If only I could remember where I first heard the phrase “we are a country of wants…who believes they are needs.” Yep. It is the entitlement mentality. That phrase represents the new movement for “rights” that are neither inalienable nor practical. How often have we heard a self-important politician or a “rights” advocate proclaim their rights to healthcare? Well, my poor misguided fellow humans, you have an inalienable right to life (which many deny to the unborn), its up to you to find a way to succor it. God has provided you with life. Do what you can to preserve it. All of us share the same inalienable rights, but we may have varying methods or preferences for preserving or enhancing our lives. One such method may be found by seeking the best most high-fallutin’ healthcare regime available. Others may prefer to follow more natural, herbal methods. And some of us may wish to roll the dice and live a totally debauched and gluttonous life. It seems, therefore, that YOUR healthcare is neither a right for you nor an obligation of mine.
As we attempt to draw the distinctions between wants and needs, rights and needs, we might use the following illustration: Harley avoids doctors and pharmacy counters whereas Farley goes to ER for a hangnail and takes a number of meds. Should Harley be forced to subsidize Farley’s medical addiction through punitive taxation, and should Farley cough up the money to pay for Harley’s natural multi-vitamins? If you have answered in the affirmative, then it isn’t much of a leap to insist that we should purchase Farley’s food for him because his vitamins supplement an extremely healthy diet. Because we agree to by Farley’s food in the previous illustration, we are socially, morally and equitably obligated to purchase the food for Harley. He prefers Big Macs, Big Boys, super-sized fries, and Dilly Bars from Dairy Queen. Food is food, after all.
The moral, economic and personal bottom line is that we NEED food. We NEED shelter of some sort during inclement weather, and most of us NEED clothing in certain types of climates. The Bible states (paraphrase) that if we expect to eat, then we must work for our sustenance. Working will also produce resources for limited shelter and clothing. If there is no moral or theological basis for a collective effort for providing the basic needs, where can we find a universal imperative for meeting the wants of individuals…as varied as they might be? Any decision for provision by the state or the collective requires that some value be given to the item. Generic or brand? Cloth coat or fur coat? Prius or 10-year old Chevy? It is unavoidable that some wants (or perceived needs) will be satisfied while others remain unmet. Given the individual preferences and perceived needs, it follows that the distribution of the collective largesse will be uneven and biased. Besides, government will grossly underperform anyway.
As each person transforms personal “wants” into “needs” or “rights,” the social order moves closer to a breakdown. The new-found needs begin to ratchet higher and higher as the government redefines its role, and the level of satisfaction for the recipients sinks lower and lower. The end result is a government and economic structure incapable of providing the newly-defined “needs” while the frustration level of the populace swells because of their dissatisfaction. Redefining wants as needs leads to a disintegration of the economy and the social order. Everyone—government and individuals—live beyond their means….spend beyond their abilities to produce. Wants are unfulfilled, and needs are shortchanged. The benevolent Nanny State slips into chaos. The government yields to anarchy. The competent and resourceful will satisfy their own needs while their neighbors resort to violence or endure suffering. Expecting government to supply our wants leads us down a deadly to destruction. It is unfortunate that so many of our citizens have misinterpreted the “pursuit of happiness” clause to mean that they chase after government goodies while other taxpayers pay the bill.
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