Camden Central High School
Camden, Tennessee
Teacher: Mrs. Wanda Allen
Hard Work or Hand-Outs?
By Courtney Brackeen
12th Grade
As you get older, you acquire responsibilities. These responsibilities can range from getting school work turned in on time to arriving at your place of business at the appropriate time. These responsibilities are not always enjoyable, yet we all have our own reasons for fulfilling them. As individuals, carrying out these responsibilities help with developing your individual liberty. Yet, one has to wonder when the balance of individual liberty and the common good becomes unbalanced.
In today’s society, the government sponsors many programs that have been set up to help the common good. Programs like the presidential fitness program, which focuses on the increasing problem of obesity in children at the junior high level, and the WIC program, which helps feed infants that are underprivileged or without fathers. There are countless others that focus on the increasing health care costs and the cost of living in the United States. All of these programs were set up on good principles and did work for a short time, yet as time went on these programs started to be abused and the abuse has only increased. An increasing amount of people have acquired the thinking that why try if the government will pay for it?
This is how the downfall of Rome began. “Are We Going the Way of Rome?”, told how as more and more people became dependent on the government, a once powerhouse nation was making fewer and fewer achievements. Sadly, as we progress into the era of technology, we are able to see the United States going in that same direction. Yet, if we learn from others mistakes, we can stop history from repeating itself. The number one way is to allow each person to take more responsibility in all that he or she does.
Any teenager can prove this point. If it is their hard earned money, they will not spend it. Yet, if it is someone else’s money, they will be more likely to spend it. And due to the abuse that several government programs have acquired, this is becoming more apparent. As a whole, the American population needs to start living on the means of their budgets. If more people were once again to start thinking that this is the land of opportunity, and not the land of government handouts, the amount of debt that Americans are in might decrease. Along with that fact, the increase in personal responsibility could lower the amount of taxes that self- supporting individuals pay.
Another reason that individual responsibility should once again be impressed on the younger generation is because the area they live and play in would be treated with respect. In several countries, children take breaks during their school day and clean their schools. Since they have to work on it, they are less likely to mess up the area that they had just cleaned. Several schools have problems involving how the halls, bathrooms, and lockers look. This is because students no longer have a sense of pride. If we were made to clean the schools, the way we appreciate our school would increase dramatically. And this would inspire a sense of individual responsibility that would help balance the number of items we expect to receive from our government. Another item is the extracurricular programs that the government pays for.
Many local governments have programs that set up recreational programs for the younger generation. Due to the fact that very few people actually have to clean the area, they have no problem with trashing the area. Since the parks are then dirty, increases in taxes have to occur to pay for the department that cleans the area. This also takes away from other important items that the county may need to focus on. Several see the recreational part of government as a waste, since they are not part of the legal system. A solution to this problem was stated by Tibor R. Machan in “Welfare State on the Street Where You Live”. His thought was to allow the social groups, church groups, and different firms, to pay for these recreational activities. This would help reduce some of the monetary depression that some governments are feeling. This is happening in several counties because the money is not there to pay for the recreational activities. Yet, the government knows that we have become dependent on them providing this recreation so they continue to find money for that department.
These are a few ways and reasons, why it is important for more responsibilities to be placed on individuals. Rome was not built in a day and it did not decline in a day. Yet, if we do not learn from their mistakes we will decline until there is nothing left for us to govern.
Questions
Welfare State on the Street Where You Live
1. Why does Machan use “steal” in his statement: “Private property solves this problem, but was abandoned a long time ago when taxes reached the point where we can steal our way to being provided with all sorts of things we desire, never mind thinking about paying for them or long- range budgeting.”?
He uses this term because thanks to government help, some people no longer have to pay full price for some items. It is almost like stealing for some.
2. Machan said: “For that which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it.” Give two examples of this from your personal expierence.
Education- Since it is required we complain about it, yet the ones that don’t receive it for free treasure it.
Freedom- We as Americans expect, yet the ones that do not get it long or wish for it.
3. Do you agree with Machan that “…Everybody is more inclined to neglect the duty which he expects another to fulfill; as in families many attendance are often less useful than a few.”? Give an objective example of this.
Yes, I do agree because nothing ever gets done when someone thinks another person should do it or expects them to do it. At the park you see trash on the ground, yet you don’t pick it up because you think someone else will do it.
Are We Going the Way of Rome?
4. State Kershner’s First Law. Do you agree or disagree and why?
The First Law is that when a government is going to give to the less fortunate, it will not stop giving until there is no one to take from. Yes, I do agree because as long as a government sees need they will continue to tax to get what they need.
5. What industry was the first to be taken over by government in both ancient Rome and the USA?
In both of these countries the transportation was first taken over. In Rome the shipping was first, in the United States it was the railroads.
6. Is cheapened money the cause or the outcome of inflation? Explain.
It is the cause of inflation because there is more money produced therefore the prices increases.
7. How did the Edict of 301 effect Rome’s economy?
Due to the Edict of 301, the economy of Rome fell and the collapse of the city followed soon.
Liberty and the Individual Responsibility
8. Lee claims that individuals could be “entirely independent of others” except of what? Explain.
We could be entirely independent except for scarcity. Scarcity is what makes the United States what it is – a land full of opportunities if you work hard and compete for it. It also has to do with interacting with individuals involved in your life.
9. Describe the dilemma concerning rules as discussed by Lee.
The dilemma of rules deals with the rule of force. This is because the rule is not likely to motivate productivity and cooperative outcomes.
Lawrence Reed’s testimony before the U.S. Senate Budget Committee.
10. Why is the concept of private property crucial to freedom?
The concept of private property is crucial to freedom because with your own property you are free to do what you like with it. This helps establish individual liberty which leads to freedom.
11. Argue both pro and con that in his testimony Lawrence Reed was advocating compassion and aid for the poor.
Lawrence Reed was advocating compassion and aid for the poor when he discussed principle one. He said that not everyone should make the same amount of money no matter what the job is, yet all should work and get paid for what they do.
12. “If people are free, they will not earn equal incomes; conversely, show me a people who have equal income and I will show you a people who are not free.” Explain in your own words Mr. Reed’s meaning.
Reed is saying that by forcing everyone to have the same opportunities you take away a person’s choice and the ability for them to create their own opportunities. In efforts to stream-line and make everyone equal you take away uniqueness and individual thoughts and opportunities. He is also saying that by making the opportunity the same for all, you will get the same result. Thus, the people would not try to achieve their best as they do in today’s work place.
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