There was a long line waiting for the train at Denver International Airport. At the last minute a weasley guy swooped around us all and boarded first. Why did he do it? Because he could. He put his egocentric needs above decorum or courtesy. It was an act of entitlement.
The same principle applies to people who want to get more simply because they have less. To hear Obama campaign, you’d think the greatest threat to the U.S. isn’t terrorism but people who are wealthy. A basic concept that seems to escape candidate Obama who must have missed Econ 101 is that people who work harder, create value and take risks usually (but not always) end up with more money. If individuals and corporations made their money legally and ethically, they should share no greater load of the tax burden than the disproportionate amount they already pay. Robin Hood economics are antiquated concept that Obama has successfully revived. It is about entitlement.
The people whining about their mortgages have good reason if their loans were misrepresented or they are victims of unscrupulous practices. Most are whining because they signed their names on a contract they didn’t read. But they think they should be given special dispensation and not held responsible for their bad decision. It is another form of entitlement.
I signed a contract that we tried to renegotiate because of unusual circumstances. We were unsuccessful. So you know what I did? I honored it. Legally, that’s what you do when you sign a contract even if the outcome sucks. It is the opposite of entitlement; it is called responsibility.
So whether you’re a weasel who sneaks to the front of the line or someone who thinks they should get something for nothing or not be held accountable for a legally binding agreement, understand that your problem isn’t poor parenting or W or the economy. It is a disease called entitlement.
(afterthought: AIG is on the brink of failure. Nobody complained when their AIG stock made money, but now it isn’t fair that the stock has tanked! Here’s another form of entitlement: acccepting the gains of risk without being willing to pay the cost. You’ll find entitlement is quite pervasive in our culture today.)
And as I listened to Obama’s speech echo from the halls for Colorado School of Mines in Golden this morning — about 4 miles from my home — he was blaming Bush for failed economic policies that caused the meltdown of another huge investment bank. But if the market had gained 500 points yesterday if he would have credited the Bush administration and tried to tie McCain to those gains? Of course not.
He preaches to the loud entitled crowd who scream that they are not getting their fair share. And if he’s successful in his bid and ends up calling the shots, he’ll kill the golden goose that lays the eggs. or he’ll wound it. Then where will we be.
The only thing I wish you would have done, Mark, is to grab the weasel who wormed his way to the front of the train line and shown him some manners. But then, you’re too much of a gentleman for that. Now me? I can’t contain my anger in those situations. You’re a better man than I am Gunga Din…
Actually, the greatest threat to our country isn’t terrorism. It’s natural disasters and our sense of entitlement to live in disaster prone areas. Get the full story and some sensible prescriptions on how to make our country more resilient by reading Edge of Disaster by terrorism expert Stephen Flynn. Find a local library at http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/74354077.
And there are many excellent reasons to vote for Obama unrelated to the economy. See my growing list at http://alaskanlibrarian.wordpress.com/category/whyvoteobama/.
This “Sense of Entitlement” has permeated the very essence of America’s Culture. I say this not because I am a negative person but because of what I see and hear from others that have fallen into that “I should be given this..” mentality. Its very sad to see people who believe that they are entitled to anything and many of my days are spent trying to help the people that work for me see the light. Will they ever see the light? Maybe, maybe not, but I will continue to try and help them get past their current way of thinking.
Mark, you hit the nail on the head with this post.
Daniel, although I applaud your research and well founded views I can not and will not vote for Senator Obama in November. I believe that free enterprise should be rewarded and his plans and ideas are much closer to Karl Marx then the Founding Fathers of our Country.
(I don’t buy the better care for Vets that Obama likes to push….I am a proud Veteran of OIF I and II and I cannot complain how my Governement has treated me).