American Unpeople

 The Working Poor / The Price of The American Dream

This is a documentary about the working poor in America. It is almost an hour long. The hourly rate may vary from state to state. (Some states are far more expensive than others.)  Here in North Carolina, I think of the people earning anywhere from minimum wage up to around $20 per hour when I think of the working poor. I base my numbers on the 20 years I worked for the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina. These are people who truly live paycheck to paycheck. Even a small disruption can cause a $20 crisis. 

The documentary follows a worker in fast food customer service, Germania, a construction laborer, Joe, and some high skilled union workers who found themselves facing a permanent layoff. I think it does a pretty good job of depicting their struggles. but what compelled me to write today is all they left out. Germania and Joe are both homeless on opposite sides of the country. Not only that, they have families to support. Joe is married and has a little daughter. Germania  has several children and a relative to support.  We will come to the union workers later.

Germania  had a decent paying job  in an unnamed northern state but nonetheless decided to move to Florida.  The only reason given in the documentary is that she wanted a “new start.” The father of her children is not really mentioned and plays no part in their lives it seems. Perhaps she was fleeing a domestic violence situation,  living in a bad area  or something else?  I am not here to judge why she left.  I'm more interested in the other problems she faces. I see several. At only 25 she is already obese  and a smoker.  If nothing changes, she may be looking at a myriad of related health problems, things such as heart disease, a higher risk for strokes and different types of cancer. Now, add to this our lovely for profit healthcare system. She works 2 to 3 different jobs, none of which are likely to provide decent healthcare insurance coverage.  Her children are also overweight. I don't say this to be mean or judgmental but to remind everyone of the relationship between poverty and obesity.  I think Germania  is truly doing the best she can.  She is stuck on a metaphorical hamster wheel. Between her jobs and caring for her children, she has little time to look for a better job much less get some kind of retraining for higher paying work.  A few other things I think the documentary left out  are the risks associated with living in cheap motels  and subsidized apartments,  the potential for violent crime and exposure to illicit drugs. Let's also not forget poorer performing schools and lack of access to good daycare  for her children. If things are left unchanged, I think it's possible the cycle will just repeat.  Joe finds himself in a similar situation in Seattle, Washington.

The documentary does not give us a good idea of Joe's marketable skill sets.  I may be wrong but I assume he is more of a cleanup and laborer type then a highly skilled carpenter or mason.  His wife has similar skills  to Germania but is also unable to find any work. They have a small daughter who is just beginning to walk. They find themselves living in a small tent city and there is no explanation given for how they pay for food. I would assume it's charity. They both could use training for a better job. This is still very difficult even if the training is paid for. They still have to pay for food as well as daycare for their daughter. The only reason given for their relocation from California to Washington State  is seeking better opportunities. Joe's physical work has kept him from becoming obese.  Both his wife and daughter are overweight. Again, I don't see this to be mean or judgmental but to point it out as a consequence of deep poverty. Neither seems to have a drug problem and there is no mention of a criminal background which can both be large barriers to employment.  However, not having a stable address to put on an application is seen by many employers as a huge red flag. Based on the documentary, I assume neither one has a driver's license. That's another barrier to employment. Again, a possible solution is job retraining but they still have to pay for housing, food and other living expenses while going through said training. What about the skilled workers facing a permanent layoff?

The last segment of our documentary follows several skilled union workers in Pennsylvania  who are facing permanent layoffs  from well-paying jobs. I don't mean to be harsh but multinational conglomerations are not noted for caring about their workers. These massive corporations are legally bound to maximize profits for their shareholders. If cutting labor costs increases profits, that's what they will do. I think it's safe to assume there are no other employers in their area who need these skill sets.  Unlike Joe and Germania,  The union workers may have a little time for a job retraining via their severance. The question is, training for what? Without  similar wages they too will fall out of the middle class. Maybe there is another well paying employer in the area who can take them on with just a little retraining?

What are some possible answers?

One answer is a minimum wage that actually keeps up with what it costs to live. Since this documentary was made a few years ago, wages have gone up some. Also, the cost of living has gone up. one thing to keep in mind is the baby boomer generation is in the process of retiring out of the workforce. Soon there will be more jobs than there are people to fill them. This should help push wages up even more. Job retraining is great but there needs to be a mechanism for helping people cover basic living expenses while they are being retrained. Another idea I would like to hear more about is guaranteed employment.  Instead of collecting unemployment checks, the government becomes the employer of last resort. They also have to pay enough so people can live in a safe and healthy environment. Maybe in some cases tie this into employment training.

