The politics of enough

When is enough enough?  That’s a really hard thing to define. And in our society where we seem to worship excess in every way, it gets even murkier; determining when you have enough becomes more difficult.

In many parts of our country, traditional providers of social and economic stability for the middle class are under attack, being diluted, or threatened with elimination. The recent national attacks on various unions, especially the teachers,  seem like some kind of Stalinist or fascist purge. These assaults on what has traditionally been considered the middle class exist simultaneously with another trend that is potentially more dangerous:  the worship of celebrity and sports figures who earn larger than life salaries.

I have always been a sports enthusiast; growing up I played basketball and football with considerable skill. I  believe that the benefits of regular exercise are inestimable, and I try to do some form of vigorous exercise every day. Depending upon where I happen to be, that exercise could be biking, hiking, swimming, weight training, or yoga. While I have always loved sports, I have never really worshipped any sports teams, and that is an important distinction. I think that’s a product of two factors:  my father never watched sports on television, and I have always wanted to experience glory and failure  myself:  I have never liked to live vicariously through others.

The obsession with celebrity and sports figures seem to be growing over the last few years, just as the headline economy has had major challenges. I spend considerable time in Miami too, and I don’t have to recount the mania that has accompanied the Miami Heat after acquiring certain well known players. But is anyone really worth twenty-five or more million dollars per year, especially in a State like Florida with one of the highest foreclosure rates ? The same can be said for many out of control celebrities, but if the public wasn’t clamoring for more information about their lives, would they get paid so much for being dysfunctional?

It all comes down to how we as individuals choose to spend our precious life energy. I don’t think it a coincidence that the two trends mentioned above,  diminution of middle class safeguards, and celebrity/sports worship, exist now. When you worship these sports or celebrity figures that earn excessive salaries, you tacitly agree to a diminution of your own economic and self worth; you create a dynamic in which you may not have enough,  and it’s “ok” for these others to have too much.