A very interesting look at how the attitude towards independence and security has changed over time.

And, above all, security has become a fetish among all classes of society, from the lowliest wage-earner to the president of the corporation. To be sure, security against the exigencies of life has always been a human aim. But, while in the last century man made provision against disaster, in insurance, in paying off the mortgage on the old homestead, in savings, the tendency during the latter half of the twentieth century is to put the burden of one's security on society. The young man entering the business world is not concerned with the chances of advancement that are open to industry and skill, but rather with the pension system provided by the company; and the candidate for president of the corporation is concerned with his retirement even as he takes on the duties of the presidency. This change of attitude from personal responsibility to collectivized security is probably the result of the income tax; it would be difficult to trace it to any alteration in human nature or any deterioration of character.

The author is of the opinon that the state has more or less taken the role of a Freudian religious hierarchy, in a society attempting to return to the nurturing environment of the womb. The transformation was made possible by the income tax, which made everyone much poorer and dependent on those returning that same money to those same people. And once you've paid 40% of your paycheck to the government, you're less likely to want to take any chances, and more likely to play it safe. Anywho, this is taken from a book "Out of Step: The Autobiography of an Individualist".

Labels: economics, religion

On a small hiatus but wanted to wish everyone a prayerful Advent.

Labels: catholic