The title is a bit of a bold claim, I suppose, but hear me out on this.
An excerpt from the Wealth of Nations by an Adam Smith, reads:
"In the progress of the division of labour, the employment of the far greater part of those who live by labour, that is, of the great body of the people, comes to be confined to a few very simple operations, frequently only one or two. ...The man whose whole life is spent in performing a few simple operations, of which the effects too are, perhaps, always the same, or very nearly the same, has no occasion to exert his understanding, or to exercise his invention in finding out expedients for removing difficulties which never occur. He naturally loses, therefore, the habit of such exertion, and generally becomes as stupid and ignorant as it is possible for a human creature to become. ...His dexterity at his own particular trade seems, in this manner, to be acquired at the expense of his intellectual, social, and martial virtues. ...this is the state into which the labouring poor, that is, the great body of the people, must necessarily fall, unless government takes some pains to prevent it."
By this, we understand that the working class is not meant for any more than performing a solitary act, day after day until he eventually dies (or, in less stringent capitalist systems, retires). The American Dream is to one day break free from the bounds of the definition of himself as a laborer, and become a manager, make more money, etc and so forth.
The status quo that Americans are so often content with depends on an exploited working class, whose only goal, or so it seems, is to survive and make ends meet until the next paycheck. The minimum wage in the US is set at at little above $15,000. And, depending on where you live in the US, it depends on how you can live. Generally speaking, however, if you are making $15000 a year, you may just be barely "scraping by." Where I live, you will be hard pressed to find an apartment for less than $700/month. Including utilities, bills, food, transportation, and other expenses, you are virtually guaranteed to be in debt.
So, what do we do? We have to raise the minimum wage. What does that do? Since smaller businesses can't pay a wage that is any higher than $x.xx per month, then they have to lay people off, and perhaps even go out of business. Suddenly, the only people left that have any sort of income are those making minimum wage at the fictional corporation Welmart. The Welmart is viral in the number of stores that they are opening. In the goal of giving you, the now unemployed consumer that needs these products, the lowest prices, they will outsource their labor to other countries where there are more lax labor laws.
So, now there are fewer and fewer jobs available. People are being laid off right and left. There are fewer and fewer factory jobs, and what will eventually become the only retail positions available will be at the Welmart.
You see my point, now? We can't allow this to happen for much longer. It will eventually become the demise of us all.
Food for Thought,
Phoenix-Rising
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Obama
You either love or hate this guy. There's no median. If you're politically knowledgeable, you have an opinion on him. However, I guess I'm an exception to the rule. I tolerate him. He's the democratically elected President, after all. However, I can't help but think about how last election went.
OK. Well, I think many of us agree that after 8 years of a GOP White House, and the Democrats having a shaky hold over the Congress; it could be worse! Of course, I wasn't real thrilled with the Democrats' dim witted approach to the economy or to social issues, then or now. See, what I mean is this. In the last months of the Bush Administration, you had a well established Democrat control over the Congress. While it was a slim majority, made even shakier with the presence of Blue Dogs, it was a majority nonetheless. The first bailouts, passed 1 October 2008, was obviously the act of buffoon politicians. The GOP was more intelligent, realizing that this simply furthers the ideals of supply side economics, aiding the wealthy, and making the poor pay for it. On the other side of the aisle, you had the Democrats. These guys are crazy. They have the political knowledge of a common household sponge. Dozens of congressional democrats, grinning from ear to ear, proud of this achievement in the name of quiet socialism, are too stupid to realize that THIS IS NOT MARXISM! If anything, our leaders have stepped us closer to Nazism; what I mean by that is that we now have a system where losses are public but profits are private!
Obama and McC**t were both voted Yea on the bailouts. It's public record, you can see it in the roll call for HR 1424 (2008. If you need the link, here it is.) Sure, they've made bad decisions in voting, but it's better than (fill in name of opposing party candidate here). WRONG REASON TO VOTE PEOPLE. Gah!
Take another example. My dear old mom and dad are highly religious neo-cons. I asked them who they were going to vote for after the primary showed the Mike Huckabee lost the GOP primaries. They said they would vote McCain, despite the fact that they don't agree.
So what's wrong with that? EVERYTHING! People, don't you realize that the President of the United States is often called the most powerful (person) in the world? We are given a choice. The puppet on the right, or the puppet on the left. In a sense, you are just voting based on what your party says. That's wrong on so many levels, if you ask me. This is not democracy.
