I'm on the lookout for another job ... again! It sucks. Our president has boasted a national low unemployment rate, but something feels misleading about that. (or maybe it's just what I've come to expect from talking Bushes, who knows). I think American working class people are feeling how tight money really is and thus refusing to give up their current job. I know that's my reasoning, as well as others I've spoken with who need work. Sure, it keeps unemployment numbers low, but not because more jobs are available. I certainly haven't found much worth applying to.
Ah but I'm starting to think we working class citizens are not MEANT to be happy or satisfied, not entirely anyway. A capitalist country such as ours has the bulk of its production privately owned. These private organizations use a portion of their profits to hire labour in order to produce more, make more of a profit, and so on. If you are part of the labour force (which most of us are to some degree), chances are you make the necessary money to keep your family alive, with just enough left over to endulge or otherwise distract yourself in life. Things like food, clothes, and shelter are made slightly more available so we can come back to work of course.
Meanwhile, the wage slaves are giving away valuable chunks of our life in order to produce for the benefit of someone else. Sure we get the paycheck, but as I stated most of this money goes toward survival, not really our growth and development. We are given a limited time on Earth to live, and yet spend so much of it making the private owners of business extremely wealthy. We make small change compared to what the boss rakes in. We see little of their profit. This can make you crazy.
We can look to everyone's favorite white trash palace of pleasure, Wal-Mart, for signs of corporate America in action. I'm sure by now you've heard the controversy over illegal immigrants hired for janitorial services. Many of these people slept in the store when not working, so they could stay in America and offer extremely cheap labor. They offer their employees very little other than a paycheck and a blue vest. Check out Wal-Mart Watch for any info yer not sure about. I think there is also a documentary in production.
Public exposure to these blatant inhumanitarian practices has since forced Wal-Mart to offer basic health coverage and paid days off. Yet they react to this "set back" in true capitalist style by announcing store renovations in several areas. They're remodeling in hopes of attracting A WEALTHIER CROWD. White collar instead of white trash I suppose. The isles will be wider, nice wood panaling floors, name brands introduced in select areas only, sushi and lattes served in the snack corner.
So you see, the very structure of capitalism ensures that its members will not only WANT to buy into the goods and services they produce, they'll NEED them to cope with the stress and hastle of dealing with wealthy corporations for their survival. Producing for others makes you crazy!
But in the end, isn't it struggle that moves us forward? Not having what we want makes us work for it, or at least work for some means of dulling the pain of not having what we want. Never before had I thought of capitalism in this way. America is not a theocracy (yet) or a dictatorship (debatable), it's a democracy! And democracy thrives on similar principles of change through conflicting ideas. So far, it looks like the least of all possible evils.
Guess I'll go check the want ads.
Ah but I'm starting to think we working class citizens are not MEANT to be happy or satisfied, not entirely anyway. A capitalist country such as ours has the bulk of its production privately owned. These private organizations use a portion of their profits to hire labour in order to produce more, make more of a profit, and so on. If you are part of the labour force (which most of us are to some degree), chances are you make the necessary money to keep your family alive, with just enough left over to endulge or otherwise distract yourself in life. Things like food, clothes, and shelter are made slightly more available so we can come back to work of course.
Meanwhile, the wage slaves are giving away valuable chunks of our life in order to produce for the benefit of someone else. Sure we get the paycheck, but as I stated most of this money goes toward survival, not really our growth and development. We are given a limited time on Earth to live, and yet spend so much of it making the private owners of business extremely wealthy. We make small change compared to what the boss rakes in. We see little of their profit. This can make you crazy.
We can look to everyone's favorite white trash palace of pleasure, Wal-Mart, for signs of corporate America in action. I'm sure by now you've heard the controversy over illegal immigrants hired for janitorial services. Many of these people slept in the store when not working, so they could stay in America and offer extremely cheap labor. They offer their employees very little other than a paycheck and a blue vest. Check out Wal-Mart Watch for any info yer not sure about. I think there is also a documentary in production.
Public exposure to these blatant inhumanitarian practices has since forced Wal-Mart to offer basic health coverage and paid days off. Yet they react to this "set back" in true capitalist style by announcing store renovations in several areas. They're remodeling in hopes of attracting A WEALTHIER CROWD. White collar instead of white trash I suppose. The isles will be wider, nice wood panaling floors, name brands introduced in select areas only, sushi and lattes served in the snack corner.
So you see, the very structure of capitalism ensures that its members will not only WANT to buy into the goods and services they produce, they'll NEED them to cope with the stress and hastle of dealing with wealthy corporations for their survival. Producing for others makes you crazy!
But in the end, isn't it struggle that moves us forward? Not having what we want makes us work for it, or at least work for some means of dulling the pain of not having what we want. Never before had I thought of capitalism in this way. America is not a theocracy (yet) or a dictatorship (debatable), it's a democracy! And democracy thrives on similar principles of change through conflicting ideas. So far, it looks like the least of all possible evils.
Guess I'll go check the want ads.
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