Being Independent is one of the ideals our Founding Fathers had in mind to help us remain Free.
In some ways, being equal can take us towards dependence and not independence. The reason we get different grades in school is that rewarding excellence can be beneficial to the rest of society by bringing cheaper and better products because people can see the blessings of being rewarded for their efforts.
We all want equal rights, but we don't want everyone to be the same or equal. Being different is O.K. as long as it isn't being deviant/immoral or harming someone else.
If we care for one another, we show it by giving through charity from our heart.
If we don’t care for one another, we vote to have the government force money from our neighbors and us and give most of it to administrators and a small token amount to the needy.
This builds a cycle of dependence upon those that receive the handout from the government. Another reason this cycle is a problem is it destroys self-esteem of the recipient.
If you lend someone money there is a good feeling of the person who is paying the loan back that they are being responsible and a valuable member of society.
But, when the government gives other peoples money to someone, then the recipient feels bad that they had to get a handout, they feel like they are beggars.
The Democrat party and the Left leaning Socialist idealogs in the United States want to keep people dependent upon their handouts because it gives the Democrats power.
Some people argue that many in this country don’t like the free market system and want to have Elite planners in D.C. take care of us from the cradle to the grave. They say that anything that encourages dependence such as public subsidized mass transit and other social programs will further their goals.
Socialism tries to make everyone equal or the same. This is the opposite of being Independent or self reliant.
Here is to being self reliant and free because socialism is diametrically opposed to freedom.