The Nanny State and Indulgent Parenting

Who likes spoiled kids? No one. They are obnoxious and arrogant. They throw fits demanding all sorts of things, even things everyone knows is not good for them. But, their over-indulgent parents provide everything because they LOVE their children SO much. Many Americans are much the same as these spoiled children and our politicians are happy to act as irresponsible parents. We demand social services, we demand our own home, we demand cheap gasoline, and we demand the government supply everything our greedy little hearts desire. And because the government wants to “help” us, they comply.

Parents want to be kind. Loving. Their heartstrings are pulled by the pitiful wailing of their offspring and so, they give in, not realizing the monsters they are creating. They don’t have the inner fortitude to say “no” and so these parents produce helpless human beings with a sense of entitlement. They don’t grow up to be responsible adults.

Our elected officials can’t say no either. They want to be loved, too (and re-elected) so they are not willing to do what’s best for the country. They are not willing to make tough choices which in the long run, are best for the country and for the people. So politicians hover above us, trying to give everything to everybody.

Spoiled children often make bad choices, but the parents refuse to let them suffer the consequences. Susie got a bad grade because she failed to study? Mom is emailing the teacher the next day. Johnny wrecked his car because he was driving too fast? Dad has a replacement sitting in the driveway that night.

Are we not being rescued from the consequences of our actions by government today? Sign a loan document that you didn’t understand? Bought a house you really couldn’t afford? No problem. The government will punish those nasty old bankers and let you keep your house anyway. It wasn’t your fault.

Even as adults, these spoiled children often are still tied to the apron strings though financial incentives. They are willing to give up their independence and some freedom of choice, in order to have access to Mom and Dad’s money.

American’s today have also made that bad deal. There is a willingness to give up their freedoms in exchange for letting government “take care” of them. But with indulgent parents as well as big government, there are no logical consequences and thus, no lessons learned. We can have it all - no self-responsibility required.

When my children were little, a kindergarten teacher recommended a book titled, Children:The Challenge which, in Chaper 6, introduced the concept of Logical Consequences. It advocates for letting children reap the consequences of their actions and choices. Don’t want to eat the dinner Mom prepared? Fine. Go to bed hungry tonight. Being hungry is the logical consequence of choosing not to eat. Believe me, the next night they will happily eat dinner and say, “Yum!” Lesson learned and not forgotten.

Other chapters in the book which could apply equally to parenting and governing are:

“Use Care in Pleasing: Have the Courage to Say “No”.
“Refrain from Overprotection”
“Stimulate Independence”
“Mind Your Own Business”
“Don’t Feel Sorry”
“Make Requests Reasonable and Sparse”
“Put Them All in the Same Boat

Logical consequence applies to adults and societies, as well as children. It is, in fact, a very familiar concept under capitalism. We should be allowed to choose, succeed or fail, suffer the consequences or reap the rewards, and learn from our mistakes. In time, we can stand on our own two feet, take personal responsibility for our, hopefully wiser, decisions. This is how you raise children and this is how a healthy society functions.


*Children: The Challenge by Rudolf Dreikurs, M.D. with Vicki Soltz, R.N. Published by Plume/Penguin Group, NY, NY.

Townhall Meeting: It is a Protest, not a Discussion

For two parties to engage in a "civil" discussion of opinions and facts, there first has to be a level of trust on both sides.

I submit that the government doesn't trust the citizens, otherwise they would not be trying to control every aspect of our lives under the guise of "helping" us.

The citizens certainly don't trust the government, as evidenced by the level of involvement and anger exhibited at these meetings, tea parties, and other protest venues.

Where there is no trust, there can be no agreement.

http://www.freeourhealthcarenow.com

Health Care Reform

 Just two simple points on a very complicated issue:

1. Last year I worked for a company that negotiated medical care rates for Europeans who traveled to the U.S. for health care. These patients lived in countries with "free" medical care - socialized medicine. However, they purchased private individual policies at a very high cost so they could have their surgeries or cancer treatments in the U.S. 
   
2. Prior to that, I was employed by a Canadian company at its Dallas, Texas branch office and, of course, became friendly with my colleagues in Montreal. Many of them told me that their socialized national healthcare was okay for simple things like an ear ache, or a cold, but if they had cancer, or needed surgery, then they would come to the U.S. - even though it meant paying out of their pocket for that medical care.