All this talk about saving money and becoming debt free has made me ask why do we expect Americans to become fiscally responsible when the American government doesn't take their fiscal responsibility seriously?
We are currently living in a country where the national debt is in the billions of dollars. How did we get there? What is our government's credit score? I would bet that it is in the low 300's.
So how did we get here and how do we get out of this financial wreck?
The answer is simple. We have become a nation of people who feel entitled. We are entitled to food stamps when we don't work. We are entitled to free housing when we choose not to work. We are entitled to free health care when we don't work. We are entitled to a credit on our taxes and get large refunds that we didn't even pay to begin with. We are entitled to live in a house that is well beyond our means and pay interest only so that we can keep up with the Jones'. We are entitled to have the government bail us when we don't pay our bills.
How did we get to become such a society of entitled people?
Television has played a role in it. Just look at HGTV. A young first time home buyer wants a home with granite, stainless steel appliances and a soaking tub. I can remember my first house and being thankful that the floors were solid, that the roof didn't leak and it was a bonus if the appliances and tub weren't avocado green.
The number of adds that plague the airways that offer large settlements for accidents, personal injury and tax evasion gets larger everyday. Where are the ads that say, "You are greedy and lazy. Let us show you how to get a job and pay your own bills."?
As long as we keep handing out free money there will always be someone there to get it. Let's stop giving things away for free and set up a system of accountability. That is step one.
