I’ve posted several times about the dangers of creating too much government dependency, including a set of cartoons that illustrates how small welfare states inevitably erode social capital and create big welfare states.
So you will understand that I am utterly depressed by this new chart from the Wall Street Journal showing that nearly half of all American households receive some sort of government handout.
What makes this chart especially frightening is that the numbers will get even worse as the baby boom generation retires.
Barring some dramatic change, America is doomed to become another Greece.
[…] the past, I’ve referred to this as “Greece-ification” and Biden’s fiscal plan definitely […]
[…] the past, I’ve referred to this as “Greece-ification” and Biden’s fiscal plan definitely […]
[…] the past, I’ve referred to this as “Greece-ification” and Biden’s fiscal plan definitely […]
[…] the past, I’ve referred to this as “Greece-ification” and Biden’s fiscal plan definitely […]
[…] the past, I’ve referred to this as “Greece-ification” and Biden’s fiscal plan definitely […]
[…] the past, I’ve referred to this as “Greece-ification” and Biden’s fiscal plan definitely […]
[…] the past, I’ve referred to this as “Greece-ification” and Biden’s fiscal plan definitely […]
You know #DanMitchell, any program that you are forced to pay into all of your life such as is not an entitlement; it was paid for by the user . . .
[…] I’ve shared various estimates of America’s growing dependency problem, though I’ve also warned that these numbers […]
[…] share of households receiving goodies from the government…is approaching 50 percent and it probably is much more correlated with the group of people in the country who see the state […]
[…] starts by explaining that an ever-growing share of the population is receiving handouts and that this pattern is a threat to American […]
[…] starts by explaining that an ever-growing share of the population is receiving handouts and that this pattern is a threat to American […]
[…] starts by explaining that an ever-growing share of the population is receiving handouts and that this pattern is a threat to American […]
[…] it when a majority of households are getting government handouts? That’s also a worrisome development, especially if those folks see the state as a means of […]
[…] it when a majority of households are getting government handouts? That’s also a worrisome development, especially if those folks see the state as a means of […]
[…] amusing cartoons, but let’s not forget that Obama will get the last laugh if the final result is more dependency and a permanent expansion of the welfare […]
[…] cartoons, but let’s not forget that Obama will get the last laugh if the final result is more dependency and a permanent expansion of the welfare […]
[…] wonder the share of households taking something from the government has been increasing. And no wonder the poverty rate stopped falling once the government’s so-called War on Poverty […]
[…] more accurate, he should have cited the share of households receiving goodies from the government. That number also is approaching 50 percent and it probably is much more correlated with the group of people in the country who see the state […]
[…] conflicted. More and more people get lured into some form of government dependency every year, and this suggests Americans eventually will adopt a European-style moocher […]
[…] is to say the problem is that the people are too susceptible to being bribed by politicians. As illustrated by the chart, more and more Americans are getting hooked on the heroin of government […]
[…] If you think Eberstadt is being needlessly pessimistic, you may change your mind if you read this and this. […]
[…] wonder the share of households taking something from the government has been increasing. And no wonder the poverty rate stopped falling once the government’s so-called War on […]
[…] We’re not there yet, but I don’t like the trend. […]
[…] We’re not there yet, but I don’t like the trend. […]
Why not require all welfare recipients, to pass a drug test? Would work for food stamps too. This would be very unpopular with the “moocher” crowd, but would tickle me to no end.
@ronbear2000
It’s very easy to criticize someone’s work, but far harder to offer constructive suggestions for improvement.
I am convinced that you can do better than this. Please do so, suggest some wording that would satisfy your exalted requirements; that would help justify your criticisms in the future.
[…] that’s true in most states, so you should worry regardless of where you live. Click here to see a very depressing chart about the nationwide increase in […]
[…] more accurate, he should have cited the share of households receiving goodies from the government. That number also is approaching 50 percent and it probably is much more correlated with the group of people in the country who see the state […]
[…] he should have instead cited the share of households receiving goodies from the government. That number also is approaching 50 percent and it probably is much more correlated with the group of people in the country who see the state […]
[…] more accurate, he should have cited the share of households receiving goodies from the government. That number also is approaching 50 percent and it probably is much more correlated with the group of people in the country who see the state […]
[…] If you think Eberstadt is being needlessly pessimistic, you may change your mind if you read this and this. […]
[…] If you think Eberstadt is being needlessly pessimistic, you may change your mind if you read this and this. […]
[…] I sometimes get a bit pessimistic about America’s future, especially when I see numbers showing record levels of dependency. […]
What is on the other side of the tipping point?
True, doom is not the appropriate word. Merge away into worldwide averagdom is more descriptive.
Using the word “doom” is unhelpful and, in my opinion, detracts from any point trying to be made.
Hackneyed words, like doom, are easy to come by. Thinking a matter through is more productive and credible and likely will produce words with operational meaning. Words like “doom” are an off-shoot of trying to be politically correct by camouflaging reality or stirring an emotional response. We should want and need to think and reason.
I am convinced that you are better than this. Please re-justify that in the future.