I'm a big fan of Freedom of Choice.
Yet as I watch Barack Obama tell me how he's "going to make my life better" (I didn't realize it was the government's job to do that, but okay) it becomes more and more clear to me that Freedom of Choice is no longer being exercised. A few examples...
... YOU CHOOSE to either whine at work about your pay and/or benefits, rather than doing what it takes to move up on your job and increase your own income.
...YOU CHOOSE to either know who's winning on American Idol, or to increase your value on the job market by taking classes or getting certifications in your field to improve your career.
...YOU CHOOSE to sign on to an Adjustable Rate Mortgage for a house you can barely afford, rather than buying a smaller house that is more appropriate to your budget in the long run.
...YOU CHOOSE to run up your credit card on IPods and the latest fashions, instead of keeping your debts down in case something bad happens.
...YOU CHOOSE to drive an expensive new vehicle rather than a smaller vehicle that would allow more money in your budget for things like health insurance or a retirement account.
...YOU CHOOSE to complain about how "other people" don't "care" about the underpriviledged, instead of working with a non-profit to TRULY improve the lives of others, such as the poor, fatherless children, and/or lonely seniors. We all know it's easier to just bitch & moan than to get your hands dirty.
...YOU CHOOSE to complain about how other people have more money than you, pretending that they "cheated" or that they "didn't earn it" or "don't deserve it", when you don't take it upon yourself to improve your own life.
...YOU CHOOSE to make excuses and give up when things go wrong, pretending that such events don't happen to everyone else. If you admitted that we all have to deal with adversity and that some just don't give up, it would mess up your whole "victim" motif.
...YOU CHOOSE to wait for the government to "fix" your problems, using other people's money and time, because taking responsibility for your own life is just "too hard."
Yep, let's just hand everything over to a bunch of politicians and the federal bureaucracy. Let's let THEM have Freedom of Choice, deciding how to run our lives for us.
...
