back, but expected him to try again and again until he succeded. And he has, he's out there making a living, paying his bills, learning about real life.

Great post. These attitudes seem to creep into our lives slowly over time. It happens when you don't have core values and a set of principles that you keep looking to. When you accept one little exception to your principles, it slowly allows other little exceptions to be accepted. Over a few generations, no one remembers how it all started.

I think it started under FDR. My parents never were looking for handouts but they accepted all of the changes that FDR implemented I guess because it seemed like such a dire situation. Now two generations later my kids just accept the concept of social security and welfare. They don't know any different. It's how it's been all of their lives and the lives of their parents. Only the people who enjoy history see how things have changed but they are usually seen as whackos who want to go back to the days of horse and buggies.

Excellent post! I am reminded of when Oprah tried to spend some of her own money to help some people on welfare pull themselves out of it and could not understand WHY they didn't want to. It's the same ole song and dance: "Why get up off the couch and work for the same amount of money or less, when you can sit on the couch and do nothing...and the money and benefits associated with it still comes?"

Entitlements should only be a stop-gap approach...not a lifestyle! I agree with Tim, it has gone on for too long and is now expected to always continue.

Janet,

Excellent post! I've been feeling alone in this same philosophy. The government has everyone feeling entitled. What ever happened to wanting to work and earning your way? The dumbing of America has been a big success, but it comes with a huge cost.....FREEDOM.

OCT

Sh*tcan a few hundred Democrats and watch the problems start to go away. Then Sh*tcan the rest of the Republicans and finish the job.

Everybody in congress and the Whitehouse is crooked....time to start over.

And while we're at it, let's abolish the illegal, corrupt, unconstitutional Federal Reserve....no more Federal that Federal Express and there are no reserves.....do some research.

Boy did you ever hit a nerve or two. We had beter change our ways pretty darn soon or we will not only lose our sense of entitlement we will lose our freedom. The true American landscape has already changed so much I'm concerned it may never return to where it used to be. Good post.

Hello Readers: Your comments are inspiring to me! Thank you for reading, and for commenting.

Marte: It is easy to feel that you are owed social security because you paid into it. That would be true if what you paid in was sitting somewhere earning interest or invested.

Instead, social security is nothing more than a tax and a promise. Soon to be a broken promise if something does not change.

To Comment # 23:

When jobs are lost it usually means that the economy has changed and the resources (labor) need to be redistrubuted and reallocated.

Yes, this means suffering. But the upside is that the economy is stronger because we do not artifically keep resources in a non-productive industry and they are naturally re-distributed to the right place.

Our economy is adjusting to a global economy. That means America needs to re-invent herself, not cling to an outdated economy that is living beyond its prime.

Bob and Bonnie: Love your comment...it is ironic but the truth is that too few people who produce anything are trying to support too many people who produce nothing.

It is not because they are not able. It is because they have been trained to believe they are:

Owed something because ________________(fill in the blanK)
Have been trained by handouts that it is easier to be idle than to contribute.

There is no longer any pride in making a contribution. There seems to be more pride in scamming the system.

Ben: Comment #28:

Why aren't we teaching ethics in schools?

Why aren't we teachiing financial responsibility?

Why isn't there more emphasis on the ideals of our founding fathers?

Do we only appreciate this after we have lost it?

I agree with an earlier comment that why get off the couch when you can make the same by sitting there unless you can be a member of Congress. Both are free money.

OCT

the question of entitlements only comes about because we haven't excersized our RIGHTS. we HAVE to be entitled to things because they (the fake governing bodies) have stolen the land and handed the means of production to other coporations. America and it's republic-style government (not, by definition a pure democracy) is based on participation by its citizens, but citizens without "SKIN in the game" don't and won't (and can't) participate. What do i mean by "skin in the game?" ...Land ownership. Homesteading needs to return to America. the land is ours (by right), but individual prosperity will depend on each man's personal motivations and ambitions, BUT WITH LAND OWNERSHIP AS A BEDROCK RIGHT, not an entitlement. entitlement connotes powers to gov't that it does not have. we give the gov't powers by our constant consent. example, we hire lawyers instead of reseaching legal matters, (or solving matters outside court). we trust dr.'s with our lives, never learning about the diseases that afflict us. these people PRACTICE their craft they are not and can never be, experts. trust yourself, if you do you see that basic land ownership is taking the responsibility of your prosperity in your own hands. the same people who hate entitilements benefit and/or depend on some type of entitlement or another in almost every facet of their lives. in fact, i think entitlement is freedom, the rest of us are slaves to jobs that make a very few people very rich. and guess what, entitlement haters, you're never gonna be that few. the Constitution was supposed to deliver man from slavery to crowns and unwarranted threats to his liberty, but somewhere along the way we've been fooled into accepting an illusion of freedom with no responsibilities, replacing real liberty and ultimate personal responsibility.

