Michael Goodwin on the loss of the freedom to fail at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJLCbv5K0WU
My Response:
The lack of freedom to fail is a serious problem threatening the existence of the freedom and bravery America was once praised for. It is the result of the entitlement stronghold that has become the mentality of many Americans today. The idea that an individual deserves something without having worked for it has taken root and is flourishing as it is watered and feed by the enablement of the government and society. Programs like welfare, the act of social promotion, the recent multiple extensions of unemployment, and bailouts for companies supposedly “too big to fail” are examples of this enablement.
The loss of freedom to fail and the underlying entitlement mentality stems from a thought in society that children should be rewarded for failure in order to avoid marring their self esteem. An example can be seen in little league games and dance competitions where every participant gets a trophy even if they did not win the game or earn the high score. This not only rewards failure, laziness, and complacency, but it also diminishes the success of the winner because, as with happiness which can not be known without sadness, success can not be know without acknowledged failure. Rewarding losers along side winners and socially promoting students does not raise a child’s self esteem, but rather, instills a message that says, “There is no need to work harder or be more imaginative than anyone else because you will be rewarded regardless.” Irrespective of their lack of effort, as adults these individuals develop entitlement mentalities that demand wealth redistribution and support from a government funded by entrepreneurs and professionals that have succeeded in business or education by putting in long hours and hard work. As our loss of freedom to fail continues, a disproportionate amount of workers to dependants will develop to a point of economic unsustainability.
Evidence that this enablement is detrimental to our way of life can be seen in the recent mortgage crisis. Stemming from government in the late 1990’s was the idea that everyone has a right to homeownership. In addition to banks’ reentry to the investment business, credit became very loose, and a person could buy a home without investing a penny of their own money. This entitlement to homeownership and the exchange of sub-prime loans caused a recession the nation is still in today as a result of the housing bubble burst more than four years ago! Unworthy homeowners were let out of their agreements with merely a ding on their credit report. Banks involved in shady business practices were bailed out by the government, and unemployment and social programs were extended repeatedly due to our resistance to failure. The result is unprecedented national debt and dismal economic recovery.
If the freedom to fail is not replenished, the United States of America will no longer be the land of the free and home of the brave. Freedom will be rout by dependence on government and bravery will be extinct by complacency and lack of earned reward.
