We use words like honor, code, LOYALTY

It never ceases to amaze me the sense of entitlement people have when it comes to everything in their daily lives. In all aspects of life, there are some who just regard most things as a right. A right to eat, a right to work, a right to breathe.

These are all priviledges. Not rights. You don't have the right to free speech either. You think you do, but you really don't. Legally, yes. You do. This country and it's 'flawed" constitution gives every citizen the right to say what they want, about whatever they want, whenever they want to, without persecution. Legal persecution, err, make that prosecution actually.

But in reality, is it a right? Do rights assume a certain level of aceptance? As in, a guy has a right to state that he wishes the sun didn't exist. No. They don't. He has the right to say it, but most would not accept it. But I think people have come to believe that acceptance should be included in terms of something being a "right".

Is healthcare a right? Is having a job a right? I don't think so. Is being able to work a right? Our forefathers didn't think so, and they certainly didn't live that way. They worked hard, made sacrifices, and squeezed as much as they could out of everything they earned. They were proficient in such things.

As I watched the Presidents speech last night, I was disheartened by a few things. I know it's no ones fault, because it's the way our society has grown. And not just ours. But mainly ours. The issues we are having, all politics aside, are born out of the push to obtain things faster than we normally would. Give peope the ability to spend so that the economy can grow exponentially. Makes sense.

Our grandfathers SAVED to by a car. They SAVED to buy their houses. Credit started a whole new lifestyle. It wasn't born out of necessity. But it did spark a revolution for companies to make ginormous profits. People could by things without having the capital to do so. All of this culminated into the issues we have today. It was a big snowball and just kept rolling, and getting bigger.

Today, it's not about the TV's and the computers people bought on credit. It's the amount of cars, the soaring costs of healthcare, the size of their home, that they would never ever have been able to afford back then. Moreso recognize the fact that they couldn't afford it.

My father purchased his house in 1968. He went to his employer of 1 year at the time, and asked for a advance on his salary to help with the down payment. He needed 4k and was a little short. The house cost $17k. Could you imagine that today?

Obama made a point in his speech last night that they would do things to open up the credit markets. People will be able to buy houses again. That will create jobs for people who make those houses. And those people will then have money to spend.

The question is, spend on what? The 60k in debt they have? What happens to the the trillions in personal debt this country has racked up, let alone the national deficit? We haven't addressed that problem at all. This personal debt isn't going away, and now the adminstration will make it easier again for people to obtain loans to buy more cars and houses?

And what about the companies extending these loans? You think they are going to sit idly back and give standard terms? To me it seems like throwing gas on the fire. I know it's how the economy works, but this way of fixing the problem is only going to separate the classes even further. It truly will lead to the end of the middle class given enough time.

I honestly think this country is in no way even close to a comeback (shocker!). There are way too many things to overcome before we can even start to figure out a game plan. Everything needs to be looked at again. Will it ever change? I don't see how it can without a fundamental shift in how the American lifestyle is viewed. Something like that would take a bunch of farmers to pick up some pitchforks and start revolting.

I don't know where I am going with this. I hear a lot of stories from neighbors, friends, and even employees who are just stuck like never before. Some have lost their jobs, and others see their jobs going away shortly. They are scared and not happy about the situation. They don't understand the system anymore. That used to be easy.

Get an education, get a job, borrow some money on three different levels... credit cards (status), mortgage (house), and an auto loan (more status). I say status for auto loans because most bought the car out of want and pride, rather than necessity. Sure it is a necessary purchase in todays time, but it certainly changes when the payment on a brand new BMW is only $200 more a month than a civic. Of course, that's assuming you don't own it at all, rather lease it.

Seems to me that the sense of entitelment will soon dissapate into a very thin cloud as people start to realize how important it is to take care of themselves. That no one else will be there to protect them. That once again, it will be on the individual to take care of business, and make sure themselves and their loved ones are taken care of.