Friday, August 19, 2005

I want what I want and I want it now

As (insert favorite nationality here), we generally feel that we are entitled to certain rights, inalienable or otherwise. These might vary somewhat based on whatever we put in the afore parentheses. Certainly, after birth we have a right to be here. A right to live. It takes food, water, air and protection from the elements to live. It seems to me that once you reach adulthood, you should contribute a bit of labor to help have those things provided. The rest is gravy, man and we should be so thrilled everyday that we don't have to go without those basic things that so many in the world struggle to acquire.

I think those basic rights should be assured for all. And in the absence of that, the feeling of entitlement should get toned down. Do we have a right to double decaf mocha lattes with nonfat milk and cinnamon not chocolate, or for that matter ski-doos? Obviously we have the right, our society is set up that way. But what happens oftentimes when people have an obstacle (ran out of nonfat milk for example) is that then they make a fuss and insist because they are "entitled" to have what they want/can pay for.

This is why I can't work in restaurants anymore. The only thing that matters is who has the dollars. I'm entitled because I have the money. And meanwhile people on the planet are dying of starvation.

God I sound like a communist don't I. Forgive me, it's early and I'm off to work.

3 comments:

The Wisdom of Wislon said...

Yeah it's wierd how one minute you can be ordering for yourself a super duper subway sarnie or a Starbucks delicious panini. Stressing over the choice of fillings to have or which mocca chocca cafe latte, americano italiano capuccino to have whilst some poor soul is walking miles in the hope of water, a plus if it's clean and rice without dirt in it. It's a mad world of inconsistencies, bad governments and greedy rich misers. Whatever happened to all of G8 hype, terrrorists struck London and G8 went out of the window.

aaarrrgggh, what can we do?

Ps;Have you still got lettuce stuck in your teeth? ;-D sorry couldn't resist.

dantallion said...

Naw, you don't sound like a communist. You sould like one of the rare people that realize that this sense of entitlement that people seem to feel these days runs the risk of being our ultimate downfall.

Any idea where I can get a really good double decaf mocha latte, btw?

r said...

I walk a fine line between guilt and materialism.

My five dollars for a decaf, nonfat, no whip Mocha and a pastry could probably feed a family in Sudan for a week.

How do we begin getting our brains around it first, then do something about it?