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A World Of Free Ice-Cream-Related Crashes
How our belief that we’re entitled to things without any concomitant responsibility is the root of our many and frequent disasters
The combination of somewhat unregulated markets and constant technological innovation has enabled our species to extract ourselves from the moment-by-moment struggle for existence that every other species except domesticated animals must endure. Instead of being amazed and delighted and grateful, however, we simply squeal for more and more and more. As those readers who are kind enough (and indulgent enough) to read my articles from time to time will know, most of our species appear to me as baby-people, forever incapable of leaving the solipsistic self-entitlement of childhood for a more adequate conception of personal responsibility.
Our modern sense of entitlement lies at the heart of so many of our self-created problems. We believe we should be able to cram as many McSlop triple-bypass burgers down our throats as we want without having to face any consequences. Instead of adopting a more adequate diet we clamor for the latest and greatest magic pill to enable us to avoid suffering any consequences for our gluttony and indolence. We believe we are entitled to cheap goods and services while simultaneously ourselves being paid an…