The myth of "full employment"
First off, it is difficult to discuss the economy because of all the doctored figures being used. The Bush administration (and their lackeys) uses highly doctored numbers when referring to how well the economy is doing. For example, they say Bush has created oh so many millions of new jobs! But then when you take into account population growth, you end up with no real job growth. They use the same tactics when criticizing the evil socialist europe doesn't create as many jobs as us. Well duh, their populations aren't growing as fast.
And when they say wages are up, it may be "technically" true that average wages are up, but that's only because the top 1% has seen their wages go up so dramatically. Everyone else has seen declines in real wages, wages adjusted for inflation. And of course they always like to pretend inflation doesn't exist. Even their highly doctored nearly meaningless "core inflation" numbers show that real wages for most people are going down.
The facts are just the facts. I hear people say that all the time. Yet people aren't quite aware of how badly they're getting screwed. Any guesses as to why? Well I bet it is related to that other curious fact ... that half of Americans still think Saddam was responsible for 9/11. Need proof that the corporate media is nothing more than a massive disinformation and brainwashing machine? Look no further than that.
So when they say we're at "full employment", do I believe them? Of course not. But we're doing pretty "well", if you like to think about it that way. Just about everyone who wants to work, is working. And that's probably a good thing because we're getting screwed so badly on such a high level, that we've got no choice but to work full time. Now is that really a good thing? Is it a measure of success that everyone is working? I don't think it is at all. Even if you are totally materialistic, you'd measure success in more logical terms. How much your wages are going up. How much your living standards are going up. Not by how much you're working. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats so they say. Yet the facts are indesputable that we as a people are getting poorer in terms of real dollars, while all the while working more hours. In reality the tide isn't rising. Our boats are sinking.
Don't you see, that IS the scam. They talk about rising tides but it's not really about that. It's just to distract us by coming up with some clever explanation for what we see happening all around us. Technically, the tide is rising, but only because our boats are sinking.
Regardless of how you want to think about it, us scurrying to keep up isn't healthy at all.
How healthy is an ant colony that has all the ants working all the time? Not very. It's actually a sign of some kind of fundamental, but serious, problem. For example, in the ant anology, the workers would be working too much if their food source was too far away. They could actually be quite close to the edge of extinction if they don't make serious changes, ie relocation. Of course ants really can't see it coming.
Take another anology...imagine going to the doctor and telling him that your heart has been beating 180 bpm all day long, even while sitting down. Yeah he'd be sending you to the ER. Unless he's one of those republican Bush supporters who can't comprehend the real purpose of the media sources they know and trust. In that case he'd tell you your heart is perfectly normal. Just like it's perfectly normal and wonderful to work 3 jobs. Is it really outlandish to conclude that someone who says that to you wants you to die? That's pretty much where we're at at this day and age.
Like the overworked ants and the ovebeating heart, our country is in equally grave peril. The middle class has to succeed. And by success I don't mean how many houses and cars and tvs people have. That's nonsense. Success at this point could be measured by how unplugged from the damn tv a person is. It's gotten that bad. Anyway, America rides on the back of the middle class. How much can it take before the back breaks? Or will it never physically break, but instead leave our spirits to bear the burden?
The next time you hear someone ask, "how did it come to this?", you'll know the answer. Everyone was at work, no one took the time to think about what was actually happening. Our spirits are being systematically destroyed. And the human spirit is real. It's not some imaginary concept. You treat a person like a dog and eventually they'll act like a dog. That's real. You treat a person like a cattle and they'll act like a cattle. That's real too. There's not even anything metaphysical about it either. So the question you need to ask, before asking "how did it come to this", is, "how am I being treated?"
And when they say wages are up, it may be "technically" true that average wages are up, but that's only because the top 1% has seen their wages go up so dramatically. Everyone else has seen declines in real wages, wages adjusted for inflation. And of course they always like to pretend inflation doesn't exist. Even their highly doctored nearly meaningless "core inflation" numbers show that real wages for most people are going down.
The facts are just the facts. I hear people say that all the time. Yet people aren't quite aware of how badly they're getting screwed. Any guesses as to why? Well I bet it is related to that other curious fact ... that half of Americans still think Saddam was responsible for 9/11. Need proof that the corporate media is nothing more than a massive disinformation and brainwashing machine? Look no further than that.
So when they say we're at "full employment", do I believe them? Of course not. But we're doing pretty "well", if you like to think about it that way. Just about everyone who wants to work, is working. And that's probably a good thing because we're getting screwed so badly on such a high level, that we've got no choice but to work full time. Now is that really a good thing? Is it a measure of success that everyone is working? I don't think it is at all. Even if you are totally materialistic, you'd measure success in more logical terms. How much your wages are going up. How much your living standards are going up. Not by how much you're working. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats so they say. Yet the facts are indesputable that we as a people are getting poorer in terms of real dollars, while all the while working more hours. In reality the tide isn't rising. Our boats are sinking.
Don't you see, that IS the scam. They talk about rising tides but it's not really about that. It's just to distract us by coming up with some clever explanation for what we see happening all around us. Technically, the tide is rising, but only because our boats are sinking.
Regardless of how you want to think about it, us scurrying to keep up isn't healthy at all.
How healthy is an ant colony that has all the ants working all the time? Not very. It's actually a sign of some kind of fundamental, but serious, problem. For example, in the ant anology, the workers would be working too much if their food source was too far away. They could actually be quite close to the edge of extinction if they don't make serious changes, ie relocation. Of course ants really can't see it coming.
Take another anology...imagine going to the doctor and telling him that your heart has been beating 180 bpm all day long, even while sitting down. Yeah he'd be sending you to the ER. Unless he's one of those republican Bush supporters who can't comprehend the real purpose of the media sources they know and trust. In that case he'd tell you your heart is perfectly normal. Just like it's perfectly normal and wonderful to work 3 jobs. Is it really outlandish to conclude that someone who says that to you wants you to die? That's pretty much where we're at at this day and age.
Like the overworked ants and the ovebeating heart, our country is in equally grave peril. The middle class has to succeed. And by success I don't mean how many houses and cars and tvs people have. That's nonsense. Success at this point could be measured by how unplugged from the damn tv a person is. It's gotten that bad. Anyway, America rides on the back of the middle class. How much can it take before the back breaks? Or will it never physically break, but instead leave our spirits to bear the burden?
The next time you hear someone ask, "how did it come to this?", you'll know the answer. Everyone was at work, no one took the time to think about what was actually happening. Our spirits are being systematically destroyed. And the human spirit is real. It's not some imaginary concept. You treat a person like a dog and eventually they'll act like a dog. That's real. You treat a person like a cattle and they'll act like a cattle. That's real too. There's not even anything metaphysical about it either. So the question you need to ask, before asking "how did it come to this", is, "how am I being treated?"
posted by Iconoclast421 at 1:55 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home