Grievance mongers

[HardDrive]

I was reading the comments from an article the other day, and one person wrote about the rise of 'grievance mongers'. That phrase really struck a chord with me. It really does get to the heart of our social and political ills in this country.

It seem like both political parties and social action groups are no longer in the business of presenting a positive way forward for the country. They are professional grievance recruiters. They exist solely to target citizens, and sell them the idea that they have been wronged by someone else. People used to turn their noses up at 'ambulance chasing' attorneys. Not anymore. Because that type of thinking pervades every aspect of our culture. Everyone is a victim.

I didn't post this is PARF because I think it goes beyond politics. Its something more fundamental.

Your thoughts?

Not sure its possible to discuss this without it getting booted into PARF, but I can always hope.....

[wdfifteen]

Would the "Storm Tracker" and "First Warning" names for weather reports be a part of this? If so, I agree. There seems to be a trend toward looking at the worst side of every situation - even the weather. Apparently doom and gloom sell.

[fintstone]

I think "handout mentality" is a better description. Most "grievances" that are pushed have dollar signs attached. People know that someone will pay in civil court...or outside of court, just to make them go away. Also, many are looking for sympathy or media attention.

We are drowning in this stuff due to the 24/7 news cycle where the press must always search for some new disaster.

[Nickshu]

O'Reilly (like him or not) refers to it as the "grievance industry". Profiteers who go around looking for places to direct media attention so that profitable lawsuits can follow. The media plays into it because it generates viewers and therefore advertising revenue. Jesse Jackson and his coalition is often cited as prime example and the "godfather" of the grievance industry.

Some of this, IMHO, is a good thing as a "watchdog" function, but in the past decade it has run amuck and clogs the legal system with pseudo-justice only for those who profit from it.

[GH85Carrera]

There was an article in today's paper about a lawsuit. Some lady with the same name as a character in a series of vampire books sued the author because the character with her name became sexually promiscuous and mean.

Fortunatly the judge threw it out. It is a book about vampires! Now the lady has to pay $5,500 in legal fees of the author.

[Don Ro]

This is what Greg Gutfeld's book is about...
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The Joy of Hate: How to Triumph over Whiners in the Age of Phony Outrage: Greg Gutfeld: 9780307986962: Amazon.com: Books
.
.
“Anger is like sex. It feels good but it’s exhausting—and we often think it’s better if we include more people. But as Greg Gutfeld aptly illustrates, words of outrage should be saved for things that truly are outrageous, or you will ultimately lose all your friends and drive yourself crazy. I, for one, cannot recommend this book strongly enough.”

[LakeCleElum]

I'll get back to you from my "Situation Room" after I watch the latest from the "Severe weather Center".

[VINMAN]

It is time for the "Airing of Grievances"

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by fintstone

I think "handout mentality" is a better description. Most "grievances" that are pushed have dollar signs attached. People know that someone will pay in civil court...or outside of court, just to make them go away. Also, many are looking for sympathy or media attention.

We are drowning in this stuff due to the 24/7 news cycle where the press must always search for some new disaster.

Yup. Everybody is owed something in today's society. We have a local ambulance chasing scumbag whose commercials tout the amount of money that his clients "win". As if it is the freaking lottery.

[ZAMIRZ]

I listen to Adam Carolla's podcast and he makes a very interesting observation about daytime television commercials. Up until about 10 to 15 years ago, I remember staying home sick from school or during the summer you'd turn the TV on and the commercials were all about going to trade school or technical school of some sort and at the end there was a plug about what kind of job and pay you could expect with this type of training. Now however, a lot of those commercials have been replaced with some lawyer telling you to "call this number now" if you've been wronged by some doctor, medicine, slip & fall, employer, etc. "You could be entitled to..." I cringe every time I hear the word entitled anymore.

[id10t]

[mossguy]

In the Tacoma area: "We'll fight to get the money you DESERVE"

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I was reading the comments from an article the other day, and one person wrote about the rise of 'grievance mongers'. That phrase really struck a chord with me. It really does get to the heart of our social and political ills in this country.

It seem like both political parties and social action groups are no longer in the business of presenting a positive way forward for the country. They are professional grievance recruiters. They exist solely to target citizens, and sell them the idea that they have been wronged by someone else. People used to turn their noses up at 'ambulance chasing' attorneys. Not anymore. Because that type of thinking pervades every aspect of our culture. Everyone is a victim.

I didn't post this is PARF because I think it goes beyond politics. Its something more fundamental.

Your thoughts?

Not sure its possible to discuss this without it getting booted into PARF, but I can always hope.....

I agree completely but we're in a shrinking minority.

[RANDY P]

It's not about right or wrong, but what you can get- it's being shrewd.

Ethics is foe suckas.

[onewhippedpuppy]

You can see it in our demographics - the takers are beginning to outnumber the givers.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

It is time for the "Airing of Grievances"

Was that the "Festivus" episode? That was so funny.

Negative advertising works better than positive. I think that has something to do with it.

In our current society, everyone is a winner. If you are not a winner, it must be someone else's fault.

[330]

It is driven by Fox News and Rupert Murdoch.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Was that the "Festivus" episode? That was so funny.

Negative advertising works better than positive. I think that has something to do with it.

In our current society, everyone is a winner. If you are not a winner, it must be someone else's fault.

I cannot adequately express how much I hate that mentality. Everybody is a winner, until you end up a nobody in life because you didn't compete at school or work. Life is a sport, and there are very much winners and losers. Nonsense that they do with kids such as participation medals really bother me. If you never lose, how do you learn how to recover from failure? If you never win, what is the reward for hard work and dedication?

[HardDrive]

But Matt, you just don't understand. Everything you've achieved was not because of your own efforts, it was because (insert excuse here) helped you along the way.

[aap1966]

It's part on the "collective" culture.
If something good happens in your life, it's because you rode the backs of others.
If something bad happens in your life, it's because someone else forced evil upon you.
Actually, not that far removed from a stone-age "witches, charms and curses" model of the world.