A short-sighted, right-wing manifesto is making the rounds on Facebook again. It’s whiny, selfish bullshit, and I hate it. It’s been around since the book face began, though it gets tweaked every so often to update to the other being vilified.

In case you’ve been absent, trans people are the popular target these days. God forbid we pay attention to the myriad of real problems surrounding us.  

I hated it the first time I read it, and I hate it still. I hate that good people share it without recognizing the stench of racism and bigotry that’s attached. Nor do they seem to appreciate the irony of complaining about people they perceive as overindulged snowflakes while demonstrating the same.

I clapped back at the person who posted it, but I thought perhaps a more specific rebuttal was warranted.

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“I have worked hard for (over 30 years) …. I need to rant for a moment so here it goes… I’m getting old and I’ve worked hard all my life” (I’m not going to correct the errors in the original, so take the “sic” as applied throughout.)

(If you worked for over 30 years, you’re in your fifties and not old. If you’d worked more, this would’ve read “for over 35 years” and so on.)

“I have made my reputation, the good and the bad, I didn’t inherit my job or my income, and I have worked hard to get where I am in life.”

(People from the middle class up like to discount luck and circumstances of birth.)

“I have juggled my job, my family, and made many sacrifices up front to secure a life for my family. It wasn’t always easy and still isn’t, but I did it all while maintaining my integrity and my principles. I made mistakes and tried to learn from them. I have friends of every walk of life and if you’re in my circle, it should be understood that I don’t have to remind you of what I’d be willing to do for you.”

(My response to this is a big, “So what?” You say you’re not asking for congratulations, yet this humble brag is only about setting the author up as a person of character for doing the bare minimum of what an adult does. Comparing yourself to the less fortunate is an odd thing to do, especially when what results is entitled selfishness. Plus, if you want to be taken seriously, stop overusing the ellipsis. And based on the body of this complaint, I also doubt the claim to integrity.)

“However….I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the wealth” to people who don’t have my work ethic.”

(Big assumption, that people struggling don’t have a good work ethic. What should be said here is that the author comes from a place of privilege that allows them to carry on in the face of what trauma they’ve experienced. This is people starting on second base bitching about help being given to the one-legged person crawling up to the plate.)

“People who have sacrificed nothing and feel entitled to receive everything.”

(No evidence supports this statement and plenty exists to counteract it. No one is told to spread the wealth. Your charity decision are your own. Interestingly, rants like this are often shared by ostensible Christians, especially those of a conservative persuasion. If they’re talking about government aid, they need to stop limiting it to what they like or find valuable. Helping the struggling and less fortunate is what a good society full of good people does, and there’s very little negative opportunity cost associated with things like welfare. The big problem is we don’t go all in and fix things.)

“I’m tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it themselves.”

(This is not how taxes work, and if you like roads, police, firefighters, hospitals, and so on, then taxes are required. Nowhere in this childish rant is the suggestion made that corporations and businesses pay their fair share. Because according to basic economic rules, they don’t. And another big, arrogant assumption about laziness. And although the IRS in the USA carry guns, this is an outlier among developed nations.)

“I’m really tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which, no one is allowed to debate.”

(It’s my experience that those debating the existence of facts rarely do so from an informed position. The standard of living in NA is based on selfishness and overconsumption. It’s one planet – grow up. But, even if you’re right and the changes are exaggerated when compared to reality and risk, none of the proposed solutions is a bad thing. And why do we assume we have a God-given right to overconsume?)

“I’m really tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talk like their opinions matter to the common man. I’m tired of any of them even pretending they can relate to the life and bank account that I have.

I’m tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.”

(This entire missive reeks of entitlement, so this paragraph is adorable. And, last I checked, no one forced you to listen to anyone. Change the channel. Scroll on by. Grow up.)

“I’m upset that I’m labeled as a racist because I am proud of my heritage. I never stole any ones land, the government did that.”

(There’s a difference between being proud of your heritage and being a white supremacist, and not stealing the land doesn’t mean you can’t understand the horrifying, genocidal wrongs done to Indigenous people the world over. This reflexive “not my fault” is the position of a child.)

“I’m tired of being told I need to accept the latest fad or politically correct stupidity or befriending a group that’s intent on killing me because I won’t convert to their point of view.”

(You’re confusing tolerance with conversion, and as best I can tell, conversion is the realm of Christian churches. They need to stop with that. But I find thinking like this mostly is about people justifying their shitty treatment of others. And complaining about natural consequences. Other people have the rights claimed by the author, but I’m willing to wager they forget that.)

“I’m really tired of people who don’t take responsibility for their lives and actions. Especially the ones that want me to fund it. I’m tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination, or big-whatever for their problems.”

(You mean like this entire rant? It’s an exercise in assumption and privilege.)

“Yes, I’m really tired. But, I’m also glad to be in the twilight of my life. Because mostly, I’m not going to have to see the retched, depressing world these useless idiots are creating. And lastly, because even though I shouted from the rooftops, no one listened or seemed to give a damn. You reap what you sow, and so do your children.”

(Based on the content of this complaint fest, what you shouted was likely so nasty, people were right to ignore it. And we’ve already established this isn’t written by someone in their “twilight.”)

“No one is entitled to anything. You have a choice to work, a choice to stay off drugs, a choice to make something of yourself. I have nothing to do with your choice. That’s all on you. You are entitled to what you earn.”

(Again, this entire piece is an assumptive, entitlement rant.)

“There is no way these thoughts will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on! Surely, the politically correct police censors will try to quiet us.”

(This is the kind of passive-aggressive ending one would expect from this juvenile, puerile complaint-fest.

As best I can tell, when people complain about “politically correct” language, they mean they get a negative reaction to the shitty things they say.

It’s like the current vilification of the culturally appropriated term, “woke.” As far as I can see, people are complaining about having to give up racism and bigotry. That, and whining about having to treat others well.)

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