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In combination of all the political talk for things like free or single payer health care, student loan forgiveness, free college and/or general crime news is there a growing unwieldy sense of entitlement in US or even global culture? Or is it just plain old selfishness or ignorance?
A story out of Philadelphia caught my eye the other day in which a McDonalds employee was beaten up by a gang of teens for not being given free food.
The beating itself is the most troubling but not far behind wouldn't it take a sense of entitlement(for free food) for the those teens to actually be triggered or angered to the point of violence? Did they think/assume another teen would do favors for them no questions asked even if it was a crime or unethical? Did they think a big international company owed them something? Or are they just selfish and ignorant street thugs who will do anything to get what they want.
One can also look at the tone of many of these political events, protests, demonstrations, rallies etc. It's like one must agree to and follow their way or else. Many stances are extremely one sided. Even worse are demanding or insisting their way is the best or only way.
It's becoming a 'demand' culture. These are my demands. This is what I want. This is what should be.
Is all this just an unwieldy sense of entitlement or just selfishness and/or ignorance?
Last edited by anononcty; 11-23-2019 at 10:46 AM..
I don't think the McDonald's example is anywhere similar to wanting Universal Health Care or things like that. That is a matter of wanting a say where our tax dollars go. Some believe health care should be a right of all citizens and would prefer to see our tax dollars go to that than gifts for billionaires. Your saying that as an example of entitlement is no different that saying people are "entitled" because they expect free military defense or free police. Neither are "free" just because we don't pay directly for it, and neither is Universal health care.
Poor already get free healthcare. Why do we need to do anything?
The way medicaid laws in many states are written one can be quite poor and not be entitled to be on the system.
Here in Utah, the republican legislature has fought medicaid expansion tooth and nail. An initiative passed by the citizenry expanded it on paper, but so far the legislature has refused to take action that would do so. They tried to get permission to impose work requirements on medicaid recipients despite the fact that many people who need medicaid are sick or disabled and work is not an option for them. Even the Trump Administration finally had to tell the legislature that the work requirements were illegal. Florida is a huge state and it has refused to expand medicaid too, even though they literally pass up billions of dollars in federal money every year that is allocated for that purpose.
It isn't a question of "entitlement". For many, it is a question of access to health care that will enable them to treat chronic illnesses and health conditions. This, in turn, would enable them to work and become contributing members of society.
Plenty of people fall through the cracks in our society. Even if the right doesn't want to acknowledge it.
Poor already get free healthcare. Why do we need to do anything?
Because many in the middle class do not. I pay $700 a month for health insurance. With a $3000 deductible. By the time I get to 60 that premium will be over $1000.00. The subsidies have helped a LOT in the middle class in fact they ACA has helped more working class and middle class than poor. But I fall in the cracks, I make too much for subsidies but struggle to afford the premiums. Many with subsidies then can’t afford the deductibles. Health care remains the biggest cause of bankruptcy in this country.
There are millions whose share of employer sponsored health care is so high it prevents them ever saving money even for small emergencies. My niece’s share for her and 2 kids is $900 a month. She’s a teacher, not a high salary tech worker. Ironically the higher pay jobs require less or even no employee share, while the working poor and middle class are forced to have half their paychecks taken for insurance. Maybe if health insurance were unbundled from a job, salaries would finally rise and the middle class could reverse its decline and come back to the strength and numbers of 50 years ago.
And it costs us more in the long run. People aren’t getting tests to detect cancer when it’s early and relatively inexpensive to treat. Even people with “good” plans aren’t going to physical therapy for back problems because they can’t afford $50 co-pay 3 times a week. So they wait until it’s to the point of surgery, again much more expensive than conservative treatment would have been. They end up on disability. And we end up with the most massive health care costs in the world.
My 62 year old brother has Medicaid and he worked his entire life until his back became to bad to work. This idea that it’s all welfare queens on Medicaid is false.
I don't think the McDonald's example is anywhere similar to wanting Universal Health Care or things like that.
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It is when people demand or expect it like it an entitlement. That's one of the points I'm trying to make is the difference between a wish/desire vs a demand/requirement. Entitlement also comes with overly high expectations. There is protesting, letter writing etc then there is unnecessarily disruptive, aggressive or impractical. Political spin could be a form of entitlement because sides are pushing their view/point only. Just as the McDonalds gang they literally pushed their belief they should've gotten free food.
"Fighting" for or supporting a cause, issue or idea is different the issuing an ultimatum and that's what seems to be going on much more today than in the past. Another question or clarification comes up-the difference between a sense of entitlement or high expectations and subsequent reactions.
A LOT of it is people, they are just hostile and stupid for no real good reason. I see so much of it while driving, people doing the most idiotic, aggressive maneuvers while passing me.....then they run into the backup at the red-light that was clearly right in front of them, LOL!
It is when people demand or expect it like it an entitlement. That's one of the points I'm trying to make is the difference between a wish/desire vs a demand/requirement. Entitlement also comes with overly high expectations. There is protesting, letter writing etc then there is unnecessarily disruptive, aggressive or impractical. Political spin could be a form of entitlement because sides are pushing their view/point only. Just as the McDonalds gang they literally pushed their belief they should've gotten free food.
"Fighting" for or supporting a cause, issue or idea is different the issuing an ultimatum and that's what seems to be going on much more today than in the past. Another question or clarification comes up-the difference between a sense of entitlement or high expectations and subsequent reactions.
I disagree. Taxpayers have a right to fight for where tax dollars are allocated to. Often in our history change had to be demanded, from blacks being able to eat at white lunch counters to getting out of Vietnam to getting the right to abortion. Systemic change rarely happens without conflict and protest, which is actually one of the pillars of democracy despite some trying to paint it as the opposite. I think both sides demand equally, you just don’t agree with one side so you see them as wrong. I don’t see anything remotely relevant to the McDonalds story at all.
I disagree. Taxpayers have a right to fight for where tax dollars are allocated to. Often in our history change had to be demanded, from blacks being able to eat at white lunch counters to getting out of Vietnam to getting the right to abortion. Systemic change rarely happens without conflict and protest, which is actually one of the pillars of democracy despite some trying to paint it as the opposite. I think both sides demand equally, you just don’t agree with one side so you see them as wrong. I don’t see anything remotely relevant to the McDonalds story at all.
It is related to the McDonalds story simply because the teen gang was almost immediately triggered and escalated things to violence. Their aggressiveness/anger is an indication their high or absurd expectations were not met.
True political change frequently results in violence but these are movements, trends, causes etc. But it seems there are many individuals trying to turn their personal beliefs and/or agenda into a national catastrophe. Because they were offended or wronged they assume everyone else was offended or wronged and should follow them even if it's illegal, unethical or criminal behavior: some might call it a pack mentality. It's the escalation and frequent use of aggressive protest. Aggressive behavior should be the last resort. A recent example occurred this weekend when the climate protestors interrupted and delayed a college football game. It was a sporting event, not a political event-is that not entitled behavior to disrupt unrelated events and inconvenience people who they have nothing to do with. Setting aside the political or right/wrong aspects of the protest who the heck are they to bring third parties into their "war".
There is difference between fighting for a highly recognized and/or accepted cause, movement, trend etc and politicizing and/or using very aggressive tactics for personal/individual beliefs, agendas, experiences etc Forcing one's personal opinion, policy or philosophy on anyone is entitlement.Just as bad is the false expectation that everyone thinks or will think like them.
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