Before dealing with this "less fortunate" nonsense spouted by Colin Powell, a few words about Clinton's volunteer summit in Philadelphia.
In the 1950's the average American family saw about 5% of thier family income go to the federal government in income taxes. Today that figure is over 40%. For high achievers (note I don't use the "fortunate" word) that figure is closer to 50%. Some people go to work at 8:00 in the morning and don't hit a lick for themselves until after lunch. The average American family spends more for taxes than it does for food, shelter and clothing combined!
Now we have Bill Clinton, Colin Campbell, George Bush and others telling us that we aren't fulfilling our responsibilities as citizens unless we volunteer! In other words, we owe more!
The only thing that is required of a "responsible citizen" is that they take care of themselves and their family, and that they obey the law. Our lives belong to US! Not to the government! It is not the place of the government to tell us that we owe parts of our lives to others ... others whom Colin Powell call "the less fortuante!"
You hear it almost every day!
On television newscasts, in newspaper editorials, and out of the mouths of politicians ... constant references to "the less fortunate."
I ask you to consider just what the use of this phrase implies!
Colin Powell said that those who are fortunate should help those who are less fortunate. To really understand what is being said here we should start with a definition of the word "fortunate"
Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language describes "fortunate" as "receiving good from unexpected sources." Now, apply this definition to the people to whom Colin Powell was referring.
If you have studied hard, worked hard, delayed gratification, saved, planned, invested and made every effort to use your decision-making powers wisely you are probably in fairly good shape right now. You have a good job, a decent income, a nice home, an investment program and a retirement plan. You believe you got here through hard work and good living. Colin Powell and the others that use the "fortunate/less-fortunate" phrase tell you that you are "fortunate" and that your good job and comfortable lifestyle are goods derived from "unexpected sources."
There is nothing "unexpected" about good flowing from the attributes of hard work, good decision making and clean living. This is EXACTLY what you would expect. When you are told you are there because of good fortunate ... that you were lucky ...you should feel insulted.
We are also being told that those people who did not pay attention in school, who did not study, who got pregnant with children they could not afford to raise, who developed no marketable job skills, and who have a long history of hideous decision making are "less fortunate." In other words, their condition is totally unexpected. There is nothing unexpected about a life of misery and material want from poor decision making and irresponsibility. These people aren't the "less fortunate." They are the "more irresponsible."
There is a solid reason why the leftist big-government types like to use the fortunate/less-fortunate descriptions. It assists them in their efforts to build government through income redistribution. First you need to convince people that the wealthy enjoy their status in life primarily through good luck (fortune). Then convince people that the poor are living in their misery because of bad luck. Once this becomes the conventional wisdom then it is easier to promote income redistribution. After all, all you're trying to do is even out the odds a bit.
This fortunate/less-fortunate scam reached a new height two years ago when Presidential contender and House Minority Honcho Richard Gephardt referred to the high achievers in America as those who "won life's lottery." What an insult! You bust your royal butt for years on end to achieve success, and this politician comes along and tells you that you achieved all of this through the luck of the draw.
If you think that you have what you have because you were lucky, then maybe you deserve to have the government take it from you. Those who recognize the hard work that went into their success might feel differently.
Neal Boortz
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