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Message: <blockquote data-quote="10Seconds" data-source="post: 1993576" data-attributes="member: 24432">That country is gone.  The new America is here.  People, realizing that the rules are stacked against them, no longer think of the country as a whole or what would be best long term.  People make decisions based only on their own short-term self-interests. Its like when people know they are getting evicted, they have no incentive to pay bills or take care of the place and after they are out, the place looks like a disaster.  Why invest your scarce resources in what you view to be a losing endeavor. I know people, an increasing number in fact, who feel this way.  Examples:  1. Friend A has a good job and has been paying taxes, including employment taxes, etc.  He does not have any belief that Social Security will be there for him when he retires.  So he is now drawing disability to "recover some of the money that he paid in".  Under ordinary circumstances, he would never had thought to apply for disability for this issue, and in reality could work just fine.2. Friend B is self-employed.  Routinely makes six-figures plus.  But showed a loss on his taxes last year.  His kids are on the free lunch program at school, get discounted after-school care, and he has made joke about getting food stamps.  It wouldnt surprise me.  He too feels its fair, since he has paid in over the years and says that "I didn't make the rules to this game, but if they want to force me to play, I will."3. Client A I represented pro bono at a clinic in New York.  She is a single mother, who finally got a break and got a good job after making it through school.  She was making $45,000/yr.  In the course of the engagement, it came out that she in fact tried to get off public assistance, and they would not let her.  Told her how she would hurt her children if she did, and literally offered 'to take care of the paperwork for her' to make sure she kept getting the aid that she did not even need anymore.  Since the government worker told her that, she felt like it must be the right think to do, or at least ok, even though I counseled her otherwise.People have no faith in the government now and see so many others getting a free ride, they figure they better get theirs before they miss their chance.  People are not willing to put themselves through any hardships for the benefit of society as a whole because they believe that the next person over also will not do that, and will act for their own benefit.  Its the classic prisoner's dilemma.  Cooperation is the best overall outcome, but if you believe that the other person will 'rat/cheat', then as the individual, the next best outcome is to 'cheat' too.  Essentially, we have become a nation of 'cheaters'.  So, yes, the society envisioned by Limbaugh is gone.</blockquote>

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