Post in I am a citizen not a consumer

Jul 23 14:27 UTC

Hello all,

I find the citizen vs. customer discussion interesting. I've also made many of
the same points in the past. But I wonder in an age of globalization, is
citizen really more inclusive than customer?

Citizen is a legal term that excludes a large number of individuals that live,
pay taxes, and contribute to the economy of a country. John Miller seems to use
the term "citizen" in a much broader sense as "a state of being." But most
people think of citizen as something much more tangible - a set of rights,
privileges, and responsibilities. Who is or is not a citizen is very much
defined by government. But when talking about public services I can see
customer being much broader than citizen.

For instance, as representative of citizens, the connection between a public
official and non-citizen is ambiguous and vague. Some argue that we have little
responsibility for the needs of non-citizens. Others take a more altruistic or
pragmatic view, arguing that we should address the needs of non-citizens
because it's the right thing to do or because it makes the most economic sense.

But when a public official asks a bureaucracy or agent of the state to treat
customers with more respect, I think included in that notion of customer are
all individuals who have contact with that public institution whether it's
users of public utilities, public education, or public services.

I do not dispute the earlier points. As I say, I think they're on target.  But
as immigration increases I wonder about inclusiveness of citizen vs. customer.