America's disease, the entitlement mentality

IMO One of the biggest problems with the U.S. right now is the huge number of people who are getting some form of benefits from the government but absolutely don't feel like they are taking welfare, a government handout etc .....

The Cloward/Pivens were absolutely brilliant in setting up SS and medicare as Ponzi schemes.  Today's retiree's and soon to retire baby boomers feel like they have paid in and are entitled to those benefits.  Most have no clue that they are getting way more than they put in, way more than even equivalent contributions to a very successful mutual fund would have generated.   Those that do know, still feel like, "well I was told this would be here for me so I planned on it and it would be unfair to take it away now".

The government made promises and I kept up my part of the bargain just because the country didn't plan correctly for how long folks would live, population and GDP growth etc I am entitled to this; even though I'm getting way more than I ever put in.

Then there is "Unemployment Insurance"  Everyone feels entitled to keep taking it as long as its available because "they took those premiums while I was working"  Again,  premiums cover less than 26 weeks but since the government is offering up to 99 weeks and calling it UE no one feels like they are taking a handout.  They all feel like "I earned this by working before I lost my job."  

Then the most insidious is the SSDI and welfare that blacks especially but now other minorities are told they are entitled to "because this country got rich off the backs of the slaves and taking land from natives and weaker countries, so they owe you a pay out now"   Also I'm sure that 'the urban poor' take SSDI payments for mental illness with the thought of "well you crackers denied me any kind of decent education or job opportunities and that has disabled me from being able to be productive"  --actually they have a point.   LBJ and hordes of bigoted teachers, protected by the NEA and local unions have ruined the quality of education for poor urban blacks and all other students that now go  through the dumbed down schools after 'desegregation'.    That was quite a con, convincing blacks themselves to push to get stuck with bigoted teachers who would refuse to teach their kids much of anything.

And of course there are all the government funded employees.   Most of them still cling to illusions that they are nobly foregoing higher pay in the private sector, that their job benefits the country etc etc.    I don't suffer any illusions that I am not getting a sweetheart deal but it is hard to walk away from that sweetheart deal.   The problems of the commons and all that,  its not like the country will reduce its annual deficit by my salary + overhead costs if I would leave.