Romney Addresses Entitlement Mentality, Misses Fundamental

The Objective Standard ^ | 9/19/12 | Ari Armstrong

[GSWarrior]

Mother Jones published a “secret” video of Mitt Romney speaking at a private fundraising event in which the Republican candidate discussed the entitlement mentality:

There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. . . . I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.

Romney is correct that nearly half of all Americans receive government wealth transfers of some sort—money forcibly seized from them and/or their fellow citizens. Earlier this year, the Mercatus Center published data from 2010 showing that fully 49 percent of the population received government handouts. As examples: 26 percent of the population received Medicaid; 16 percent received Social Security; and 15 percent received food stamps.

But Romney is wrong in assuming that, just because someone takes government handouts, that person necessarily shares the entitlement mentality or advocates forced wealth transfers.

For many Americans living under today’s rights-violating government, it is practically impossible not to receive some sort of government handout.

[Ziva]

You don't have to donate money to the Romney campaign to make a difference. (You should donate money to FreeRepublic.)

If You Live in a Blue State, Here Is What You Can Do To Help Romney Beat Obama

I've made 1600 phone calls from home to New Hampshire in the last six days using the system set up by the campaign. Even 100 calls will make a difference. Who will join me?

[luvbach1]

A relatively minor mistake, or mistakes, should not be nearly enough to disqualify Romney when the alternative is the The Abomination who has had plenty of gaffes of his own as well as policies that have been destructive here and abroad.

[9YearLurker]

Maybe me—but congrats and kudos to you!

[I cannot think of a name]

“showing that fully 49 percent of the population received government handouts. As examples: 26 percent of the population received Medicaid; 16 percent received Social Security; and 15 percent received food stamps.”

I don’t collect any of these things, BUT DAMMIT I WISH EVERYONE WOULD START POINTING OUT A VERY IMPORTANT DISTINCTION.

There are “entitlements” that people have EARNED by paying into a system their entire life. There are “entitlements” that people are GIVEN apparently just because they breath air on this earth. There is a huge difference between the two.

The drag that the EARNED entitlements put on the system is entirely the government’s fault. If the money that was paid in had been properly invested, there wouldn’t be the financial drag on the economy that there is today.

And to a degree, the GIVEN entitlements are also the government’s fault. If you continually give people money, with no demand that they ever get a job or stop taking the money, of course they will take it forever.

But to lump EARNED entitlements and GIVEN entitlements in one category, is disrespectful to people that paid into systems their entire life. Systems I might add that they were never given an opportunity to opt out of.

[mosesdapoet]

What Romney should now explain are the reasons why those on fixed incomes must go on food stamps and apply for other “benefits” such as energy assistance etc.

The price of ; goods, services ,food, as well as the cost, use, and type of of energy sources, have all been driven up by Obama through his endless edicts, use of regulations and prohibitions all designed to change the systems of distribution and use of resources to conform to his socialist scheme or ideal. Without any regard to the consequences

[brightright]

He painted with a broad brush but this was at a private fund raiser and off the cuff. My concern is that he was not talking about any changes in the system only that he could not consider their vote. I also wonder why he would critical of people for expecting free health care when he was Governor he instigated free health care. If he truly felt these programs were wrong he would not talk about how proud he is of RomneyCare.

[I cannot think of a name]

Actually I was speaking more in general than just in this particular instance. Everyone, liberal and conservative, seems to throw the word “entitlements” around as though it were monolithic.

It probably galls me a little more because I am self employed and have to pay my side and the employers side of social security. But according to my statement I receive from them, in the last 40 years I have paid almost a half million into the system. If I ever get even a penny of it back (which seems doubtful), I'm liable to slug anyone that calls it an “entitlement.”

[brightright]

Yes I think of it more as restitution and punitive damages for money that was stolen from me. I would not have chose to be in the SS system because I also paid into another retirement program. It is a Ponzi scam. But I also resent the misuse of the term entitlements.