I’m not pointing fingers or singling out any one group or people. I’m trying to think of examples where my theory of rights and responsibilities comes into play. Effective government by the people and for the people demands participation, with give & take on both sides. Not just the government giving and the people taking, or take from those that have and give to the have nots, as one side prefers. Or, the fuck you if you don’t have money or connections philosophy. Balance in the system requires equilibrium.
I’ll begin with the ever famous parable of the fishes. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for the day. Teach him how to catch fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. Let’s break this down a bit.
Vision 1
You (The Government) give the man, let’s call him John Q Public. John and his family are poor and hungry. No job and it’s not looking good on the horizon. You give him a fish, he is happy and can feed himself and his family. But it’s only enough for one day. “Don’t worry” you say, “I got you, come back tomorrow and get another fish”
John is overjoyed! He can feed his family for the foreseeable future, a little less stress in an already stressful existence. John asks “how can I ever repay your generosity ? You have saved the day.”
You smile and say “it’s my pleasure and you don’t have to do anything at all, except make sure you vote to keep me in office or the others will take your food from your children’s mouths.” John is scared, how could he go find a decent job if he is stressed out about feeding his family? The alternative is even less attractive, but his boy said if he ever was desperate for money to hit him up. Is the risk of death or jail time worth it? For his family, it is.
Vision 2
You give John a fish and tell him to come back tomorrow for Aquaculture training. And a fish.
John learns how to raise fish in a eco-friendly and sustainable environment. He raises the fish to feed everyone. After his training is over, he gets a no interest loan to start his own business and hire local folks to work with him. He sells his fish to local markets and restaurants. Businesses, like his own, opened by people like him who got help learning to fish, or farm or build or cook. Skills and jobs needed locally, filled by locals.
Would you take advantage of the opportunity to work towards building a better life? Or, would you rather be lazy and settle for your daily fish? The horrible fact of the matter is generations of Americans have been trained into societal laziness and apathy. Why try when everyone and everything is against you? “It’s easier to just get my fish.” And that is how we got in this predicament.
Equal opportunity is the name of the game. But opportunity knocks differently for everyone. A great opportunity for one person may not be so great for others. Also, the opportunity that you demand may not be the opportunity for you. Being realistic is key. Knowing that opportunity does not equal success. That depends on you and your work ethic, the variables of your chosen opportunity and a little bit of luck. As long as we all strive to keep the playing field level, balanced and accessible we, as a country and society, will progress and evolve.
We the F%#n' People 