"The basic underlying principle I have is that people are responsible for their own actions and choices". Well that's a good start but pretty simple minded. What about shared responsibility? You mean to say our "choices" are completely independent of our internal and external conditions (genetic code, physiology and learned experience)?
"Rich or poor you are the only one responsible for your choices". What if your choices are bad and worse? Are people responsible for the way their parents raised them? You use the word "choice" in a very simple manipulative way. You had a tough life and were ABLE to work hard and make good choices. That's impressive and it's also something to be proud of. However it doesn't make you more deserving as a person.
"Nobody owes anyone anything". Well whatever. Who says? So then we should have no government and no laws right? You don't seem to realize how dependent you are on other people. It's not about "owing" it's about what works and doesn't.
"There are different kinds of people and some are better than others". People have different abilities, conditions and properties of course but no one is better or more deserving then another. See Why No One is Better then Anyone Else.
One worked in a orange processing plant, chose not to move up into management and was just laid off after working there for 30 years. You mention this because this person should of chose management? What if he or she didn't like or was any good at, that kind of work? This person was suppose to avoid being laid off for even longer then 30 years? 30 years is pretty good. What do you expect/demand?
She believes she is 'owed' and expects handouts. She doesn't take responsibility for any of her choices. Being on welfare is not a great life. Nobody wants to be stuck on welfare. I think if we have government at all it should give everybody a certain minimum. What kind of alternative did she have I wonder? The money saved for getting rid of welfare (which would cause more suffering, hospital emergencies and death) is nothing compared to what we would save if we got rid of corporate welfare which you support by voting for conservatives. So who is more irresponsible? Do you take responsibility for corporate welfare? Funny how that is not important to you.
"The 4th kid chose to drink and do drugs". You mean to say this person simply said to himself, yeah I'd like to be hooked on drugs? No consideration of genetic pre-disposition causal factors or peer pressure, or dealing with not completely getting what he needed from his parents emotionally? And if you had all of you're brothers conditions you would of been able to choose "above" that? No, some very important conditions between you and your brother were different.
"Selfishly causing fear and pain for years. He died last year at the age of 49". Well too bad for you're brother huh? I guess he deserved it. It's too bad he wasn't as good a person as you were. How selfish for him to cause fear and pain for himself.
"I worked hard, went to collage and have a good job. I have had more success than my older siblings. I have a higher standard of living than any of my siblings". No brag just fact ah. I knew you were better! And less lazy and more responsible too (as a person) I'm sure... you were ABLE to work hard. No chance you had different conditions then your brother?
"It is due to the choices each of us have made." I see that you think he just wanted to make bad choices (his choice) and you just wanted good choices. He was inferior and you were better. It's too bad people don't want to make good choices.
"Nothing was handed to me". Apparently you were given some ability to make better choices, which you got for free which you don't count. After all you didn't earn THAT ability. None of us get to choose our genetic code or our learned experience when young.
"I chose to have a better life". Well of course you did and everyone else just simply chose to make bad choices... you were ABLE to choose a better life, you're siblings didn't have the right conditions for it.
"I deserve what I have because I earned it, I didn't win it, it wasn't handed to me, I wasn't lucky. I earned it. I made the choices I needed and I worked very hard. I shouldn't be forced to pay more in taxes to give money to the poor who chose not to better themselves and take the easy way". The easy way! How ignorant can you be? What is easy about being sick and poor! You chose sociopathic behavior and you should be paying for the wars emergency rooms, tax breaks for the rich and corporate welfare. You made the irresponsible choice of voting for conservative politicians that supports the sociopathy of financially migrating most of the money up to the top few from the rest of us. Of course we can never prove you were at fault for any specific thing your leaders do.
"Too many people are quick to play the victim role and abdicate personal responsibility". There is a seed of truth to the fact some individuals who have adversity do not act in their best interest and feel sorry for themselves and their behavior becomes passive or self-defeating. These "victims" need to learn a more empowering way of thinking. But this is mainly a psychological problem and requires mental health treatment which the government should provide if they can't afford such treatment. In most cases people with adverse psychological adversity are not well off financially and probably can't afford private industry costs.
"Those that expect/demand a handout, a freebee are the selfish and greedy ones. Some rich are born rich". What kind of upside down planet of the apes world do you live in? You got it reversed. No, the selfish and greedy ones (at the top where a billion is not enough and don't care if their money is at the expense of everyone else) are the selfish and greedy ones.
They shouldn't be forced to give up what they have earned because someone else is greedy and expects everything to be handed to them. I agree. So why are you letting the rich and powerful do this to us?
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