On the long drive home this weekend, which took just under 14 hours, my car-mates and I talked about alot of things. One topic that came up was the culpability of those who are recipients of government aid. Specifically, those who claim to be morally opposed to the very existence of such programs. Such as one of my co-travellers, who is currently collecting unemployment while developing a new business, and also people like me, beneficiaries of government subsidized student loans, government education at State Unis, etc.

The older gentleman, with whom we drove, went to school along time ago, he is now a recreational student, after having sold his family’s business a few years back, and he wondered how we could justify taking such doles, even while railing against them.

We came up with two defensible positions. The Randian approach, if I recall correctly, is that so long as the system which intends to steal from me is offering me something, I might as well take it. I back this up with the claim that, were it not for government subsidies, the cost of education would not be nearly what it is today, and were the cost much cheaper, I would not be taking out loans to provide for it. In short, the system is not set up for me to succeed without it – I should not voluntarily impose hurdles to impede my progress. Moral indignation never won the race.

The next argument, is what we came to refer to as the “Vote Hillary” approach. Ryan suggested that it was actually in our long-run best interest to take every penny from government programs that we possibly could, in essence, to accelerate the impending decline. Further, he posited that we should vote for Hillary in the next presidential election.

Although I agree with him on the first stance, that we should leech as much as we can – inevitably the burden will be too high to bear, and we will be plunged into higher & higher taxes which will eventually destroy the system. In the event that the government can’t levy the necessary taxes, we’ll eventually succumb to an inflation induced hyperinflation. Neither one is really something I hope to experience, except insofar as either presents a possible escape from the slow death-march towards socialism we’re currently experiencing.

So, do your part. Take subsidies. Grants. Welfare. Unemployment. Apply for all sorts of stuff. Bleed the beast dry, and set yourself free.

But I still wouldn’t vote for H-Rod.