Entitlement

Entitlement is a term commonly used in psychiatry, psychology and social services. Psychoanalysts referred to 'narcissistic entitlement'. It's often used in this sense when a person with long standing personality disorder or characterological flaw, is referred to as 'entitled'.

In addiction literature it refers to the addicts regression to the child like state. "King Baby" is a term used for such an 'entitled' one.



The demands of the 'station' of babyhood are that it reasonably or unreasonably expects and needs parents to provide for it's food, clothing, shelter and increasingly luxuries. At the opposite end of the social spectrum the Aristocracy were described as "entitled' by 'sanction of God' or later 'genetics' to superior treatment.



Entitlement is further a legal term referring to the 'rights' of an individual to 'guaranteed benefits under a government program' or rights to benefits granted especially by law or contract.



It refers to 'special status' and 'special treatment'. The term 'Culture of Entitlement' was used by conservatives who noted that so called 'disabled' and "unemployed' appeared more than capable of doing quite impressive "work' to 'seek' and 'ensure' 'entitlements' while at the same time claiming 'dysfunction' or 'disability' to serve others or work for the greater good.



Further governments and beaurocracies have to some extent hampered the lot of the many by catering to the lot of a very few, offering 'entitlements' to certain thereby "priviledged' groups who thence "co-opted' support the disenfranchisement of the many. This 'divide and conquer' strategy has served to ensure no broad base response to the overall inequity in such systems as the 'entitled' few are thereby part of the status quo.



Given the number of people dependent on government at one time in Canada these were collectively called "Chretien's Children" or even "Chretien's Harem" as so many of these people were women. Previously people had demanded 'jobs' but rather than 'work' which gave independence, freedom and dignity the government moved to providing the equivalent of the 'allowance' that the parent gave the adolescent child. Once seen as a liberal/conservative 'issue' it's long beyond partisan politics. 1 in 8 Americans today are thought to be collecting 'food' stamps, ie being fed at the breast of 'big government'. Big government is now both conservative and liberal as the State controlls the individual.



Social order and social control can thereby be maintained by 'entitlements'. When one depends on 'daddy' or "mommy" government one is not in any position to 'rock the boat'. There's a lot of 'bravado' but no 'biting the hand that feeds'

Further for every person obtaining an entitlement in Canada there are usually 2 or 3 bureaucrats making 2 to 3 times the entitlement income giving out the entitlement. The result is an 'economy' based on entitlement. Why work when others get by for 'free' is the natural outgrowth of this.



Individually entitlement is the interpersonal interaction where one adult assumes or 'presumes' baby ship and demands overtly or covertly that the other adults acknowledge their 'special status'. The expectation in this case is that others consistently supply emotional, social and financial support for this person who might already be receiving 'entitlements' from various other agencies.



People with 'narcissistic entitlement' have rather elaborate explanations for why others should 'serve' them in various ways. Often there is an actual 'competition for a disease classification.' Hence, when Clinton was governor of Arkansas there apparently was federal money for mentally retarded children with the result that for generations after school teachers complained about the 'dumb acting' kids. Compensation 'schemes' can , like the entitlement for mentally retarded, be an area where those truly 'needy' are indeed 'displaced' by those chameleon 'wanty's".



There is no easy solution to 'entitlement' issues. Increasingly parents are faced with kids who 'don't want to leave home', 'won't grow up', 'won't go to work', 'won't support themselves'. These parents frustrated show up in psychiatrists offices after decades of service to their children only to find that their childen feel entitled to 'life long' support especially where 'luxuries' are involved.



The very nature of 'luxury' has been altered so that what was thought to be the 'product' of 'saving and hard work' is now thought of as 'entitled'. Increasingly 'welfare recipients' need a 'vacation'. People collecting 'unemployment insurance' will complain that they're offered a 'job before their EI is used up". Increasingly with aging and chronic illness people are finding it harder and harder to work when so many people are 'entitled' to be on any number of "pension's starting the 'government indexed white collar pension entitlement' to the 'blue collar Canada pension entitlement'. Working people and people who save or have any number of conservative or traditional values feel in these settings 'punished' for working with pain, working in less than desirable conditions or working at all.



Further the government treats the elderly poorly punishing those with savings while rewarding those who rather than have savings 'squandered' their incomes in the classic 'King Baby" 'Big Shot" ways.



In the Canadian hospital the street person without resources may indeed get a 'bed' while the worker who has 'saved' money will be expected to 'buy' health care across the border.



Increasingly, especially with the aging populations and immigrations and various 'entitlement' ideologies, and those whose work depends on perpetuating this disparity, the system begins to implode. While some children will leave the tit others must be weaned. Alot of nipple biting goes on in the process, I'm told. Individually, socially and politically alot of growing up occurs.



Meanwhile emperors, kings, queens and all the aristocracy feel 'entitled' too.








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