More than 50% of Americans receive public aid in one form or another, and that number is likely to explode as baby-boomers retire. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that we might have finally reached critical mass and started an inescapable slide towards government dependence -- since we're majority-ruled, once a majority is on the public dole there's every likelihood that they'll keep voting more and more of other peoples' money into their own pockets via taxes and regulation. I think these Thomas Jefferson quotes are instructive:
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." Thomas Jefferson"Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty." Thomas Jefferson
“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.†Thomas Jefferson
The most oppressed minority in America will quickly become one not of race or religion, but one defined by taxpaying status as the publicly-supported majority sucks the productive citizens dry. Remember: democracy is a means, not an end.
Update:
Some taxpayer polls from Mystery Pollster. I'd like to see some polling on whether or not taxpayers have any idea what percentage of their tax dollars go to various government programs. One good piece of news: 53% of Americans say their taxes are "too high".