Food For Thought,
Phoenix
OK. Well, I think many of us agree that after 8 years of a GOP White House, and the Democrats having a shaky hold over the Congress; it could be worse! Of course, I wasn't real thrilled with the Democrats' dim witted approach to the economy or to social issues, then or now. See, what I mean is this. In the last months of the Bush Administration, you had a well established Democrat control over the Congress. While it was a slim majority, made even shakier with the presence of Blue Dogs, it was a majority nonetheless. The first bailouts, passed 1 October 2008, was obviously the act of buffoon politicians. The GOP was more intelligent, realizing that this simply furthers the ideals of supply side economics, aiding the wealthy, and making the poor pay for it. On the other side of the aisle, you had the Democrats. These guys are crazy. They have the political knowledge of a common household sponge. Dozens of congressional democrats, grinning from ear to ear, proud of this achievement in the name of quiet socialism, are too stupid to realize that THIS IS NOT MARXISM! If anything, our leaders have stepped us closer to Nazism; what I mean by that is that we now have a system where losses are public but profits are private!
Obama and McC**t were both voted Yea on the bailouts. It's public record, you can see it in the roll call for HR 1424 (2008. If you need the link, here it is.) Sure, they've made bad decisions in voting, but it's better than (fill in name of opposing party candidate here). WRONG REASON TO VOTE PEOPLE. Gah!
Take another example. My dear old mom and dad are highly religious neo-cons. I asked them who they were going to vote for after the primary showed the Mike Huckabee lost the GOP primaries. They said they would vote McCain, despite the fact that they don't agree.
So what's wrong with that? EVERYTHING! People, don't you realize that the President of the United States is often called the most powerful (person) in the world? We are given a choice. The puppet on the right, or the puppet on the left. In a sense, you are just voting based on what your party says. That's wrong on so many levels, if you ask me. This is not democracy.
Food For Thought,
Phoenix
Friday, April 10, 2009
Healthcare
On the evening of March 25, upon the advice of my parents, I went to the ER. By law, they have to treat someone without insurance, so I thought that I would get this illness treated, come back, and work things out later.
I waited in the ER waiting room for several hours, listening to a misogynist complain about the fact that these "females that [were with him] are causing more trouble than they're worth." I just wanted shout a couple of four letter words in his face, but no, that would be mean. After waiting for 4 hours, they finally assigned me a hospital bed. They took X-Rays, ran a CAT scan at 3 in the morning. I was released a little before 6 on the 26th.
Yesterday, I got a bill from the Phoenixville Hospital. The bill was for nearly $12,000. They want it paid immediately, if not sooner. I had called the Hospital's financial agents about this several times, only to hear their voicemail. See, since I'm uninsured, I was given a maximum liability of $0 for my mental health, and wanted to know if it covered physical health as well. I never heard back from them. When I got the bill, I just got their voicemail again. So, I tried their outsourced 800 number.
Long story made short, they demanded their payment immediately. If I don't pay, then they'll ruin my credit. So essentially, they will make it very hard to find a place to live, get a loan, etc, because I am uninsured and not wealthy.
This is the whole point of this post. In this nation of "great opportunity" and all that other such BS, why is it that only those who are offered insurance or who are wealthy can afford to stay alive and well? If we are truly a nation built on the ideal of equality of opportunity, then why the hell is the opportunity to stay healthy a priveledge reserved for the rich? What kind of opportunity is this?
We live in a society that values the rich and famous above those who are our under and working classes. It's quite obvious. Is it right that access to three square meals a day, or healthcare, or anything else necessary for life is a priveledge reserved for those that can afford it?
I will gladly admit this. I am lucky to have parents that have allowed me to live nearly a year after college graduation (which was mostly funded by scholarships, grants, loans, and other such monies; to the grantors, I am eternally grateful, to the lenders, I am forced to be grateful for ten years) under their roof, eating their food, and so forth. There are others who are not that lucky. To those of you who are not as lucky: I have had many opportunities to taste what you live through all the time. There are no parents for them. They turn to a mega church, and all they find are tracts and pamphlets about Jesus. They turn to the job market, only to find that the invisible hand is flipping them off. They turn to the government, who simply says "it's not our job to feed you."
