Not Logged in.
Book Jacket

2030


An intriguing, caustically humorous and unsettling vision of America's future
More about this book

How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family?

Created: 04/05/12

Replies: 7

Posted Apr. 05, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family?

How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family… your children, your parents, your extended family? Where should your priorities lie?


Posted Apr. 05, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyces

Join Date: 06/16/11

Posts: 410

RE: How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family?

I think our JudeoChristian culture as well as the cultures of many in this world have trained us to make the health and happiness of our families almost a credo. We have always thought first of children when they are young and mostly also as they mature but this book shows another whole thing that makes us stop and think a little. The burden of eldely parents and relatives is even now becoming a major factor in many lives and will only expand from here on. I am not sure I can answer exactly how much resposiblility we should have but I think as we age we need to all keep in mind the idea of trying not to be a burden on our children and plan accordingly.


Posted Apr. 06, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
leeb

Join Date: 03/13/12

Posts: 10

RE: How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family?

The idea of being a burden to your children is so foreign to me. It might be because of the time I have spent in China, where caring for your parents is not only expected, it is written into the laws. The last time I was there, some of the younger people were beginning to rebel against that. They have been raised as only children, and have the same feelings of entitlement that many of our younger people have. I moved back home to help my aging father. That was about 11 years ago. I am still here, and gave up a career that I totally love, and now have a job I can do from home. Sure I have moments of frustration and sometimes even resentment. However, that is by far outweighed by the moments of joy and love I have, as getting to know my father in whole new ways. I celebrate every good day. I will keep him home as long as humanly possible. I did the same for my mother who died here at home after suffering from cancer. I am not sure what to expect from my daughter when I am in need. It will have to be a joint decision, based on both of our needs, and the reduction of my estate if we choose to place that responsibility on a third party. No easy answers - but I would much rather have a shorter life and live with dignity than to be a burden to others.


Posted Apr. 06, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
bevula

Join Date: 10/18/10

Posts: 40

RE: How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family?

I think the important question is - how much responsibility should you take for your own health and well-being? Other than minor children who cannot take care of themselves, most people should be making an effort to take care of themselves so that many of these questions don't come up.

That being said, families should be taking care of each other. But 'should' is not 'does'. Plenty of minor children being neglected, not even looking to parents and grandparents.

I think the governments role in much of this is to facilitate our ability to take care of ourselves and each other. I don't see how our tax dollars should be going to ANYTHING before they go to take care of the citizens paying them. How much sense does it make to 'defend us' from foreign threats if we're all dying/suffering from illness at home? Health care should not be a privilege.

Okay, I'm rambling all over the place here. But it's a complicated issue.


Posted Apr. 07, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Izabel

Join Date: 04/07/12

Posts: 17

RE: How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family?

It is a complicated issue but what I see is less and less reliance on family for care and well being and more and more expectation that the government will do the job. Its like the education system today. There was a letter to the editor in my paper about the school's response to preventing bullying. Our schools have been attacked because they aren't doing enough. This letter writer wondered where the parent's responsibilities lay. Racism and intolerance are learned at home. I see this as the same idea. My sister and I are already discussing how we're going to care for our parents. We need the government to assist but not to provide the whole enchilada. In 2030, it seemed as if the gov't was providing everything.


Posted Apr. 08, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyces

Join Date: 06/16/11

Posts: 410

RE: How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family?

I am so pleased to see leeb,s comment on how this is handled in China. I think that both parents and adult children might live their lives very differently if this was a law and everyone needed to plan for this eventuality. I am so against any more government mandates on personal life but this may be a good thought. It would also addresses what Izabel said about this country expecting the government to take care of them as an entitlement. If the government says it is your job to take care of yourself and your family and there is no, or little, assistance it might force some better thinking on our consumeristic society.


Posted Apr. 08, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
karenp

Join Date: 04/08/12

Posts: 8

RE: How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family?

Children should care their parents, BUT, I am very much opposed to hereditary debt. The debt should die with the debtor as it is in the US now.


Posted Apr. 09, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Izabel

Join Date: 04/07/12

Posts: 17

RE: How much responsibility should you take for the well-being of your family?

I agree with karenp in that debt should die with the debtor in most cases. But what if the debtor intentionally racks up high debt and not just medical debt. The bankruptcy laws continue to annoy me. Why is it that people can spend and spend and then claim bankruptcy and get out of or greatly lesson the debt they incurred? I'm not talking medical debt here. I'm talking about plain out spending beyond your means. If I don't have money to pay for something, I don't buy it. I think the consumerism that is rampant in American society is fueling this notion that people can have anything they want right now. What happened to save and spend as opposed to spend and spend?


Reply

Please login to post a response.