Quote:
Originally Posted by Slava
Who are these people who just think that the government, (or other taxpayers), should subsidize their choices? The government we have in power at this point can't pay for their operations without borrowing money as it is, never mind them subsidizing childcare for people who have incomes that are above the median! I probably should have posted this in the gear grinder thread, because I don't know if it's really related to the election, but the attitude is just frustrating.
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A lot of people simply don't think about the connection between government revenues and government spending. They think governments have virtually unlimited money, and politics is all about getting the most of that money for things you want. How it's paid for doesn't even enter their minds.
I'm not sure this is any more common now than it was in the past. 25 years ago I worked with some older, blue-collar guys who complained endlessly about the taxes they paid (even though they didn't declare half their income), while putting their kids through public school, blithely using and abusing the public health care system for frivolous purposes, and otherwise behaving like entitled Canadians.
But if there is an increase in this sort of attitude, I'd hazard that it's down the normalization of carrying huge debt and subsidizing a consumer lifestyle on credit. My parents' generation dreaded debt. Living beyond your means was considered reckless folly that could only end badly. That stigma around debt and credit has vanished. Canadians used to be more conservative and cautious about money than Americans, but today the reverse is true.