 Employers need to also do their part.  creating an entire underclass not only leads to people who cannot afford your products but to an unstable society which is also very bad for business.  companies need to face a cost or laying off high skilled workers only to increase profits.  Maybe one can justify laying people off in a major downturn to keep the company afloat but that's a debate on a case by case basis. Companies would do well to remember how expensive high turnover can be.  Paying people well can indeed help the bottom line grow.

 We as individuals also have a role to play. I think the best way to stay out of poverty is to have high demand, high paying, marketable skills.  It's no longer as simple as going and getting “the right degree.”  We live in a time of rapid change. So the best thing to do is always be learning and paying close attention to what's going on in the economy around us.  Financial literacy, economics and where to get new skills training should all be taught in high school.  Of course it's okay to want a new start or seek better opportunities elsewhere but please do the homework that goes with  these ideas.  use the internet and find out what really is available in the place you want to go as well as pay rates and the cost of living. Yes, it's fun to entertain the idea of up and leaving but be smart about it.

The Education Grift

 

 The profit motive works great for many things but not everything. I don't think it does all that well in justice administration. Just consider the horrors of our national prison industrial complex. I'm not a fan of mixing the profit motive with state functions in general. K-12 education is another area I don't think mixes well with the profit motive. This will be our focus here. Foundational education is a right enshrined in many state constitutions. This is true here in North Carolina where I live.  Whether you get a good education or not should not be dependent on your family's bank account. 

 A lot of money for education comes from local taxes. If corporations are getting this money via private schools, the profit motive has to override all other concerns. Corporations’ primary purpose is making money for shareholders full stop. (We will get to religious schools soon.) It invites corruption locally, at the state level, and federally. Measuring sticks can be manipulated, changed or simply ignored. Can we really trust corporate entities to teach about alternative economic systems, abuse of labor and other corporate crimes such as the massive fraud at Enron? Privatizing schools can also take away control from teachers and other education professionals.

If a company develops the lesson plans and how they are actually taught, what is left for the teacher to do? The role of teacher becomes little more than a proctor or guide. If a student finds an error or has a disagreement about something being taught who can they go to? It is no longer the teacher. I guess they have to take it up with some form of customer service? Businesses managing education hurts educators as well as students. Adding religion to the mix throws in an additional set of problems.

Yes, I have a problem with any school that does not want to teach evolution in 2023. There is a line somewhere separating education from indoctrination. I have questions about religious schools. How can I be sure they are not teaching religious intolerance? How can I be sure they are not dehumanizing others with different views such as atheists or followers of other faiths? How can I be sure they are not discouraging freedom of thought? In my experience, religion is not exactly open to questioning. I feel education should be the opposite- question everything! They are not all bad. 

Sure, we can still have private religious schools. I'm sure there are many that do well! Catholic and Jewish high schools can provide a great education. If you got tons of money and want a private or religious education for your children, great. Please do your homework on what they will teach first. They should not try to replace a good public education system. One last point.        

Kids don't belong to parents. They are individual human beings with agency. They need to be able to have a say in what and how they are learning, not controlled by corporate or religious institutions. Democracy depends on having a well educated populace. The idea of any politician loving the “uneducated” should be terrifying in a Democracy. 

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS! 

How do We End the Cult of Trump?

 

I don't know of any other way to describe Trump 's hold on his base other than a cult. He can do no wrong in their eyes. Things that would be an absolute outrage for any other politician, doesn't phase his base. Stealing, extramarital affairs, possible treason, along with a myriad of other serious allegations of misconduct would have sunk anyone else years ago! But not Trump. Daily he moans about all the injustice he is facing while at the same time demonstrating contempt for the rule of law and how our Constitution. The thought of him winning a second term should be utterly terrifying. Sure, it's a long shot given all of his legal entanglements. But the more we learn about January 6 and his ever increasing sense of desperation, we need to understand there is nothing he will not do if he thinks that will win him the presidency again. The idea of free and fair elections I think are still facing danger. We cannot take the risk lightly as long as there is any chance of a second Trump term. How can this end?

