How to Prevent Free Loader Syndrome

As I sit in my home idly watching the rest of the world go by, I cannot help but wonder how so many working-class Americans have gotten themselves into the dilemma they are now in. I’m talking about the mental attitude which I’ve aptly dubbed “Free Loader Syndrome,” FLS for short.

FLS is caused by the belief that you, as an able-bodied American worker, should be taken care of until the day you die by the company or business that you have so rigorously devoted your life to. Some symptoms of FLS are nagging, whining, complaining, bad-mouthing above said company, and generally living a deteriorated quality of life.

FLS has been around for many years, but has spread rapidly in recent years due to corporate downsizing, shipping work overseas, and the influx of baby-boomers into retirement years. The most common way that FLS is spread from person to person is through direct contact and communication at the workplace. This effect is multiplied exponentially when a union is involved. It has also been known to be passed on from parent to child, if the child is not properly immunized.

To Immunize A Child From FLS, The Following Steps Should Be Taken:

1. Explain to the child that in today’s rapidly changing world, there are few employers that can afford to fully cover expenses for such things as health care, retirement/pension, and absurdly high wages. These things were once a given in many companies, but globalization has changed how businesses, and indeed industries, operate. To be competitive in today’s world, these luxuries cannot always be afforded.
2. Strongly encourage to the child that he/she should pursue higher education or skilled training. It is no longer acceptable to graduate (or not graduate) from high school and to enter the workforce. There are simply fewer and fewer unskilled jobs available. This trend will continue alongside the advances in computer technology and automation technology.
3. Help the child start planning early for his financial future. Start a college savings plan and, when older, an IRA at very minimums.
4. Explain the 80/20 rule to the child. Eighty percent of your monthly bills should be paid with approximately twenty percent of your monthly income. The latest gadgets, newest car, and hippest clothes can wait until there is income there to cover the costs.
5. Finally, allow the child time to reflect on the state of America today. Explain to them that The United States is the greatest place in the world to live, but that FLS can eat away at it like the plague. The WWII boom is over and the rest of the world is ready to play ball.

I happen to believe every bit of the above concepts, however absurd they may seem to many of you. The fact of the matter is simply this: The United States is no longer in its post-World War II industrial/automotive prime. Globalization has taken hold and is not about to let go. If we, as Americans, do not change our mental attitudes, I am fearful of the future state of our great country. If we do decide to give a little now, and indeed back, we will surely gain in the long run. Think of it like this. The United States is like The Little Engine That Could.

Do you remember the story? We are now at the top of the hill struggling with all our might to make it over that hump. We are pulling behind us all the box cars from the previous decades, full of remnants of the freeloader era. If we change our mental attitudes and decide that we are not incapable infants that need to always be taken care of, we can shed just enough of that weight to make it to the other side of the hill. Only time will tell if we are strong enough to mimic the fable.