Entitlement Society - You Get What You Deserve

About 50 degress here in Massachusetts today, and if the wind was not so strong, it would have been a grand day. Still, I am not complaining. The potatoes I bought last week (to get buds for a new planting) still have not sprouted any buds! They had better get going soon. I had to do a presentation at work today, and even though I have spoken many times in front of fairly big groups, I still get nervous. What is it about public speaking that gets most of us nervous?

Happy Birthday and Sign the Petition
The highly recommended blog, The Mess That Greenspan Made, turns three years old today! Congratulations to Tim Iacono for his excellent work. The Mess That Greenspan Made was one of the blogs that inspired me to start my own in an attempt to wake some people up about the situation at hand. I thank Tim for all his great content over the years.

Always trying to actually make a difference, Karl Denninger over at Market Ticker has a new petition up that you would do well to check out. It is worded a bit strongly, but the facts are strong. Please take a look and see if the petition works for you. I have signed on, and I can guarantee that your information is safe and you will not be contacted by any outside party. Check it out!
http://market-ticker.denninger.net/2008/03/not-durable-durable-goods-and-more-bear.html


Entitlement Society - You Get What You Deserve
When I read various pieces concerning the housing bubble, employment, social security, and the like I am sometime overwhelmed by the overarching sense of entitlement that pervades our American society. Here is a short list of the most common things the average American is expecting is "due" him/her:

• A "good paying" job
• Said job cannot be taken away
• A Home
• Health Insurance
• Social Security
• Funding for higher education
• Credit on demand
• Cheap Gas
• Cheap Food
• Appreciating stocks and Real Estate
• Freedom from responsibility
• Protection from ones own foolishness

Now certainly NOT ALL of the above apply to EVERY SINGLE American out there, but it is a fair compilation. Use the comments section to suggest others.

When I read news stories I always run across the familiar theme: "I am in trouble with my (BLANK) and so (Blank) must do something about it." or " I deserve (BLANK) and so (BLANK) must provide it." Really? You mean to say something did not go as you thought and now someone else has to fix it? Why so? Since when? Who says? You deserve things do you? Again, says who?

This mindset is manifested most clearly in the current housing mess. You have seen plenty of examples. I wonder when this entitlement consciousness became so strong? At this point the US is a country filled with whiny crybabies that cannot endure any hardship or setback. If things continue to deteriorate in the financial sphere and banks are faced with any more major trouble (likely) we are going to see if down deep this country still has the stuff that our grandparents were made of. I hope we will be up to the task.

Have a good night.