Democracy Requires Responsibility

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”
--Alexander Fraser Tytler

The current battle cry in American politics is “change.” Given the current state of affairs in America, I would agree that change is badly needed. The problem is that everyone demands that others change rather than accepting the fact that their own lifestyle is contributing to national problems. The battle cry ought to be “responsibility!” But apparently that’s too difficult for Americans.

I believe that most of America is found between the “selfishness” and “complacency” stages in Tytler’s cycle of civilization. Rather than voting for candidates that advocate policies taking responsibility for mistakes Americans have made, voters flock to support candidates that promise government changes that will somehow miraculously fix problems without demanding that the people take responsibility and change the lifestyles that lay at the root of the problem.

“Let government pay for my healthcare,” they say. “The mortgage companies didn’t catch me lying on my application? Well, the government better bail me out. We’re switching to digital TV? Well, the government had better buy a converter box for me. Gas prices are too high. I can’t be expected to stop driving my SUV. That would be unjust and unacceptable. So somebody needs to stop the oil companies. It’s not my child’s fault that he broke in and vandalized the school. He has conduct disorder. I don’t feel safe in America. The NSA had better change something. And they better do it without profiling, asking for more funds, slowing down the lines at the airport, or inconveniencing me in any way. It’s so unfair that I have cardiovascular disease. How can they expect me to stop eating treats? And exercise? Are you kidding me? Somebody has got to start making some food that tastes just as good and I can eat as much as I want without any health risks. And they need to stop holding back the cure for COPD and lung cancer so I can smoke my cigarettes.”

And how is the government supposed to accomplish these things?

“They need to put more money into education. They need to put more money into healthcare. They need to put more money into national defense.”

Oh, more money. So where does the government get its money? Taxes. Duh.

“Oh, no. No more taxes. I can barely support my family as it is.”

Well, America, I’m sorry. There’s no magical answer. But there is a timeless, proven one. Responsibility. Let that be the battle cry. We need to stop guzzling gas to lower the demand. We need to start taking care of ourselves to lower healthcare costs. We need to live in houses that we can afford. We need to pay for our own luxuries and learn to do without those things that we cannot afford. We need to stop getting our feelings hurt at the airport. We need to take responsibility and change our lifestyles. And we need to elect candidates that will ask that of us. If not, Tytler was right. (Our civilization isn't much older than the average 200 years.)