It would be incorrect to say that our society has given up on the poor. In point of fact, our society has never given two craps about the state of the impoverished in our country. Our country has, in effect, said "Die. The rich need your resources. So, just die already."
Food for Thought,
I waited in the ER waiting room for several hours, listening to a misogynist complain about the fact that these "females that [were with him] are causing more trouble than they're worth." I just wanted shout a couple of four letter words in his face, but no, that would be mean. After waiting for 4 hours, they finally assigned me a hospital bed. They took X-Rays, ran a CAT scan at 3 in the morning. I was released a little before 6 on the 26th.
Yesterday, I got a bill from the Phoenixville Hospital. The bill was for nearly $12,000. They want it paid immediately, if not sooner. I had called the Hospital's financial agents about this several times, only to hear their voicemail. See, since I'm uninsured, I was given a maximum liability of $0 for my mental health, and wanted to know if it covered physical health as well. I never heard back from them. When I got the bill, I just got their voicemail again. So, I tried their outsourced 800 number.
Long story made short, they demanded their payment immediately. If I don't pay, then they'll ruin my credit. So essentially, they will make it very hard to find a place to live, get a loan, etc, because I am uninsured and not wealthy.
This is the whole point of this post. In this nation of "great opportunity" and all that other such BS, why is it that only those who are offered insurance or who are wealthy can afford to stay alive and well? If we are truly a nation built on the ideal of equality of opportunity, then why the hell is the opportunity to stay healthy a priveledge reserved for the rich? What kind of opportunity is this?
We live in a society that values the rich and famous above those who are our under and working classes. It's quite obvious. Is it right that access to three square meals a day, or healthcare, or anything else necessary for life is a priveledge reserved for those that can afford it?
I will gladly admit this. I am lucky to have parents that have allowed me to live nearly a year after college graduation (which was mostly funded by scholarships, grants, loans, and other such monies; to the grantors, I am eternally grateful, to the lenders, I am forced to be grateful for ten years) under their roof, eating their food, and so forth. There are others who are not that lucky. To those of you who are not as lucky: I have had many opportunities to taste what you live through all the time. There are no parents for them. They turn to a mega church, and all they find are tracts and pamphlets about Jesus. They turn to the job market, only to find that the invisible hand is flipping them off. They turn to the government, who simply says "it's not our job to feed you."
It would be incorrect to say that our society has given up on the poor. In point of fact, our society has never given two craps about the state of the impoverished in our country. Our country has, in effect, said "Die. The rich need your resources. So, just die already."
Food for Thought,
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Revolution
We've got ourselves into this mess. On many occasions with violence, but always with inequality, theft, and greed. Now it's time to get ourselves out of this mess.
I've said it before, I'll say it again.
I WELCOME THE REVOLUTION WITH OPEN ARMS.
The few people that read this would be shocked to know this. Perhaps I should explain.
I welcome the revolution, but not a revolution of arms and bloodshed.
I welcome a revolution of thought, of intellectualism, and of equality.
I welcome a good, Saturday morning protest. I do not recommend a riot.
I encourage letters to your representative or senator... as long as it doesn't end with "watch your back."
Read a book. Just as long as it's not the Anarchist's Cookbook (especially not that hack Jolly Roger's "adaptation" bullshit that's floating around the internet).
There are limits to the revolution. I know, an anarchist is supposed to not believe in the rule of law, or so they say. Personal law is built on the ideal of love, equality, and a nearly altruistic sense of ethics. Mandated law is built on keeping the common man down.
Liberate yourself any way you ethically can. You've ended up here on earth. Christ only knows why. Make your life worthwhile. Live it not for yourself alone, but live it for you AND your fellow man. I would like to echo some words of my friend, D.S. Puthoff of Minneapolis...
"The only lasting peace is a peace among equals."
Food for thought,
I've said it before, I'll say it again.
I WELCOME THE REVOLUTION WITH OPEN ARMS.
The few people that read this would be shocked to know this. Perhaps I should explain.
I welcome the revolution, but not a revolution of arms and bloodshed.
I welcome a revolution of thought, of intellectualism, and of equality.
I welcome a good, Saturday morning protest. I do not recommend a riot.
I encourage letters to your representative or senator... as long as it doesn't end with "watch your back."
Read a book. Just as long as it's not the Anarchist's Cookbook (especially not that hack Jolly Roger's "adaptation" bullshit that's floating around the internet).
