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A Sense of Entitlement
Author: BobR    Date: 12/04/2009 13:43:26

I know I'm not the first person to say it, but there is a growing sense of entitlement among Americans. We normally ascribe this to the "next generation", who want their cellphones and iPods, and all of the other things we never had when we were young (and we liked it!). That pompous sense of self and what we deserve seems to have permeated the older generations as well.

The most obvious current example of course is the "gate crashers" of the State Dinner. Their psychopathic hubris was at such a level that they felt they deserved to be at a event to which they were not invited. After successfully breaching the perimeter, they showed their complete disconnection with reality by posting pictures of their exploits online. This is not the first time for the couple - the missus has crashed a Washington Redskins Cheerleaders exhibition, posing as a former cheerleader. They feel they deserve to be a part of whatever they want, without having earned (or been given) the right to do so.

The press and - by extension - the viewing public seems to feel they have the right to access the private lives of public people. The papparazzi industry is based on that, but this sense of a "right to know" extends into every facet of a public person's life. Tiger Woods' recent accident is a perfect example of a public person deciding to keep a private incident private, and the indignant clamoring for details by the public. Where details were not forthcoming, speculation of the most lurid and debase rushed to fill the void. It's true he makes millions by his skill and his celebrity, but by buying his product, do we also deserve that which is not for sale?

An article in today's WaPo describes fundraisers for Obama who are miffed that they don't have access to him:
"I've had almost no communication with the White House," said Chris Korge, a top supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton from Miami who later collected $5.5 million for Obama, making him one of the president's biggest fundraisers.

Korge said his only visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. was a St. Patrick's Day event. He complained in a recent interview that the administration has done little to reward the president's donors or tap into their experience and wisdom.

"There is no connection between the administration and money people," he said. "If they do have any connection . . . it is very limited as far as the fun stuff is concerned."

I was under the impression that a person donated and/or raised money for a politician's campaign because the wanted that person to win, not to get an entitlement like a sleepover in the Lincoln bedroom. I take this as a good sign that Obama is not "bought".

Of course - the Republicans in office seem to think they still have the entitlement of leading Congress. They complain every time they don't get their way, without a hint of irony. Being in charge of proceedings in the past does not entitle you to always have that power. The voters ultimately have the say in who is in charge of Congress, and the voters chose Democrats.

As Americans, we feel entitled to drive cars that pollute the atmosphere that everyone else breathes, to buy cheap products made (or harvested) by destitute workers earning slave wages, and to buy whatever we fancy using easily available credit. We feel we have a right to spend a certain amount of the day at work surfing the internet instead of working.

When did this shift happen, and what should we do about it? How do we get back to a place where we (the collective We) feel grateful for what we have, let others live their lives, and try to make this world a better place by occasionally sacrificing our desires for the common good?

 

31 comments (Latest Comment: 12/04/2009 23:49:39 by livingonli)
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