I agree totally. Every where you look you see someone with their hand out. What ever happened to earning your own way?

Very true Janet. I see this a lot now a days. Very little accountability.

OCT

Ultimately we are responsible for ourselves,and our family. The corporate welfare, and total lack of accountability that pervaded our culture for the last 8 years, did not set a good example for America. The wealth disparity is greater today than in the 1930's. We need an FDR to save capitalism again, and inspire all the citizens. I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to live hand to mouth just to get the dole from the government. America has many challenges to face. We need to work together, because we all do better when we all do better.

OCT

amen. very few americans have even taken the time to consider what a "right" is. they toss the term around having given it no real thought.

the very term entitlement is offensive. arlen wallace #50, you need to get a firm grip on what rights and liberty are...my rights are mine. the maintenance of them does not obligate me to ANY responsibilities...they are mine by virtue of my mere existence. no matter how many people you can get to agree with you...you have no right to the fruits of my labor...NONE. a constitution does not grant rights, it enumerates them and memorializes them. it is not an exhaustive schedule of them either...just a reminder to anyone who might choose to usurp them.

consider also the term "democracy", you hear it a lot but few know what one is...but let me tell you that two wolves and a sheep cannot have a vote about who to eat for lunch.

here's a good clip of Ron Paul trashing michael moore...cut and paste into a new tab and enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hn6ad4_FzM&feature=player_embedded

NOV

@ Michael Ford #55,

you obviously misunderstood my semi-sarcastic use of the word entitlement. but if you think that YOUR rights carry no responsibilities you're wrong and it's that type of thinking that will result in losing your rights. because even though our rights are ENUMERATED in the constitution, they still have to be demanded and fought for at every turn. Gov'ts and other corporations always try to circumvent, deny or take away your rights, especially because you take them for granted. and to your second point, i never said i or anyone has the right to the fruits of your labor. what i did say was that with land ownership as a right exercised, EVERYONE would have the same opportunity to produce and take ownership of their economic livelihood. therefore no one would need entitlements. this is why i advocate a Homesteading Act extended to every American citizen. btw, Ron Paul used to be my man (as i too, am a libertarian and advocate abolishing the Federal Reserve), but he has been an echo in the congressional chamber, ineffective in putting forth any legislation that libertarians can get behind. you wanna see ways to take control of your life economically check out www.realestateremedies.blogspot.com if you wanna learn something check out www.must-seetv.blogspot.com

@ Melina Tomson #13

"Most of my clients tried their hardest and did their best. It was that small percentage that really drains the system."

while i'm not an advocate of welfare, juicing the unemployment system or any sloth, i need you to realize that welfare (not counting Medicare, because everyone uses Medicare) accounts for 1% of GDP. the arguments over the "welfare state" is a distracting muse for our ire, and not ou real problem. you wanna know whos stealing all the money...corporations!!! they pay (effectively) very little taxes and get all our money, and when they wanna break contracts and shed debt, they just file Chapter 11. The very company you work for is the one siphoning off the wealth of the world funneling it to a very few people. we're looking at the poor as if they're the problem, when they are the end result of the Monopoly game played by large companies and Gov'ts. if we don't pay attention to whats happening, we will be in the welfare line right next to the people we look down upon now. check out www.realestateremedies.blogspot.com and www.must-seetv.blogspot.com

@ Shewmake #37

quote: "...how about the moratoriums on foreclosures. Can't pay your mortgage, don't worry the Government will take care of you."