There are limits to the revolution. I know, an anarchist is supposed to not believe in the rule of law, or so they say. Personal law is built on the ideal of love, equality, and a nearly altruistic sense of ethics. Mandated law is built on keeping the common man down.
Liberate yourself any way you ethically can. You've ended up here on earth. Christ only knows why. Make your life worthwhile. Live it not for yourself alone, but live it for you AND your fellow man. I would like to echo some words of my friend, D.S. Puthoff of Minneapolis...
"The only lasting peace is a peace among equals."
Food for thought,
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Reading Lists
I intend to update this frequently.
* Currently Reading
**Have read, or at least read part of it
*** Want to read
Political:
Marx: Communist Manifesto*
Kropotkin: Mutual Aid**
Reiman: The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison***
Loewen: Lies My Teacher Told Me**
Jefferson: Works Of Thomas Paine***
Orwell: 1984 and Animal Farm**
Kennedy: Profiles in Courage***
Literary:
Kerovuac: On the Road***
Adams: Hitchhiker's Guide Series**
Gandhi: Peace***
Poe: Tales...***
Shakespeare: COMPLETE works*** (read some, not all yet)
Beowulf***
Steinbeck: Grapes of Wrath***
Sinclair: The Jungle*** (I have a copy, just never had time to read through the whole thing.
Carroll: Alice in Wonderland**
Nabokov: Lolita** (Dear sweet gentle jesus, this is an amazing book)
Religious:
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching** (haven't gotten through the whole thing yet)
Warner: Hardcore Zen**
Hoff: Tao of Pooh** (Quick Read)
Egyptian Book of the Dead **
Updated occassionally
* Currently Reading
**Have read, or at least read part of it
*** Want to read
Political:
Marx: Communist Manifesto*
Kropotkin: Mutual Aid**
Reiman: The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison***
Loewen: Lies My Teacher Told Me**
Jefferson: Works Of Thomas Paine***
Orwell: 1984 and Animal Farm**
Kennedy: Profiles in Courage***
Literary:
Kerovuac: On the Road***
Adams: Hitchhiker's Guide Series**
Gandhi: Peace***
Poe: Tales...***
Shakespeare: COMPLETE works*** (read some, not all yet)
Beowulf***
Steinbeck: Grapes of Wrath***
Sinclair: The Jungle*** (I have a copy, just never had time to read through the whole thing.
Carroll: Alice in Wonderland**
Nabokov: Lolita** (Dear sweet gentle jesus, this is an amazing book)
Religious:
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching** (haven't gotten through the whole thing yet)
Warner: Hardcore Zen**
Hoff: Tao of Pooh** (Quick Read)
Egyptian Book of the Dead **
Updated occassionally
Monday, March 16, 2009
Qidong
I would highly recommend practicing Qidong as a fun, fulfilling workout. I take some classes at the YMCA taught by a lady by the name of Debi Dunn. Fun person, really not altogether as serious as some people may be about Qidong, but really knows her stuff.
The classes ended last week, and I was a little upset, because it seems that I was just getting the hang of Tai Chi, as well as Qidong. I actually felt something enlivening, something very powerful there. I think I was blinded by many things for the past few weeks, and, just learning to let go of certain things was a very refreshing liberation for me. I dropped the work I was doing with Aflac. I had a falling out with someone who showed me their true colors. And, while this may be a depressing moment of people's lives, for me it felt wonderful. I believe this is what made me a little more able to control my energies from within.
OK, so, just for the record, I am not a Buddhist. Rather, I'm more or less on the Agnostic scale; but I figured that I would mention this as I said I would be talking about other important matters of life other than just politics. I do, however, find Buddhism to be a fascinating religion, with many a great friend being a part of it. That said, I would also like to mention that I am also exploring the religions of Hermeticism, Taoism, and a few others. I just don't like tying myself down.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend taking Qidong before starting on Tai Chi. However, you need to be able to manage your energy, and take the time to reconcile the outside influences of your life in order to fully understand what I'm talking about.
Food For Thought,
The classes ended last week, and I was a little upset, because it seems that I was just getting the hang of Tai Chi, as well as Qidong. I actually felt something enlivening, something very powerful there. I think I was blinded by many things for the past few weeks, and, just learning to let go of certain things was a very refreshing liberation for me. I dropped the work I was doing with Aflac. I had a falling out with someone who showed me their true colors. And, while this may be a depressing moment of people's lives, for me it felt wonderful. I believe this is what made me a little more able to control my energies from within.
