Judge Napolitano on Entitlement Explosion: 'Majority of America No Longer Embraces the Traditions We Were Taught as Children'
On this morning's Fox and Friends, Judge Andrew Napolitano reacted to comments made by Bill O'Reilly on election night, in which he asserted that America isn't "a traditional America anymore," adding that, "fifty percent of the voting public want 'things,' and who's going to give them things? President Obama."
Napolitano said he's in agreement with the The O'Reilly Factor host about soaring entitlements under the president.
"O'Reilly is right ... he put his finger
on the meaning of the evening," he said. "We're talking about a dangerous situation [...] the majority [of America] no longer embraces the traditions that we were taught as children ... things are changing right before our eyes, and we need to be aware of what's happening."
The judge cited language used generations prior by Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, who spoke about the public treasury "becoming a public trough," cautioning that when voters realize this, they will 'only send to the government people who will only promise to bring back a bigger piece of the pie.' However, those founding fathers never imagined it would get to the extent it has today.
Why does this growing obsession with giving constituent 'things' even occur by those in public office? "Because the people who control these things, right now the president, know the short-term political gain they can receive by giving away cash now," Napolitano said.
"They don't see that every dollar they take away from taxpayers [...] is a dollar less to invest in the economy and produce prosperity and jobs," he said. "They don't see the long-term effect of raising taxes ... which means less economic activity, not more."
