Too often, the “system” is blamed for all sorts of failures and tragedies, but especially for misfortunes arising from refusal to take personal responsibility.
Some time back, I remember watching an Australian man on TV blaming the “system” for the death of his child from starving. By transferring blame to an abstract entity, he was trying to absolve his own role in the tragedy and whitewash his conscience.
To be sure, a robust system of social safety net is a hallmark of civilised societies – there is zero social safety net in third world dictatorships, theocracies and kleptocracies, which are often one and the same thing.
However, you know things have gone too far when people who shirk personal responsibility blame their misfortunes on the “system”, and when politicians of all stripes try to outdo each other in pandering to an overriding sense of entitlement.
So, it was no wonder, then, that many took umbrage at Gina Rinehart's comment last week, when she stated the obvious: "Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking or smoking and socialising, and more time working."
The fact that Rinehart herself did not work her ass off for her billions - she inherited it from her father - does not disqualify her from making such comments nor does it invalidate the thrust of her comment.
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