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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Work, wages, and dignity



One of the things that bothers me is people standing on the side of the road waving signs for different businesses. It tell me two things. The first is that wages are so low that it’s possible hire someone to do a job that could be done by a stick in the ground. The second is that plenty of people have no better options.

I’m sure these sign holders are not getting $20/hour with medical and dental. It’s not just kids either. Some appear to be healthy mature adults. Now I’m not cutting these people down. They are doing what they have to do to get by. It’s just sad to think our economy has come to this.

When I graduated from High School back in ‘76, there were still people heading to work in the local factories. They made a decent living: bought cars, houses, boats, and had cottages on the nearby lakes. Many of their kids went to college. Only fragments of those factories remain, and wages are much lower. Some of their college educated kids are working at big box stores for starvation wages.

There were scattered protests and job actions at Walmart on Black Friday. Walmart claims sales were not hurt at all and that sales were very good. They may be telling the truth. What they are not talking about is how much those tiny actions upset them. They may have won a battle but have already lost the war. A change is coming over people. They are mad as hell and ain’t gonna take it anymore. It is too much to want to be treated with dignity and respect? When a job has reached the point where wages are too low to survive, what’s to be lost by fighting the man?

I’m really bothered by the waste of human potential. So many people could be doing so much more if only they’d get half a chance. Companies are telling workers they aren’t worth much, while at the same time incompetent executives get multi-million dollar bonuses. There’s no money to pay a living wage but unlimited funds to break unions.

Year after year, the big boys have tweaked the system so the little guys have no power left at all. The rich and powerful are proud and satisfied with the machine they’ve built. Unfortunately, they’ve made a grave error. When the system is totally against the little guys, the only thing left to do is to break the system.

The choice is clear: reform or face revolution.

Just a head’s up. The working poor won’t be bought off with food stamps much longer.

-Sixbears





27 comments:

  1. You may be right. That's why the government bought all those hollow-point bullets.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Saw this at another sites posted comment:

    "Walmart reported that in the first 4 hours last night ( Thursday 8pm to midnight) they had nearly 10 million register transactions and almost 5,000 items per second being sold…"

    Think they really care about their workers? Not with this madness taking place. And I do not believe the shoppers really care that much either else they would not be partaking of this CRAP!

    Bexar

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    Replies
    1. I wasn't there. That's a start.

      The oppisition always looks strongest just before the big slide downwards.

      Delete
  3. Company CEO's in New Zealand are into the same game with them receiving obscene bonuses for just doing a job... The retiring Telecom CEO was recently paid $34,000 a day... that's not an error, that's $34,000 a day, each day for the last year of his contract. Sorry but nobody as in nobody is worth that sort of money and this clown has the audacity to put his people off the pay roll... Sixbears you should never have started me on this...
    It's time for a serious revolution!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The time is ripe for change. Like you say, nobody is worth that kind of money.

      Delete
  4. Then we have the crowd whom think that cutting off the food stamps will cure all the worlds ills.
    Go ahead you fools, cut off a mans only way to food and see what happens !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe that's what all the hollow points are for?

      Delete
  5. Time to dust off the guillotine and the tumbrill.

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  6. I know a couple of Wal Mart employees that don't seem to notice the problem there. I hope that they are in the minority. I guess if you aren't complaining about crap pay, you get what you deserve. The companies are paying the absolute minimum they can get away with and if the workers let them, then that's how it will stay. It's apparent the government isn't going to do anything about it.

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    Replies
    1. People have to wake up and take their future in their own hands.

      Delete
  7. Never, never depend on the government to do anything for you. Save what money you do have be try to be as self sufficient as you can. Re-cycle and re-use. Stop buying garbage you don't need. That new spiffy Ipad will buy a lot of canned goods, seeds and supplies. Only you and you alone can decide how well you will deal with America's New Dark Age. And yes, it does scare the hell out me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are on our own, but banning together with others doesn't hurt either. Squabbling amongst ourselves only serves the masters.

      Delete
  8. I just have a feeling that a big change is right around the corner! All the conditions are certainly right.

    It's going to be an interesting year, that's for sure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Get a good seat and some fresh popcorn. The show's about to start.

      Delete
  9. Gonna be some fireworks going off soon, especially as more companies "shrug" from under the weight of oppressive taxation and regulation...

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  10. Working does not pay.My wife works at walmart.7.50 an hour $600 gross every 2 weeks after taxes $425 net.IRS say a car cost.50 cents a mile she drives 300 miles to work in 2weeks thats a $150.she spends $75 on lunch allow $20 misc.so she benifets only $180 for 2 weeks work payed for 80 hours lunch and drive adds 20 hours for 100 hour for a job that nets $180.So to me she makes 1.80 cents an hour.She gets mad when i ask her why she works.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In the past, I've refused jobs because I could not afford to work them. A lot of people are in your wife's boat, but they don't quit either. Maybe they should all pick a day and quit at the same time. Wouldn't that get interesting?

      Delete
  11. From what I've seen in history, the government can buy off the working poor with food stamps for as long as the government CAN buy off the working poor with food stamps. At the end of the day, what the average Joe (or Juan or Ivan) cares about is that he gets a hot meal and a warm bed. As long as these can be provided, revolution isn't worth the effort.

    When the government no longer is able to provide these things, watch out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looks like there are plenty in government who've forgotten that lesson.

      Delete
  12. We don't do walmart or facebook, my space all that crap.Union for my hubbs all his life, I had to belong to a union for a tiny job in the 60's for Kaiser in california, been union most of my life. All it takes is a big curve in our economy and a Hitler like you know what will rise up promising food, jobs and shit. Oh, my living god, why do people frequent places that deny anykind of work wages for work.In washington state where I reside the poorer the county the more Walmart tries to edge in and totally screw all other competitors, why? I would rather starve than buy from them indeed..I can't imagine the money the election took from many? I work for the hungry and homeless and battered it is rising faster and faster like I mentioned all it would take for some yahoo to get into some real power is the promise of work and food and boom we gotta another Hitler in this world, shameful! I believe in the right to bear arms and if some yahoo got into power I would hope others who share my philosophy would think to bear their arms and I am not talking bearing their arms weaing sleveless blouses or shirts, no I mean really watching the yahooooo leave our great country, cause I think times are so terrible for the poor some yahoo could rise to power with a big message of HATE & LAWLESS AGAINST one group of people and that would be just the start oh, my God..I like to think it could not happen again, but when your starving, no work, educated, uneducated anything could happen..I say be ever vigilant and prepared! luv your blog, think you tell it like it is thank God for that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the kind words. Troubled times give rise to tyrants. As it gets tougher and tougher to get by, people are willing to do almost anything. It's getting crazy out there.

      Delete
  13. hard on oneself to have any dignity left when unale to have decent food, shelter, or basic medical care when one has no job, home, or a dime in their pocket

    such people when they revolt will gladly hang, shoot, or behead any official caught in any revolution or uprising

    or any uniformed person including UPS drivers, fast food employees, or postal workers..

    and the chances for a bloodbath grows more certain each day....

    Wildflower

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  14. I read somewhere , that religion is what keeps the poor from slitting the rich throats.I do appreciate your words.

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