Do You Want Some Cheese With That Whine ?

     Of all the drama that played out this week amidst the partial shutdown of the federal government, the thing that stuck in my crawl the most was not related to the politicians in Washington. It was not the fact that Senator Harry Reid placed furloughed federal workers in his state above children with cancer. Nor was it President Obama calling Congressional leaders to the White House, not to engage in a good faith effort to end the stalemate, but to reinforce his public statements that he will get his way or else. The troublesome thing about this week was not even that President Obama sent seven armed guards to the World War II memorial to keep out veterans of that war, two more than he sent to Benghazi to protect our ambassador and embassy personnel, as Rand Paul so aptly pointed out. And even the fact that House Republicants have tried to fund various aspects of the federal government, but have been ignored by Harry Reid and the Democrat-controlled Senate, did not bother me as much as a five second sound byte I heard on my local news.
     The sound byte in question has a furloughed federal worker lamenting the fact that after only two days without his salary, his mortgage is at risk of not being paid. I was incredulous that after only 48 hours without pay this federal worker, who on average receives twice the salary that his counterparts in the private sector receive, would not be able to meet his financial obligations. This gentleman's statement is illustrative of the government and union mentality that they are entitled to their salary and benefits simply for breathing. And that compensation should never stop no matter how hard the taxpayers in the private sector have to work to fund them. Apparently these federal workers never heard the old adage, "save for a rainy day." Well once again the rain has come for someone of privilege who works for the government and they expect someone else to foot the bill or have sympathy for them.
     This unwillingness of many Americans to forgo the independent spirit which built this country and made it great, has lead us to the brink of the tyranny of government dependence. It is the main reason, I believe, that Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States twice. The desire to be taken care of is exemplified by government and union workers, but it has spread throughout the general population like a highly communicable disease. The disease overtakes the common sense that financial planners talk themselves blue in the face trying to impart to financially irresponsible Americans. Common sense that says one should save a percentage of each paycheck at least until they have two years expenses in the bank. There is no reason that most workers in this country  should be at risk of not paying their mortgage after only two days without pay, or even two months without pay.
     The furloughed federal worker I heard on the radio is endemic of a larger problem in our society, and what has lead to the government take-over of health care and the growth of the welfare state in general, the unwillingness of people to help themselves by engaging in good decision-making. This furloughed worker's mortgage is at risk after only two days without pay, not because of the partial shutdown of the federal government, but because of his decision not to save. And the only thing worse than listening to people whine about the negative results of their own choices, is their insistence that they be provided with some cheese to compliment their whine. Because, of course, that cheese will most likely be government cheese provided by the hard work of the tax payers of this great country.