The Culture of Imaginary Entitlement

I've been thinking a lot about this recent spate of "scandals" we seem to be having exposed for us by the local media. The "cash for concerts" scandal, the "Olympic Hockey tickets for unknown industrialists" scandal, and what looks to be perhaps an even bigger bomb on the horizon, the "what happened to our $9.5 Million?" Commonwealth Games scandal.

I'm sure there are more.

One thing these all have in common is a cultural behaviour that is simply getting to be too common these days. I call it the Culture of Imaginary Entitlement. This is when you find yourself in a position with the authority to spend someone else's money, and it goes to your head to the point where you start to believe it is your money. To make you look good. Or be famous. Or to make special friends with. Maybe even get laid!

This state of mind is not one that happens instantaneously, but it is one that slowly seeps into the psyche. Those "this should be mine, I deserve it" thoughts worm away at your self confidence, and diminish your ego. So you slowly start to live the dream - spending the money as if it was your own, and as if it is infinite. And you can't stop.

You aren't really a bigwig, heck, you've never had a real job, maybe, but now you have power, yeah, you can spend other people's money just like, well almost as if, it... was.... really.... yours.

So, what do you do? You wine and dine truly successful people, the ones who actually have money of their own to spend, and try to buy your way into their circle with your expense accounts, your grants, and your tax breaks and subsidies. Instant friends!! You are the shit !!

Heck you can hire some famous bands and get to meet the stars, maybe Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and even Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (who you still secretly love from your old Kiss Army days). And of course you can jet the world, maybe even with that cute little gal from admin along as your executive assistant. You can even get to play dress-up like your heroes, paint your face, have your picture taken with them, pretend you're George Harrison walking that crosswalk at Apple Studios, and even do after-party coke lines with Keith Richards! Yes, you too can be a star.

In time, you can actually convince yourself that you really deserve this, you are the ONE destined to decide how the public money is spent, and the rest of the rabble in your city can just fuck off and try to beat you in an election. You're so cool now, it is obvious you'll be elected for life.


Of course, the reality is that just like the servants in those movies who pretend to be the master when the boss is away, it all falls apart when the owners come home from vacation and find you wearing their clothes and trying to sleep with their friends' daughters.

And that's what's happening now. The pants are down around the ankles, and the fan's spraying shit like it's going out of style.