OK, so, just for the record, I am not a Buddhist. Rather, I'm more or less on the Agnostic scale; but I figured that I would mention this as I said I would be talking about other important matters of life other than just politics. I do, however, find Buddhism to be a fascinating religion, with many a great friend being a part of it. That said, I would also like to mention that I am also exploring the religions of Hermeticism, Taoism, and a few others. I just don't like tying myself down.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend taking Qidong before starting on Tai Chi. However, you need to be able to manage your energy, and take the time to reconcile the outside influences of your life in order to fully understand what I'm talking about.
Food For Thought,
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Exploitation of Labor
I haven't updated in a while, perhaps that's because I've been very busy working for nothing with Aflac. It's all commission, and, as my brother calls it, is therefore the purest form of capitalism.
I am reminded of a quote near the beginning of the communist manifesto:
Also, what pisses me off about the job is that I've been mislead altogether too often. I was told things about Aflac and their benefits program; when in reality, it DOESN'T EXIST. I was told that I never heard that, and I must be lying. OK.
I was in love with Aflac for a while. I was blind sighted by pie-in-the-sky numbers of the money I'll make, and the trips I could win, and so forth. And then, during training, after I had accepted the job and put so much time, money, and effort into it, was I finally told that 65% of the agents don't make any money. Why? Because they don't work. Funny, how I was working my ass off and not making a cent. But, I guess I wasn't working hard enough. 16 hour day, for three days straight, while working a full six days a week on this wasn't nearly enough, apparently.
So, after a long talk with a friend, I finally figured out what this all was. I opened my eyes up and saw that I was nothing to Aflac. I was just another agent. I didn't deserve to be paid, because I didn't work hard enough.
I have decided to look for another job. I need something that will direct me where I want my career to go. I want to be a speech therapist someday. This will mean that I need to start shaping my life towards that career. I have an interview request from Devereux, which won't pay me the highest estimates that I got from Aflac, i.e. $653000 per year. But, I will get about $20000, which, is enough to live on for now. Provided that I get this job, I will be doing work with Special needs individuals, the mentally and developmentally handicapped, the mentally ill, and so forth.
This is my ideal job. Scratch that, it's my ideal career move for right now. Wish me luck.
Food for thought:
I am reminded of a quote near the beginning of the communist manifesto:
"In proportion as the bourgeoisie, i.e., capital, is developed, in the same proportion is the proletariat, the modern working class, developed -- a class of laborers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labor increases capital. These laborers, who must sell themselves piecemeal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market."
Essentially, if I don't get a sale, I don't eat. I don't have a roof over my head. And I die. Oh well, he's just an insurance salesman, right? Well... my friends. This is wrong. I opened my eyes to this, and saw what Aflac was really about. "Aflac was rated the most ethical company to work for." They told me. Really, now?Also, what pisses me off about the job is that I've been mislead altogether too often. I was told things about Aflac and their benefits program; when in reality, it DOESN'T EXIST. I was told that I never heard that, and I must be lying. OK.
I was in love with Aflac for a while. I was blind sighted by pie-in-the-sky numbers of the money I'll make, and the trips I could win, and so forth. And then, during training, after I had accepted the job and put so much time, money, and effort into it, was I finally told that 65% of the agents don't make any money. Why? Because they don't work. Funny, how I was working my ass off and not making a cent. But, I guess I wasn't working hard enough. 16 hour day, for three days straight, while working a full six days a week on this wasn't nearly enough, apparently.
So, after a long talk with a friend, I finally figured out what this all was. I opened my eyes up and saw that I was nothing to Aflac. I was just another agent. I didn't deserve to be paid, because I didn't work hard enough.
I have decided to look for another job. I need something that will direct me where I want my career to go. I want to be a speech therapist someday. This will mean that I need to start shaping my life towards that career. I have an interview request from Devereux, which won't pay me the highest estimates that I got from Aflac, i.e. $653000 per year. But, I will get about $20000, which, is enough to live on for now. Provided that I get this job, I will be doing work with Special needs individuals, the mentally and developmentally handicapped, the mentally ill, and so forth.
This is my ideal job. Scratch that, it's my ideal career move for right now. Wish me luck.
Food for thought:
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