One quote that sums up the progressive mindset...

One quote that sums up the progressive mindset...  Walmart stores have some employees that they know are struggling financially.  It might be because a spouse lost a job, or had unexpected expenses; there are lots of reasons why an employee might be hurting.  To make the holidays a little brighter, Walmart has long supported a program of charitable giving by other employees, specifically to support their colleagues.  Over the years, some $80 million in cash and goods has been distributed under this program.

But some employees are offended by this.  Can you guess why?  Here's what one had to say:

"Why would a company do that?  The company needs to stand up and give them their 40 hours and a living wage, so they don't have to worry about whether they can afford Thanksgiving."

I suspect you could use a person's reaction to that quote as a litmus test for a progressive mindset.  The progressive will agree, and will share the speaker's anger at Walmart.

Me?  I'm wondering why they're not grateful to have the opportunity to make some money, and to be part of a supportive group of colleagues.  I wonder at the ignorance and naivete on display about how a business – any business – actually works.  I shudder at the naked display of the entitlement mentality, and the completely missing work ethic.  There's no notion that one's work ought to earn money for the company, and that you're paid because of that; that capitalist norm is upended completely, and replaced with something more like “I deserve high pay, because me”, or something equally incoherent.