State-based ‘aid culture’ makes people believe they’re entitled to other people’s money

One of the insidious things about the state is that it fosters dependence and a sense of entitlement. In one Alabama community that was hit hard by a recent tornado, survivors met last night to complain that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wasn’t doing enough for them. (This story is on the front page of the Birmingham newspaper.) Some of the people complaining about being denied money by FEMA were fully covered for their losses by insurance, oddly enough.

I’m a big believer in charity. I’m a part of a church where giving and volunteering are big parts of the theological culture, and I strongly believe in that. But nobody is entitled to other people’s money without consent. Our system of government takes what should be people helping people and turns it into another entitlement program.