December 26, 2009
By Holly Deyo

Culture of Dependency Worst Enemy of Mayon Evacuees

Did you see this headline?

Growing dependency on government… This is the bigger message here. Its warning is more vital than the imminent volcanic eruption.

Photo: The Mayon volcano in the Phillipines could explode after showing signs of lava becoming clogged. (AFP)

Surrender Unto Caesar

Eruptions come and blow, but the legacy of waiting for government to rescue us, of depending on them for survival, of expecting them to bail us out of every situation, financial or otherwise, and worst of all – expecting them to be honest with their constituents – is the most desperate type of dependency.

To do so, means you have abdicated your ability to think for yourself and have surrendered your personal sovereignty.

As more of our rights are snatched through terrorism watch measures, by big brother planting cameras on each corner to capture every action, as more land is grabbed under the guise of eminent domain, as this country plummets into headlong socialism – even Canadians, Australians and Brits are all shocked by it – as we expect government to fund our every need, we succumb to the seduction of government “care”.

We abandon personal responsibility.

This makes us weak Americans. It is contrary to the can-do, independent spirit that built this country.

Living under Socialism

At the risk of being terribly un-P.C., let me share a snapshot of what it’s like living under socialism as I did for 5-1/2 years and Stan did for 30 years. Having lived on both sides of the planet offers an interesting perspective. As we learned, it’s one thing to visit another country – even for an extended time – compared to living there.

Read these the comments below as a broad stroke view. There are standout people in every country willing to defy social pressure – those who refuse to be at the mercy of others and follow the lemmings off the cliff.

The self-sufficient mentality that built Australia is now largely absent. It is visibly slipping from American fingers and leaving you holding onto desperation. We have forgotten what it’s like to struggle. Instead, we expect things to be handed to us. In so doing, we slit our own throats.

While I love the Australian people, the same can not be said of their socialist government. By keeping everyone on a level playing field, it automatically stifles the desire to stand out, to excel, to be individuals, to be inventive and creative. This is “the Tall Poppy Syndrome”. Anyone whose skills and talents show is chopped down to mediocrity. It fosters complacency and at worst, it stifles the belief that change is possible. How contradictory, since that is the platform on which our socialist-leaning president campaigned.

Gimme Whatcha Got

Secondarily, Australians went on strike at the drop of a pin, never mind the inconvenience and pain it inflicted on others. It breeds a theme of “gimme”.

Look at our own Senators who slimed through pork projects and sold their health care vote. This was “gimme” minus integrity.

Photo: Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) agreed to vote for health care providing Nebraska “is permanently exempt from paying for its expansion of Medicaid, shoving that cost onto taxpayers in every other state.” Ten states are questioning this deal.

We saw consequences of “gimme” during Hollywood’s self-serving strikes 2 years ago. While multi-million-dollar-paid actors and wirters could well afford this “vacation”, it cost trickle-down businesses billions. Hundreds of thousands of support staff were laid off by the studios. These would be caterers, costumer and set designers, make-up artists, etc. While some angled for a bigger bite of the banana, many suffered.

It put companies permanently out of business and killed off certain programs in the middle of the viewing season. People became disgusted, lost interest in eternal reruns and shut off their TVs entirely. Maybe that was a good thing.

Breeding Ingrates

One of the most striking examples of government dependency came during Australia’s great 1998 flood. Tropical Cyclone Les deposited 16″ of rain on Queensland and raised the Katherine River nearly 70 feet. Water inundated the town of Katherine and cutting off some people entirely.

As the days dragged on, desperation grew for food, meds and other supplies. One family whose family included small children was completely marooned. Their property had become its own island. With having little tykes and living so remotely, you’d think they’d have ample food and water and other necessities on hand – just in case.

It took a chopper to bring milk, diapers and other necessities to the parents and their children. You’d think those supplies would have been met with smiles and thank-you’s. Instead the woman whined because they’d been given powdered milk, not fresh. Imagine the cheek!

Eyes Wide Shut

Stan and I lived a good portion of our Australian years in more rural areas than cities. We met some of the finest, most hardworking people imaginable. To this day, we are honored to call them friends. Their Aussie eyes are open to the pitfalls of depending on government and spoke openly of it.

By living as self-sufficiently as possible, by being prepared for life’s ugly surprises, they were better able to cope during emergencies and trying times. They suffered less emotional stress and enjoyed more physical comforts. Most summed up dramas as “minor inconveniences”. Could you say that?

The Tiger Shows His Stripes

Government encouraging citizens’ dependency is a worry. A huge worry. They should do just the opposite – IF they truly cared about you, the taxpayer. It should clang your alarm bells, raise your antennae, shake you from lethargy, sharpen your ears. The current administration is a putrid breeding ground for destroying America’s backbone and our God-given rights.

The more we relinquish our personal responsibility and hand over our well-being into the care of others, we sign our death sentence.

The coming year, only a week away, promises to be full of challenges. We pray you will be ready.