Affluenza! Are you kidding me?

I've not wanted to get into this discussion, but there's been so many requests for an opinion that I thought I might as well jump in.

By way of background, a few months back four people died and others were injured in a drunken driving incident. The rich Texas teenager charged with the deed was sentenced to only ten years probation, plus a little time in rehab. Which, of course, created a stir around the country.

His attorneys argued he was the victim of "Affluenza and the product of wealthy, privileged parents who never set limits for the boy."  

Simply said, it was claimed the boy didn't have the ability to discern between right and wrong because he was so rich.

I don't even know where to begin on this nonsense. Maybe it's best to start by mentioning the term first originated in an anti-consumerism book called Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic which went on to describe the disease as "a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more."

Well okay, whatever. All I know is that in lesser circles the rest of us in this situation might be diagnosed as having sociopathic behaviors, or at the very least, anti-social personality disorders. And we'd be thrown directly into jail or a mental institution, right?

Having said that however, there's some small truth in the argument. Rich kids grow up in a bubble. They're raised by nannies, sent to private schools, aided by private tutors, and they have house staff to make their beds, do their laundry, and clean up after their mess. Plus the fact they live in extremely protected neighborhoods, often behind locked gates, in the ritzy part of town where only the rich run around and play.

These kids have no meaningful contact with the outside world. Not with the middle class, not the poor, certainly not the homeless, and seemingly develop a sense of superiority and entitlement in their world of endlessly getting what they want.

I see it all the time around here when rich people bring their little brats over to the house. And when I'm ordered around by these kids, perhaps told precisely how to prepare their cereal, I can't help but think here's another future sociopath on the way up. (That was meant to be sadly funny, btw.)

But when you add this sense of entitlement to normal teenage hormones and rebellion, there can be some real trouble in the works, sometimes with dangerous consequences. We see it almost daily in the news and tabloids about privileged kids or famous teenage stars devolving before our very eyes and constantly getting into some kind of trouble.

Well, that's about all I've got on the subject. In my mind it seems to me rich kids should be held to a much higher standard due to all their privilege in life - not let off the hook because they're rich. But that's just me, I guess.

Thanks for stopping by tonight.

Andrew

"The Billionaire's Butler", a novel by Andrew Arthur Williams

It's hard to believe we're beginning the fourth year of this blog! Where does time go for Pete's sake?

To begin this year I'm so happy to announce the publication of a new book entitled The Billionaire's Butler - Mystery, Murder and Romance in the Wacky World of the Super Rich!

It's based on many of the events I've been telling you about for the past few years, plus it fills in all the gaps about the true-life dramas we've been dealing with here for so long - not the least being that now we're all under suspicion for attempted murder!


Overall, it's an insider's up-close point of view as to how the super rich really live and conduct themselves on a daily basis, good, bad or otherwise. And the observations are not so much about the family I'm currently with but all the rich and famous I've crossed paths with in this somewhat odd career.

Here's what's being said about the book so far:

"--Williams' insights into the lives of the wealthy and those who serve them intrigues"--Kirkus Reviews

"--Shocking, comical, and full of delicious gossip, this unique tell-all is sure to enlighten as well as entertain." - The Createspace Team.

The book's available in both paperback and on Kindle. I sincerely hope you'll read it and more than that, I hope you get a few laughs! It's the only reason I wrote it.

Here's the link to The Billionaire's Butler on Amazon Books.

As always, thanks for stopping by this evening.

Andrew