Our politicians are turning us into a nation of aimless, useless people

For me, work is a reason to get up in the morning that defines me as a useful and competent person.  It is a moral and dignified way to support myself and my family, and part of my being a useful member of society.  However, thanks to the economic policies the federal and state governments enacted during the past two years, we not only destroyed the economy and wiped out thriving small businesses, but also converted millions of Americans into idlers who will not work if the government subsidizes them.

A dangerous misconception driving the professional classes in academia and politics is that everyone wants the good things in life: a professional reputation, a nice home, a good car (electric is best, of course), and money to have fun on vacations, nights out, etc.  To achieve these goals, people willingly work in a nice office environment or at home for a decent paycheck.  They believe these goals and workstyles are every American’s dream and aspiration.  They are so very, very wrong.

I have a friend who, like me, has worked her entire life.  However, her life choices have meant that she doesn’t hang out with the professional class.  Instead, her friends have less pleasant jobs.  Their paychecks are smaller, and their work is both less satisfying and more physically demanding than in the professional classes.

But it’s not the quality of the jobs that divides her friends from my world.  It’s what her friends want from life.  Their goals, often, are beer, pot, a car that runs, and a rental home in a neighborhood that’s not downright dangerous.

Because these are minimal desires, many have discovered that they can achieve them without working at all.  If your needs are few, government handouts will do.

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