@PhillyMac: now the question is - did the system develop because of the dependency mindset, or is the dependency mindset created because the system is structured to encourage it?

@Whitney: I’ll play devil’s advocate here - isn’t capitalism by design supposed to create a few big winners and a whole bunch of losers? Socialism/communism is designed to create equal result from disparate opportunity (in theory) whereas capitalism is designed to create disparate result from equal opportunity?

Does this system really teach financial responsibility, or does it merely keep people in their economic place?

Add in that every hike in gas prices disproportionately affects people in lower income brackets than higher, and you soon come to the conclusion that our capitalist system has inequitable rewards and punishments that can hollow out one’s hope for the American Dream.

The digital divide and adequate access to information will play out similarly. Those that have it will know what’s going on; those that don’t will remain largely ignorant and potentially victimized by those that do.

I agree with you on govt waste wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, once Hillary wins, I don’t see the cash coming back to us - I just see it going into social programs for those less fortunate than us. BTW, those less fortunate will probably never be us.

Nothing is free, my friend.

As for opportunity - yes, someone can start up in their apartment pretty easily - but when you look at the hiring AND firing laws, what the business has to pay for the employees and the like, it’s not easy to build a business.

I can’t agree with you more regarding government waste. So let’s get rid of all the dead-beats in office. The problem is, and the reason we won’t send all those kids to a four year college for free, is that we DON’T. And in MA, we continue to vote for two senetors that specialize in passing pork - then bringing it back home. For some reason people thing that if we get federal dollars for something it’s “free”. HA! It cost more because of the inefficienty and the interest on the debt that the Feds have to pay! But most of the US populace that has been rasied to think that the government is their parent and suckling on the government teat - can’t imagine that they’re just not entitled to all the government programs! Lord help us.

I think the decade of 2000-2010 may be remembered as the time America stopped complaining about major corporations outsourcing American jobs to foreign workers and started looking for foreign corporations to hire American workers so as to provide health and education benefits.

The playing field of work, politics and “entitlement” is changing, and individuals need to be smart enough to look out for their own best interests — especially when their governments aren’t doing it for them.

PS What do you think the odds are of Americans insisting on something revolutionary (like health care, education and workplace benefits akin to other first-world nations) ? I wouldn’t bet on it. We’re too complacent and not willing to do the work it takes to effect change.