Sadly a very huge percentage of young people in today's public school system have been CONvinced that they must have this or this latest things (especially iPods & PC type items) and if parents don't get them such things, they aren't loved. We likewise have a group that insists on abusing things like "Freedom of Expression" and that badly abused document known as the U.S. Constitution simply because they have been taught how to manipulate "IT" along with circumstance in order to get whatever they want... then again they have been taught by the "adults" surrounding them, television and other environmental influences that it is ok to be conniving, manipulative and under-handed so long as you don't get caught; it's "normal" to be two-faced with your "friends" rather than loyal... and of course, it's perfectly fine to live outside your means and when the house of cards starts to fall, bail out... just go through the process that allows you to legally steal from various businesses that trusted you to pay your debts, and start anew... Kind of how the banks & stock companies have done over the past two years, wouldn't you say?
On so many levels kids like the one in this video needs to have two very special experiences over the next couple of years. Firstly, send him to a country that's actually poor, let him see what life is really like for the majority of people in the world vs. those of us fortunate enough to live in the European type of society. After a year of surviving actual poverty and learning something about loyalty, family, community and what's really important ship him off to Paris Island for six weeks... I don't care if he serves from that point out, just that he enjoys the rigors of boot camp.
Damn Craig, that's awfully harsh!
Perhaps, but we can't (legally) spank the little bastards anymore so we need to do something "passive" in order to teach them simple, honorable things like gratitude, honor, taking responsibility, the value of education and hard work, etc.
Then again, I think a good score of the parents tied to kids with this kind of attitude, should be there side by side with their off-spring, learning some of these same lessons.