 

There is no quick fix for ending a cult. Well, there may be one- the cult leaders death. We simply cannot count on that. Trump has access to the best health care in the world. I see two possible good ways this ends and one bad. The bad obviously, he somehow someway becomes president again. If you disagree with this, congratulations! You are in the cult of Trump! My best hope is for the slow wheels of American justice to catch up well before the election next November. Trump in jail and out of the news will lead to his cult quietly fading away overtime. The MAGA hats, T-shirts along with the rest of the merchandise from Trump world will find their way into storage in attics in basements along with the Klan and militia merchandise. Better yet, much of it will find its way into city dumps. There is another contributing factor to the end of the trump cult.

 

Young people are not buying it. They understand the very real threat we all face from climate change. They are not going to vote for a party of climate change deniers. Nor are they going to vote for a party that obstructs even the smallest attempt at college loan debt relief. Young people are far more open to the LGBT community. They will not vote for a party that scapegoats gays and other minorities. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I also don't think they will vote for the pro shooter drills party. I don't know exactly what the answer is, but I'm certain doing absolutely nothing is not it. I have yet to hear any plan the MAGA Faction has to address the skyrocketing costs of housing. Nor have I heard a word from the few remaining sane elements in the Republican Party. They have devolved from a party with a few ideas into mostly a cult of personality led by Donald Trump. They propose wacky changes to solve imaginary problems of their own creation such as “woke.” The Donald himself is utterly devoid of solutions to actual problems. His focus on 2024 is mostly a grift and a hail Mary pass to avoid jail. I have yet to see a single thing that points in another direction. So, yes this cult too shall pass. What can be done at the individual level?

 

Calling people names, avoiding the discussion of politics and trying to wait it out are not great solutions when it comes to friends and family stuck in the cult of Trump. What's needed is humility and patience. The "I'm right and you are wrong" approach will not work. One thing that does work is honest questioning. Things like what has he done to improve your life? How has he helped the economy? What does the rest of the world think of him? There are many more such questions. The goal is to get the person to think beyond the level of catchy slogans and macho imagery. You don't have to try and answer these questions for them. The questions will plant a seed. Hopefully, they will start to have their own questions. When and if they emerge from the cult of Trump don't gloat or make fun of them. We have all been deceived at some point or other. It's important to remember we need at least two functioning political parties for a democracy. 

A dominant Democratic Party will soon fall into corruption and holding power for power's own sake. Our long term goal should be the revitalization of a functional Republican Party with ideas and goals for the coming decades instead of a party looking for answers in a mythological past.

Climate Change Challenge? It is Us?

More and more people are coming to understand the reality of climate change. I think I like the phrase climate change better than global warming. Somehow, it just seems more self-evident. I understand climate change is being driven by warmer global temperatures. All the dire predictions from decades past are now starting to come true. If you don't believe me, perhaps just watch the Evening News? I have a really bad feeling Mother Nature is just getting started. Storms are going to become more violent, more frequent, and more unusual. So-called thousand-year storms will simply become spring or summer, nothing too unusual. None of this is new. We've known this was going to happen at least since the 1960s. Some may argue much longer ago than that. Here's a simple question - is there really no cost the pollution we are pumping into the atmosphere 24 hours a day 365 days a year? Let's not forget about our relentless clear cutting of forests in addition to all the dirty energy. The easy energy we've had for the last 100 plus years comes with a steep price tag. Can we fix it?

 

I don't think so. The radical deep changes required to mitigate this threat are far beyond what are so-called leadership is capable of. Too many of us want to have our cake and eat it too. We want others to sacrifice, not us. You people in the third world have less kids. No, you Chinese cannot have the middle-class lifestyle that we enjoy. No, you cannot use coal to heat your homes in winter. Too bad you don't have enough wind or solar to stay warm. Am I willing to give up my nice house, car and much of the power I use? Probably not. How many other Americans feel the same way I do? Almost half of us don't recognize a problem unless it affects us directly. The other half want to do the right thing until it becomes inconvenient or affects property values. I'm looking at you California, yeah homelessness sucks but I don't want affordable housing anywhere near me. I'm sure this is not limited to California. Any well off zip code has little interest in really helping the homeless. OK I'm digressing. Let me get back on track.

