A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you.” The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?” The boy takes the quarters and leaves. “What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!” Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store. “Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?” The boy licked his cone and replied, “Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!”
The “joke” above is funny and cute but it also vividly represents how our entitlement programs hook people into continuing to “play the game”. Instead of the barber, picture Uncle Sam holding the dollar in one hand and the quarters in the other; the child in the “joke” could be viewed as those who wrongly seek entitlements from the corrupt and broken system we continue to support.
Our government says they want to see everyone reach the point where they are self-sufficient; whether we are speaking about every healthy, able bodied person being fully employed, paying 100% of their own health insurance, or not having to rely on food-stamps. We can go on and on. Those could be viewed as the “smart” child who would quickly select the hand with the dollar bill because everyone knows that, regardless of their circumstances, if they apply themselves; taking advantage of all this country has to offer, they too could grasp the full dollar offered to them.
Now imagine those who are gaming our systems in the place of that “dumbest” kid from the joke. By the way, no one has to try very hard to game our ill-conceived attempt at social progress or our attempt at creating the path to financial security. There is only one system that does that and it is hard work not a government hand-out! Just like in the joke, our government makes it extremely easy by offering both but getting self-enjoyment, political benefit and career satisfaction in the form of continued support the moment the wrong selection is made.
Reinforcing again why our government wants a less than wise society.
In the joke, the barber is not bright enough to catch on that he is being played by a child, someone who he perceives as being much less intelligent. The barber thinks he is pocketing fifty cents every time the kid takes fifty cents from him. So, as demonstrated by this joke, our political leaders are either extremely gullible or they too are gaming the failed system. In either case, why do we need them? Why should those gamers of our generous country find honest work; they have “barbers” on every street corner handing out money they do nothing to earn?
As we enter an election year, hopefully we can do a better job of selecting brighter leaders for our Country; people wise enough and courageous enough to end this joke once and for all.
Anthony “Tony” Boquet, Author of “Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”, writes and speaks on ethics and wise decision making.
So true. Politicians main job and foremost concern is getting re-elected. They do not get re-elected by being fiscally responsible; they get re-elected by providing “give-aways”. Welfare, food stamps, free cell phones and birth control garner votes.
I could go on about life-time politicians and why term limits are necessary, but that is another topic
Great observation and article. Thank you for this timely lesson. Yes, indeed we all need to be mindful of the end game and what is really at stake. Vote informed!