Further Reading On Income Inequality

 

More on Income Inequality

 

 

It is not only me talking about this. Hopefully, change will come before it is too late.



Wage Inequality

Steamy Bullshit Alert

On social media I've seen the crazy comparisons between fast food workers, soldiers and other professionals. The argument being do you think you minimum wage earners are worth the same as these professionals? This misses the point. Wages at all levels (except the top) here in the USA have been stagnant for three decades. Meanwhile, the wealth gap has increased dramatically. The old saying, "the rich just get richer" has never been more true than now. It can work up to a point. But there comes a time when it breaks down. The end game can be ugly, very ugly. If you don't know what I'm talking about, refer to a few history books on revolutions. Yeah, get some different perspectives. Then think about what that could look like in the modern age with modern weapons in a country over flowing with small arms. Consider what's going on. More and more people have come to the conclusion that government no longer works for them but rather multinational conglomerations who pay for the whole circus we call an election cycle. It's early but consider Bushes and Clintons who both support the neo-liberal world view are leading candidates for president. Yet, somehow, this is democracy. If you still believe in trickle down economics, I'd like to talk to you about some investment opportunities in some Utah beach-front casinos or ski resorts in Honduras. Even the IMF has admitted this is farce.  The splendid isolation of the super-rich, think-tankers and almost all of our political elites is dangerous. The notion of a $20 crisis is as removed from their reality as asteroids to dinosaurs. Much less, people who live on less than a dollar a day, the bottom BILLION! And if we are not careful, the result may be the same. The picture is gloomy but far from hopeless.

Consider Iceland. They seemed to have thrown out the minions of neo-liberalism and jailed many of the leading fraudsters. The planet still turns. Greece may be headed in a similar direction. We have to break the cycle of soul-sucking loans to countries which keep them owing for generations to entities who's interest is only the bottom line. The TPP has been stopped at least temporarily but I doubt we have seen the last of it. The conglomerations that want it have an uncanny way of getting what they want. It is not all that hard when among their assets are national governments. Slowly, ever so slowly, the word is getting out and the tired old myths that perpetuate the current power structure are starting to unravel. Artificial divisions are still a big barrier. Labels like "Liberal" and "Conservative" need to be recognized for what they really are- a false dichotomy serving as a powerful tool of control. These seemingly harmless facebook posts are an important reminder of our powerlessness to change anything.

How dare we think a burger flipper is worth as much as a paramedic or any other professional! No, let's not use our heads. Let's just accept wage stagnation of the last several decades is just how things are (and always will be).  Don't join in on the crab bucket mentality. Pull others up! If you see someone trying to get fair wages via protest or other means, don't do the bidding of their over lords by mocking them. It just makes YOU look like an asshole and an ill informed asshole at that. Besides, do you really think their bosses give a damn about you? Rather, ask yourself who benefits from this message? HINT: it is not you (unless you are a millionaire or billionaire).