Chalk it up to maybe bad parenting. Or bad schooling. Or maybe even flouride. Who the hell knows. It could be simply we've allowed an entitlement society to grow without knowing it.
It's a subtle but profound shift. When the expectation of privileges, rewards, or government assistance gets woven into the cultural fabric, a society can shift from valuing hard work and reciprocity to an "entitlement mindset" - the basis of Socialistic politics.
The expansion of entitlements happens quietly, driven by several converging factors. Post-WWII advertising and the modern convenience economy have trained us to believe that speed, comfort, and immediate satisfaction are inherent rights rather than earned luxuries.
'Social safety nets' were designed to protect the vulnerable, but they have grown into massive mandatory programs that are difficult - if not impossible - to reform. This has fostered a debate about whether they support the vulnerable or foster generational dependency. Generational changes in parenting and education have sometimes overemphasized natural talent and "just showing up" over accountability and grit, instilling an expectation of constant praise and reward, without factoring in actual labor and effort.
Understanding the root cause of this shift requires examining individual psychology, cultural consumerism, and modern economic policies, and it seems no one is interested in doing so in a dissolusion society. No matter what, all of our society will suffer from this 'take from the workers to give to the unwilling and disinterested' mindset.
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Are you ready for July 4th?
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The same mentality as those hollywierdos protesting Trumps White House fight.
ReplyDeleteDemography is destiny. Today's U.S. cities do not have the same demography as they did 30, 40, 50 years ago.
ReplyDeleteAuntie Pris says what people get away with is destiny. Where I live there's always been a division between people who won't take handouts however poor they are, and people who will take whatever they can take and spit on the person offering the handouts. But because the handouts have kept on being offered, more and more, the number of takers has steadily increased while the number of makers has decreased. This is about as true for people in Gate City, most of whom were born here, as it is in nearby Kingsport, which accepted federal funding to build and stock Kingsport's very first slum with welfare "hard cases" from Knoxville and Chattanooga. The takers are different demographics; in Gate City the ones who are into drugs are cooking and selling meth, while in Kingsport they're doping out on opiates and dying in puddles on the street. The general rule is the same.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, when I've looked for investors and co-workers in a nice wholesome bookstore, I've got "You CAN'T make any money honestly any more--have to have some kind of vice--might as well give up and go on welfare." Whereas I've been actively solicited to participate in pill-peddling scams.