As far as your personal goals are and what you actually want to do with your life, it should never have to do with the government. You should never depend on the government for your retirement, your financial security, for anything. If you do, you’re screwed.

The remark frames life-planning as a matter of individual agency rather than public provision. Carey’s blunt warning (“If you do, you’re screwed”) underscores a distrust of political reliability: governments change priorities, benefits can be reduced, and bureaucratic systems may fail to match personal needs. The quote also reflects a distinctly American strain of self-reliance—treating retirement and financial stability as responsibilities to be built through one’s own work, savings, and risk management. Read charitably, it is less a policy argument than a pragmatic admonition: diversify your supports, avoid single points of failure, and don’t outsource your long-term security to institutions you cannot control.