Personal Responsibility: No Strings Attached?

Another Hollywood Nudge Toward Victimhood

I’ve made two points repeatedly, and I saw a movie last weekend that confirmed ’em both.

One point is that there are two kinds of people out there: I call them the Entrepreneur and the Victim. Entrepreneurs (who may or may not actually own a business) take initiative… Victims just take. Speaking of taking, Victims need taking care of, and Entrepreneurs tend to take care of those around them. Entrepreneurs are courageous, self-reliant, curious about others, and aren’t afraid to collaborate. Victims are political, dependent, critical of others, and very competitive (and not in a good way).

You’ve seen both types, at work, if not back at the annual family reunion picnic. The Entrepreneurs are the ones who just want the government to get out of their way so they can pursue happiness. The Victims love the idea of collectivism, because they won’t be happy under any circumstances, but they certainly don’t want anyone else to have more than they have, or to be happier.

The other point I’ve made was that the statist Left in America, as part of their mission to “progressively” move the nation toward socialism, have slowly taken over the four most important and influential U.S. institutions over the past century-plus: the government administration, the “news” media, the academic community, and the entertainment industry. The latter, from television to the big screen, is a favorite channel for the statists to use in pushing their left-wing ideology into the minds of the masses, particularly the younger set.

The movie I saw was “No Strings Attached,” with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. I really enjoyed it… VERY funny (though not a good flick for the kids, parents), and very well-written. I always appreciate a well-crafted script and good comedic acting, and this movie had both.

But I was struck by the subtle messages my young offspring (all in their twenties) would take away from the movie if they watched it.

Just one example, which will not wreck the movie for you: living arrangements. Portman’s character is a doctor, and she lives with THREE other doctor roommates – in an apartment. Kutcher’s character, a TV writer/producer (far from a pauper), has I-don’t-know-how-many well-employed roommates as well, all in a small house.

No wonder none of my twenty-something kids, regardless of their level of skill, education, or income, feels like they can live on their own. They all have roommates. When I was their age, I earned less than any of them does (I think), but I not only lived on my own, I supported a non-working spouse and a family (these same fine humans). It was hard. Is it really that much harder today, or is this a Hollywood-fueled progressive cultural shift? You make the call. But it seems like the very definition of personal responsibility has changed.

I don’t think living in America is harder than it was when I was in my twenties. What’s different for my kids, though, is the potential for the future. When I was their age, Ronald Reagan was president, and the progressives’ march toward socialism was interrupted by one inspirational leader’s “Morning in America.” Today, well… today things are different.

There is a storm coming, and in America, our leaders are hastening us toward it as best they can. The dollar will eventually crumble, the stock market crash, and inflation destroy not only wealth but the basic American lifestyle. The time is now to start a business on the side, make some money, and get smart about what’s really going on in the global economy so you can protect what you earn. And don’t rely on the old paradigm for wealth building – total dependence on a single employer, gradual savings, and investment advice from a standard “professional” who is compensated to put you into the standard investment products.

If you have a good job and roommates, great! You’re lucky. But in the coming fundamental transformation of the world economy, a handful will get rich while the vast majority of “standard” lifestyles will come crashing down. You’re making a choice right now about which side you’ll be on, whether you know it or not.

Make a good choice. Get some real financial advice NOW, and make sure there are no strings attached.

by Michael D. Hume, M.S.