The planned strike by Walmart employees proved to be a groundless threat as nationwide, less than 50 people joined in, or roughly the same as last year. Until we start actually fighting for better wages, and that includes the possibility of losing your job, nothing will ever change and the lot of you will be stuck in slave labor forever. And just so you know, your kids will be in even worse shape because the mindless zombies we have become is truly shameless. Speaking of zombies, Black Friday has proven to be VERY profitable for the Big Box stores as people said "Fuck the employees and the fact that wages are falling further and further, I want that 50" plasma TV for $300."
In just that last 24 hours there has been a gang war reported at a mall in Tennessee, shots fired at a Walmart in Florida, a drunk man in Washington ran over two people at a mall in Washington, a gun was on a pulled on a douche who cut in line and then punched a guy in the face in Texas, and other assorted mayhem across the nation. Is this what we have become: a nation of morons who will kill to get the latest Tickle Me Elmo? I am disgusted with America today.
Worse, I am sick of hearing from conservative assholes who have no understanding of how the economy works. I have read a near constant barrage of crap from the Teatards about how they have to work on Thanksgiving and they rest of us should not be bitching about it. They all seem to possess a complete lack of understanding of how humiliating it is to work forty hours a week, and be on food stamps because you don't make enough money and can't afford health care. The sad part is companies could be paying their workers a lot more money and it would actually increase their bottom line.
Workers in the 1950's enjoyed a salary that, adjusted for inflation, was roughly $50 an hour. Today it's around $11. If Walmart increased their salaries so that the lowest paid worker made $25,000 a year (they make roughly $18,000 now) prices would only increase by a modest one percent and most of that extra money would be funneled back into the economy and their stores, increasing their profit ratio dramatically. But people who work in business seem to have ZERO knowledge of how business operates and are in it for themselves and screw everyone else. Hostess is the latest example where the high level executives were more interested in padding their pockets than saving jobs or the company. Why should they care when they are going to walk away with millions regardless?
The rich people of this planet are the scourge of humanity and if we don't start taking steps to rectify it, the future is going to be very dark. We keep hearing about the Republicans who have a hard on to kill Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. All could be fixed with simple steps like means testing, removing the income cap and allowing hard jail time for any doctor accused of Medicare fraud. A recent study done by the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) estimates that by lifting the cap on SS income, the program would be viable to the end of the century, which as regular readers know, I have also been championing having reached the same conclusion. Then why the hell are NO politicians going for this common sense approach? Because rich people run the world right now and the rest of us are expendable. Even worse, studies show that because of the life the poor have to live, we don't live as long, meaning we get even less out of SS than those who are rich. Since 1977, the one percent have seen their life expectancy rise by just over six years. The rest of us only get 1.3 years added. Swell.
The rich are stealing everything from us and all the nation seems to care about are great deals at Walmart, Kim Kardashian's dating habits and reruns of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. It's a sad day to be an American.
But at least we don't live in the Middle East where two major developments have happened over the last few days: the Gaza cease fire and the rise of Egypt. The Palestinians have celebrated a major victory over the Israelis with chants of "death to Israel" and "Death to America." Israelis, especially those living close to Gaza, saw it as a capitulation to the Arab world and that it was only a matter of time before the rockets start firing again. I agree with the cease fire, although Netanyahu should have given Hamas a serious ultimatum. If rockets start firing again from Gaza with any kind of regularity, the next time Gaza will be flattened into the ground and there will be nothing left. That message was not delivered and therefore, I believe the Israeli people are right that this will all happen again and more people will die. This is how to lose a war and a country. It is also the same playbook the West has used since the Korean War with predictable results. Unless you crush your enemy, and that includes civilians, the war will NEVER end. I know that sounds brutal, but that is what war is. You cannot worry about the other side. Your country and it's people must come first and if killing millions save one thousand people on your side, it is perfectly acceptable. The other result is endless war where, eventually, millions will die on both sides. Which is better?
Egypt has used the crisis to bolster the new President, Mohamed Morsi, by declaring any new laws given from his office could not be challenged until Parliament reforms. Cries of "Pharaoh" erupted and new protests against the Muslim Brotherhood spread across the nation. Some of the Brotherhoods building were set aflame and others pelted with rocks from the secular or non-Muslim groups angry at this latest insult. Many feared another Mubarak-like rule and sent many into a panic. The West is worried another dictator is forming in a place where a Muslim rule could be very dangerous.
And I have to give a big shout out to the Jets who yesterday embarrassed themselves by losing BADLY to the Patriots in a huge romp. I know a lot of people who are Jets fans today that are really mad at how piss poor their team played.
I hope all of you out there had a good Thanksgiving. I also hope for peace and love. Unfortunately, considering what I've witnessed over the past 24 hours, it seems very unlikely.
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