 

Another reason I don't think we can fix climate change has to do with math. Solar, wind, and hydropower are indeed making great strides. The problem is the gulf between what these can actually produce and what we actually need. The cake eaters want to wave a magic technology wand at the problem and make it go away. Bam! Problem solved and I didn't have to do anything! If we can figure out how to store electricity for long periods of time, maybe that will change the equation. Once again, the magical technology wand appears! That's great if it works one day but simply hoping some technological marvel will save us from the ravages of climate change, I think is wishful thinking. I'm leery of magical technological solutions and unproven financial solutions such as carbon taxes. And plain old-fashioned corruption is always present. Paying to pollute does not seem like a great solution. Even trying to offset pollution by doing something quote “green” seems fishy to me.

 

Another problem we face in regards to climate change is international disunity. Even here in the West far too many people don't understand the gravity of the situation we face. Their wallets make understanding impossible. One of America's two political parties, the republicans, simply refuse to acknowledge the facts of climate change. The Democrats may be a little better but don't want to do anything that would be too upsetting to the average voter. They are afraid to ask for real change, perhaps understandably so. That's just the USA. The Europeans may be a little better at developing green energy and moving in the right direction. Make no mistake, there is a lot of creative accounting going on there as well. China is still largely dependent on coal and oil for their energy. Russia is still dependent on fossil fuels. Africa, South America and the Middle East all rely on fossil fuels not only for energy but income as well. The UN is far too weak to lead such a change. The United States may be able to lead such a change but that's going to be difficult with half the population refusing to recognize the problem and many of the other half in the “don't inconvenience me” camp.

 

Sorry to sound so bleak. The near term is bleak, let's face it. But as time goes by storms get worse, fires get more outrageous, heat waves more common, blizzards more severe; skepticism will change to what can we do? The question is will we figure it out and act accordingly in time to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change. The deniers are slowly coming around. We are already seeing wars related to climate change, climate change refugees and islands literally sinking into the rising ocean. The deniers are finding their position increasingly untenable. We will have to find solutions that spread sacrifice equitably around the world. Yes, technological solutions will have a role to play but the bigger thing I think we'll be us as individuals learning how to get by without wasting so much energy. We can and will learn how to live within Earth's limits.

 

 

Yep, Another Trip Around The Sun

It seems I've made it another year. So what have I learned in the last year? What old lessons are still holding true? What are some new things life is going to teach me? Let's see if I can answer these questions in a way that actually makes some sense. Remember friends life is always about learning. I've done a lot of reading n the last year or two. I usually divide my reading- one serious book The Seawolves- A History of The Vikings and then something less serious Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick. Life is short- mix it up! I count audio books. It's a different experience than reading for me. I do the same thing with YouTube, serious and not so serious. Let me see if I can structure this ramble. What have I learned about the world, my country and my state and perhaps most importantly myself.

 

Want to know what climate change looks like? Simply turn on your TV. More than 1/3 of Pakistan was underwater not too long ago. I don't think derechos are necessarily new. But they are somewhat new to me. A derecho is basically a small hurricane like storm that forms over land. They are insane! Over the last month or two the sky is not the usual summer blue. It has a weird ash tint giving it a sort of metallic look. This is from massive wildfires many hundreds of miles away. I can literally look out my window and watch climate change. It seems the weather is only going to get more and more out of whack. I plan to do another post on Climate Change soon. There is no such thing as too much awareness. I hope people learning more will lead to real action soon but we have more problems / opportunities here at home.

 

Like it or not, the USA is a driving force in the world. We export our culture all over the world I think for both good and bad. We import limitless stuff from all parts of the Earth. In the last year or so I've started reading Peter Zeihan, a geopolitical strategist. In his book, The End of the World is just the Beginning , he argues global free trade is going away. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States no longer has the incentive to guarantee free trade. In North America we have everything we need. Don't get Peter started on China! Yes they are building a numerically large Navy. But it is not near as advanced as the US Navy much less the other navies in the Pacific like Japan and Australia. China along with Russia are in a terminal demographic collapse according to Mr. Zeihan. He is optimistic about America's future. Personally, I think the verdict is still out.

Our democracy is not quite dead yet. There was 

last year nor a takeover of our election machinery by the Trump wing of the Republican Party. Even this right-wing Supreme Court did not buy Independent Legislature Theory. Had they agreed, democracy would be simply dead. The idea is a state legislature can basically throw out election results they don't like. I have come to realize there are no mechanisms for holding Supreme Court Justices accountable to the people. It seems they can do whatever they want up to and including be as corrupt as they want. This is something I hope we figure out how to change. So what are some things I've learned about myself?

