The American experiment began with a revolutionary idea: that the individual, not the state, is sovereign. But what happens when the meaning of individualism expands beyond self-reliance and liberty, into personal entitlement at others’ expense?

This episode traces the cultural and political shift from classic individualism to what some call “radical individualism”, a worldview where personal identity and emotional preferences demand recognition, validation, and funding by society at large. Alongside this shift, the central government has grown dramatically, fueling unsustainable promises with borrowed money and expanding entitlements.

At the root is a clash of rights: negative rights, which protect freedom from interference, versus positive rights, which obligate others to provide goods and services. As the latter dominate, the result is skyrocketing debt, bureaucratic sprawl, and moral confusion.

Can a society survive when the definition of freedom no longer includes responsibility?

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