Do you want to know why foreclosures are growing and will continue to grow? The answer is usury. If we continue to allow a money system where interest exists then eventually we will all be in debt and then foreclosed upon. In a system where money is made by debt and is then loaned out at interest there will never be enough money in the system to pay all the principle AND interest, because only the principle exists in circulation. even with a delay in debt payments from the time the debts are created can't compensate for high interest AND inflation AND taxes which further siphons off money needed just to service the debt. the end result of a money system where interest is charged is FORECLOSURE. the Gov't knows this, but they are beholden to the Federal Reserve (a private company). they offer these programs as fibulator to a dead system and to avoid the revolution that happens when the people get tired of oligarchies and plutocracies. you want to lean something about our money system check out: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2550156453790090544&ei=jz_uSv6lDKGqqwKOjZW8CQ&q=money+as+debt+full#

NOV

Arlin: I enjoyed your enthusiasm but you really must learn something about economics. The world just does not work the way we'd like it to sometimes, but work it does. You can either rail against the system or learn to live with it -- warts and all. It is still one of the best systems available.

For example, your comments about interest ("If we continue to allow a money system where interest exists then eventually we will all be in debt and then foreclosed upon.") demonstrates your lack of understanding of what interest really is.

So here we go: Interest is a payment that borrowers are willing to make in order to consume something that they otherwise could not get now. Lenders are willing to forgo consuming something in order to receive that payment now. It's a trade off. Money is a tool, and loans are tools which properly used result in a benefit -- just like a hammer. If we use a hammer improperly we can smash our thumbs. Does that make a hammer bad?

"This is a great time to buy a house."

Akron, Ohio

@ Thomas Combs #59

interest as a concept works in theory, but think about this...when money is loaned it has two components; principle AND interest. the problem is that only principle is in circulation, so there is never enough money in circulation to cover principle AND interest. to make matters worse is that subtracted from that principle (needed to service debt), is taxes and inflation, not to mention necessary spending on healthcare, food, gas or other "discretionary" spending, further reducing the money for debt service. this puts an ever greater strain on debtors. combine that scenario with the negative effects of non-producing passive investors, who also siphon dollars out of circulation. even though there is a time delay from debt initiation to debt repayment, the money supply needed to service debt is reduced so significantly, default is increasingly prevalent. historically, usury (charging interest) was outlawed in certain civilizations and outright banned Biblically. to get a grip on interest, it's history and results watch this video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2550156453790090544&ei=0tz0So-kM5mkqAKx9PzsCw&q=money+as+debt+full#

NOV

Janet - great post! The "Entitlement Mentality" is more than an economic cancer - it infects our whole society - just the other day, Finland declared internet access a basic human right!

Janet,

I am so glad Kent Simpson reblogged it, or I would have missed it. This is what bugs me, and what worries me.

We gotta get out of it and do it fast. Instead we are reading how ecstatic the agents are about the Extension Of Tax Credit, just another giveaway

NOV

Hi Janet! I caught this with Kent's re-blog and saw that his had been disqualified-I think he 're-blogged' it erroneously and it's not actually showing as a 're-blog!'

ANYWAY--GREAT post! I feel very strongly that our entitlement ENDS at the age of 18--that is the provision of food, clothing, education and shelter by our parents (or responsible caregivers), PERIOD! At 18, we're no longer entitled, we MUST stand on our own two feet. If I could not pay the mortgage with my REALTOR commissions and could not get a job again as a nurse (my former profession, which is highly unlikely!)--you're darn skippy that I'd be flippin' burgers at Mickey-D's for 80 hours a week! There are plenty of jobs for which I'd be overqualified and bored to tears doing but, I'd do anything to feed my family and keep that roof over our heads.

What happened to values in this country?

Janet - glad that Jon Zolsky reblogged this, I would have missed it otherwise. Very well stated. I think that too many people have forgotten that pursuit does not always mean catching your goal but assume that it just means getting it.

Janet, What an excellent post. Thank you for pulling this out of my head for me. LOL. I don't understand our society, in that they don't think they should have to work hard to get a good life.

My parents grew up in the depression era and they worked and worked and worked for all that they have. Sometimes God puts stumbling blocks in our way to make us stronger NOT more dependent on others.

NOV

Thanks for this post. We do have way too much entitlement thinking.

But all of this must be considered in the context of our economic reality:

In the late 50's, early sixties, Americans consumed 57% of the all the goods and services produced in the world every year -- with essentially 6% of the world's population.

Now we consume about 30% with a similar population share.

In another 20 years, maybe 30, we will be consuming something much closer to our per capita portion of the world's wealth.

And we WILL be working harder than ever for that.

ON AVERAGE, our grandchildren/great-grandchildren will not have more than their parents had.

Lyn -

BTW: $200,000 per year is wealthy...it is a tiny slice of our population.

Albeit: A tiny slice paying a big slice of our taxes already.

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