 

Most importantly, I keep my mind busy reading and creating. Also, the little things are the big things. Sharing ice cream in the carport with my wife after walking our dog, Ava, is pretty hard to beat!  

The Good News July 8, 2023

 

How about some good things happening? 

It’s Not All Bad—The Year In Positive Environmental News

Brazil's Lula unveils plan to stop deforestation in Amazon by 2030

World poverty could be cut in half if all adults completed secondary education

Sea turtles swim easier as poaching declines

And now for some good news on health

Happy birthday America!

  

It took a little while to digest my hamburgers and hotdogs. Happy late birthday? 

Yep, July 4th has rolled around yet again! Of course, we know what this means- hot dogs, hamburgers, apple pie, and of course fireworks! It is just as good a reason to get sloppy drunk as any other reason you can come up with. I've seen fireworks before and they are beautiful. I'm no longer into sitting around waiting in the heat wondering what kind of lunatics are around me, and getting stuck in the most epic traffic jam my city can produce. Still, the fractals produced in fireworks are among the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Yeah, watching fireworks online or TV is not the same but it will do for now. Other than the aforementioned foods and blowout sales on Dodges, Fords and Chevys, what does this holiday even mean? Let's think about it. No, this is not going to be an anti U.S.A. rant but we will review some uncomfortable truths.

 

Our list of sins is long and varied. Slavery, genocide of native peoples, lynchings, the overthrow of democratically elected governments around the world for profit and or power and destruction of the natural environment are just a few in a very long list. I'm sure you could think of plenty more. Some would have us believe asking uncomfortable questions is unpatriotic. Those who don't “support the troops,” demand fair labor practices, seek equal rights more often than not get labeled as unamerican or unpatriotic. I'm sure there are plenty of other groups that also get an anti-American label whether they deserve it or not. We drink our own poison kool-aid, trading historical facts, our own all too human failings and flaws, and numerous criminalities for myths and fantasies designed to keep us comfortable, complicit, compliant and docile. The “winners” in our so-called system are happy to keep the status quo. The idea of it is “not a problem until it affects me” is far too prevalent in our country today. It seems to be a mantra in the Republican Party but I'm afraid they're not the only ones. Many in the so-called middle class cannot even be bothered to vote even if they don't like how things are going. Pro Tip- Maybe give them to actually vote for?? 

 

To be all doom and gloom is the path of least resistance. For example, I think everything is shitty and cannot be changed, I absolve myself of having to try. What's even worse is when I poo poo those who are trying to change things for the better. We often get comfortable in our own positions. Cynicism is something that's easy to hide behind. Hide from what? Our collective responsibility to make the world a better place for all of us is something each of us should strive for rather than being a wine bag. Being sour and cynical does not an intellectual make. It is okay to be critical of something but you need to have a positive alternative. Most of the time, I disagree with our foreign policy. I think we can do a lot more good in the world if we put the wellness of others ahead of Fortune 500 profit margins. How do we make changes for the better in the world we have?

 

I agree our democratic processes and institutions are eroding away. Sure, the Supreme Court is doing some nutty things lately. One of our political parties is in the process of surrendering to fascism and or becoming a cult of personality. The other party is still mostly bought and paid for by big business. Both the cult of personality and big business benefit from making most of us feel powerless. There is a huge swath of non voters who have the ability to make our country and perhaps the rest of the world much better off. The news, talking heads and the powers behind them have a vested interest in making people feel powerless. They love doomers, non-voters and the apathetic. A revolving door of cookie-cutter politicians does little to help. I don't mind old politicians as long as they are competent, healthy and sane. But I hope to see a future with more young people in the mix. We need balance. We need leaders with a vision for the future, willing to leave the past in the past. Apathetic politicians lead to apathetic voters. 

We need politicians who can inspire non-voters to vote. Don't ask why non-voters are so lazy. Rather ask, where are the leaders who can inspire, include and lead from the front! Who can offer voters something to vote FOR? I think the right leadership is a strong way to reduce voter apathy. Yes, our birthday is worth celebrating. It's never hopeless. Anyone who says otherwise question carefully. Want a better world? Change it.