Dependence on Government at All-time High

**OnceWasLost** · February-9th-2012, 11:13 AM

For those who argue that obama is not socialist in his view, a socialist could not have done more to move us in that direction than what has been done since he took office. No matter what he or anyone wants to label him, his underlying ideology is obvious, and on a policy level, inescapable.

Are we still a free country? Answer this questions, if the government could not fund all those receiving direct assistance (SS, Medicare, Welfare, housing et al.) what would happen to all those people?

Think that can't happen?

Greece anyone?

* One in five Americans—the highest in the nation’s history—relies on the federal government for everything from housing, health care, and food stamps to college tuition and retirement assistance. That’s more than 67.3 million Americans who receive subsidies from Washington.

* Government dependency jumped 8.1 percent in the past year, with the most assistance going toward housing, health and welfare, and retirement.

* The federal government spent more taxpayer dollars than ever before in 2011 to subsidize Americans. The average individual who relies on Washington could receive benefits valued at $32,748, more than the nation’s average disposable personal income ($32,446).

* At the same time, nearly half of the U.S. population (49.5 percent) does not pay any federal income taxes.

* In the next 25 years, more than 77 million baby boomers will retire. They will begin collecting checks from Social Security, drawing benefits from Medicare, and relying on Medicaid for long-term care.

* As of now, 70 percent of the federal government’s budget goes to individual assistance programs, up dramatically in just the past few years. However, research shows that private, community, and charitable aid helps individuals rise from their difficulties with better success than federal government handouts. Plus, local and private aid is often more effectively distributed.

Dependence on Government at All-Time High