Tyranny of Convenience

We microwave our meals and email our correspondence. We keep up to date with minute-by-minute news on our BlackBerrys and PDAs. In an age of advanced technology and instant gratification, we have become ever more accustomed to instant fixes.

This mentality has translated seamlessly into our political life. Whether it’s welfare projects or public education, when a problem comes along, our first reaction is “What is the government going to do about it?” We can blame our mindset on FDR’s New Deal, which promised a better life for every American, or the concept of the income tax, which makes us feel that if we’re giving something, we deserve something back. However, decisions made decades ago only scratch the surface of who or what is to blame for our current way of thinking.

The deeper issue is that we have become morally and philosophically lazy. We have come to view government as a father figure expected to work hard to ensure us a certain standard of living while we go off and play. Like spoiled children, we expect that “Daddy” will take care of everything. If we are uncomfortable with a religious or moral issue, we shirk our responsibility to educate ourselves and others or simply to be tolerant of differing views, and instead demand legislation in line with our chosen lifestyle. We get nervous about how society influences our children, but instead of burdening ourselves with teaching and leading them, we wait for the government to provide shelter for them--intellectually, morally and sometimes even physically.

This mentality is no longer monopolized by one party or political group. It spans both sides of the aisle. During the tumultuous primary campaigns last winter, nearly every candidate promised policies that would “fix” America’s problems. Whether it was health care, the economy, or social issues, there was no lack of government-led solutions offered by candidates, both “conservative” and “liberal.” It is no longer a debate of small government versus big government, but rather a discussion about which government intervention will work best. We no longer ask whether the government should get involved, but how.

Just last week presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama announced that as president he would ensure more social service money is poured into faith-based groups, following in the footsteps of supposed political rival President George W. Bush. So, instead of making a personal decision about how much to dedicate to my own faith group, I am free to sit back and let the government decide. As long as the government is paying for these kinds of programs, I am off the hook; it is no longer my responsibility to see that the poor are fed and widows and orphans cared for. I’ll just let Washington take care of it.

I am deeply concerned about this “tyranny of convenience,” as we sit back and expect the government to swoop in and rescue us from our discomfort and uneasiness. John Stuart Mill in his essay “On Liberty” warned that “the only purpose for which [government] power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant.” Nearly 150 years ago, Mill recognized governments are often asked to function as parental figures, guiding their citizens in moral matters. As he clearly stated, this is not the realm of government. Rather, it is the responsibility of her people to ensure their own moral integrity. When values are being tainted or questioned, citizens must be prepared to learn and teach, guiding themselves back to uprightness.

The American Dream has degenerated from rugged individualism to a child-like reliance on government. That Old American Dream is not so far gone as to be unreachable, however. It is alive and well in those prepared to pick up their responsibilities and care for themselves and their families, denying the daddy-state of the government. The Old American Dream lives in the heart of every college student who studies all day and works all night; it is seen on the face of every tired father working two jobs to ensure a better life for his family; it is heard in the voice of the stay-at-home mom with her small business on the side.

On July 1, 2008, "NBC Nightly News" featured a story about a paper mill in Newton Falls, N.Y. The mill was closed down in 2000, but former employees kept it clean and maintained. When it was reopened in 2008, although benefit packages had to be limited, local residents were given jobs and the community gained something to rally around. Government intervention might have required more benefits, making the mill unsustainable. However, that Old American Dream guided those employees determined to keep the mill alive, and their fierce dedication made a positive impact on their community. As long as people like this exist--citizens caring for themselves, heads down focused on their work, not up looking for a handout--that Old American Dream will live on.