Monday, December 10, 2012

"Job Creators"


Video from the econ4.org website.

----------------------------

It ain't rocket science, folks. Inequality is increasing. More people are falling into poverty every single day. It's coming close to a day when, if economic justice for the people does not emerge, there's going to be frontier justice for the 1%.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

'bout sums it up


sinking

Life still provides daily amusements, even as things become more desperate in my personal situation. I'm running out of energy with my endless job search. I'm weary of spending three hours on a cover letter and tailored resume for a $10/hour part time job. I'm discouraged by the total lack of response or acknowledgment to the hundreds of resumes I've sent out, unless it's by the craigslist scammers who prey on the poor and unemployed by placing fake job ads and insisting that you pay upfront for a credit check before you can get an interview. I'm angry about an economic environment that allows an employer to post a job requiring both swing and graveyard shifts, walking a total of 8 to 12 miles per shift, and availability seven days a week — for the princely sum of $9.50 an hour (security guard). This is fucked up, seriously fucked up.

I've been at this for well over two years now, and at this point I'm about ready to give up — and start working in the 'underground/unsavory trades', or jump on the disability bandwagon. I recently read that new disability claims are waaaaay up. There are no jobs, or jobs that pay a living wage. People are out of options, and survival mode starts to kick in. This is one of the unintended consequences of what the 1% have done to our economy, and if I can go either of these routes, trust me, I'm not going to feel bad about it. Never would have considered either ten years ago.

Remember the great lyrics from Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera (I personally like the Marc Blitzstein 1950s translation), in What Keeps a Man Alive, "for even honest folks can act like sinners, unless they've had their customary dinners" and try not to judge the impoverished class for trying to stay alive.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

a lone voice of sanity

Take the time to watch this; it's one of the most important speeches I've heard in years. Bernie Sanders is one of the few honest politicians in this country.


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

catching up + big birthday "celebrations"

Yes indeed, it has been a long time and a lot has happened since the last post. Lost my home, business, life-as-I-knew-it, and went on the road in a vintage rv, which is now my home. I am not cursed with a boring life, thank goodness :)

In other news, it's time to break out the cake and champagne if you can afford it, because it's Walmart's 50th birthday. Time to celebrate the destruction of small businesses all over the country, heck, all over the world, for the benefit of the six happy heirs and the people here in the US who are so shortsighted that they think only with their pocketbooks.

Time to celebrate outsourced crap from China! Time to celebrate those low, low prices and low, low wages!


Saturday, January 21, 2012

crony capitalism

The unbridled greed of our "leaders" and their revolving corporate-to-government-and-back-again door is corrupt beyond words. To learn more, watch this Bill Moyers video featuring David Stockman. The full version is here.


It's time for the American people to take back our country from the thieves and liars on Capital Hill. Crony capitalism must end for our country to survive.

Moyers also has a great interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning NY Times business reporter Gretchen Morgenson, the author of Reckless Endangerment: How Outsized Ambition, Greed, and Corruption Led to Economic Armageddon.



Tuesday, January 17, 2012

the real risk takers

In the conservative ideology, the wealthy "titans of business" are the "risk-taker" heros of the economy. In reality, the further you get to the top of the economic scale, the fewer risks you have to take to churn more and more personal wealth.

Even with crash and burn business failures, these CEOs are walking away with millions in their golden parachutes, while the working class is bearing more and more risk in their daily lives.

My only hope for the US economy rests on the fact that this man exists and writes frequently with such rationality and eloquence on the reality of how the economy works — Robert Reich.

Hopefully, someone will listen before it's too late.