American Entitlement: The lie!

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." – Thomas Jefferson

Today we are told that, as Americans, we are all created equal and thus are all equally deserving of…well, everything. Why is it that when we are having a bad day or things just aren’t going our way we instantly tell ourselves that “we don’t deserve this”? What do we deserve? As Americans, are we automatically exempt from bad days? Of course not! There is no bill of rights that guarantees us only bright and sunny outcomes in which everyone gets to live happily ever after.

It sounds ridiculous to even mention the idea. But we are told this lie every day. We are told that there are countless Americans that deserve a better life, and that our duty as productive citizens is to make sure that no one is left out. Then, in the same breath, we are told that success is a big house, 3 cars, maxed out credit cards and more bills than we can pay, because we deserve it and everything will turn around if we just believe in ourselves.

I say it is all pure baloney. Why do we deserve it, and why should we believe in ourselves when we know that if we fail, the government will bail us out (with our own money mind you)? It is amazing to me that we can purchase a house we know we can’t afford in 2005, in 2008 sue the bank because “they never should have given us the loan”, and then in 2010 get mad because the banks aren’t loaning any money. Where is our accountability? It does not exist because we have never been held accountable. We are all entitled to peace, love, and harmony. We are the only country in the world that thinks they can drink too much wine and whine about being drunk. Let’s sue when are coffee is too hot and complain when it is too cold.

Perhaps I am being too harsh; it has taken years for us to buy into the lie that we deserve everything. We did not wake up one morning greedy and lazy. No, we have been practicing to the point where it is second nature and we are now not even aware of our foolishness. This is, however, not an excuse for our behavior, though it is important to note that many of us sincerely do not understand the impact that our since of entitlement has on our world. The problem is not that we want everything; it is that we think we deserve everything. America’s people used to be motivated by pure desire to better themselves and their circumstances. They worked hard to provide extravagant amenities for their families, and even the poorest of the poor had two things going for them; the opportunity for greatness, and the ability to provide basic necessities for their families. Americans knew that if they worked hard, they would earn more money and improve their circumstances. This work ethic served everyone both rich and poor. Yes, the rich got richer but so did the poor. That’s right: they worked hard and they got richer. What a concept.

We all need to stop believing the lie that “we deserve it”. In reality, we reap what we sow and if we make good choices and work hard, we deserve the reward. But if we make a mistake or outright ignore sound reason, we deserve the consequences.
In the end, we should want nice things, striving to gain achievement, wealth, and a better place in life. That work ethic is what makes us Americans, but don’t ever again let someone tell you that you simply deserve it.