You may already know about the 16 year old boy from Texas who killed four people in a drunk driving accident in June. Ethan Couch had a psychologist testify in his behalf that he suffers from an illness called affluenza.
Affluenza is a term meaning “spoiled brat.” It’s an affliction that spoiled rich people get by having everything they want whenever they want which gives them a false sense of entitlement.
Couch’s psychologist, G. Dick Miller agrees that the term is a fancy way of calling someone spoiled, but he was somehow so concerned about the boy’s welfare that he insisted that he go back to that life of privilege. Yes, he got away with it. This doesn’t teach him a lessen or provide justice for the innocent people killed. What it does is sent the message that if you have money, you can get away with murder.
Researchers from the University of California at Berkley discovered in 2013 that rich people lie, cheat, steal and break the law more often than poor people. The only treatment for “affluenza” is to put these rich people in jail for their crimes.