Some years ago — I think it was 2015 — I got a quick lesson in how easy it is to become a horrible person. I was a featured speaker at a conference in São Paulo, Brazil, and my arrival flight was badly delayed. The organizers, worried that I would miss my slot thanks to the city’s notorious traffic, arranged to have me met at the airport and flown directly to the hotel’s roof by helicopter.
Then, when the conference was over, there was a car waiting to take me back to the airport. And just for a minute I found myself thinking, “What? I have to take a car?”
By the way, in real life I mostly get around on the subway.
Anyway, the lesson I took from my moment of pettiness was that privilege corrupts, that it very easily breeds a sense of entitlement. And surely, to paraphrase Lord Acton, enormous privilege corrupts enormously, in part because the very privileged are normally surrounded by people who would never dare tell them that […]
I totally agree with you, Stephan. I also would like to say that the poor are being overlooked entirely and with Republicans wanting to eliminate Social Security, there will be a violent (war-like) insurection in the near future if they get away with doing away with Social Security. I cannot believe I am saying this, but: I will take up swords and other means to destroy all Republicans in office. I would consider it God’s will!
By the way, somehow I was able to get back on the internet; I do not know how, but they allowed me to do it. I always thought the system I have (Windows 7) would last until my death.