Over the recent decades instant gratification has become all the rage. The explosion of the internet and cellphone technology is a reflection of this overwhelming trend. But this constant deluge of information and mis-information has dissolved our patience.At the same time the increase in computing power has shortened response-cycles and created a corporate culture of wait-and-see. Trader's on Wall Street even pre-recession considered a 16 month outlook long-term. CEOs only want to know what they imminently have to tackle because of shortened response time. The prevailing wisdom is to not waste money on things that may not happen (even if they look very likely to happen at some point) until you absolutely need to. Sound familiar? As a result until a problem becomes glaringly obvious corporations will not react.
See-the-problem. Whack-the-problem. Get bonus. Cash in pensions for golden parachute at counter. Prevailing wisdom has kept the rich richer for a long time. Everybody knows there is nothing we can't respond to once the price points match.
With completely lax government oversight companies reap huge profits during the good times yet rarely are their employees able to keep up with their own standard of living. At the same time we have given tax cuts to "the most productive Americans" so they can give their money to us in pay, right? But it clearly doesn't work that way. Since 1981 the ratio of average CEO wage to average American wage has gone from 10:1 to a whopping 100:1.
Later when the shit hits the fan measures must be taken. Companies quickly begin laying off employees to keep their books in balance but rarely cut into management's fat. They scream that they will "have to lay off more employees unless we get some government help" long before that happens. See how quick the denouncers of our previous "welfare state" ask for a handout themselves. The previous "welfare state" increased education, promoted a higher standard of living, and provided a safety net for those who fell on hard times. This is the same safety net companies rely on when they get into trouble.What exactly is so great about keeping the bottom half of our country from going to shit? Why are they as important as the top 1% when they only have 4.7% of wealth? For one, the rest of us rely on them to do ummm... how about most of the work? Alleged leadership qualities don't count for shit when your employees can no longer function. Since those who run the company are typically stinking rich they see only increased taxes due to their already bloated standard of living during these periods of "welfarism." Those who are making the least and have been making less and less in real money every year are the ones who pay during a recession. Pay freezes and the specter of a pink slip keep wages - and especially wealth - sinking even lower. The wealthy are easily able to weather the recession with their own hoarded wealth of prosperity.
Keep in mind this graph is 10 years old - which way do you think things have shifted since then?This exact series of events is showcased in the recent finance debacle. Over-speculative business practices in pursuit of the green carrot of greed have resulted in HUGE numbers of layoffs. While those employed in the financial sector were well-off themselves and will most likely be able to adjust it will definitely send waves into other industries. From the above story: "The financial industry accounts for almost 35 percent of all salaries and wages in NY City-- an extraordinarily high figure that demonstrates just how well the average financial employee is paid." These layoffs coupled with the housing collapse, increased fuel prices, and an already eroded base of the economy can best be visualized below:
Most productive - MY ASS. Thank you so freaken much Mr. CEO for telling me what to do every day of my life. And for watching where I go on the internet all day with your freaken spyware that makes me have to buy more software from some other asshole to get rid of it. Most specifically thank you Mr. Bill Gates for your lovely Windows which is mediocrity on a scale never before seen in human history. I suppose since giving you all of the power and money has made the world such an awesome place I should also listen to you talking out of your ass all the time too.
The really sad thing is that this kind of thinking has extended into almost everything the Bush Administration does. Iraq is fundamentally a Lean War. We used the most efficient number of troops to take the country so that oil could be extracted with the most profit. Our shortsightedness (in this case being blinded by the goal) became evident only after it was too late. What could be the answer? Private security and support companies whose employees run the gamut from ex-bouncers to ex-marines and make a fortune while our soldiers make shit and eat shit daily. While it would have been cheaper to have a draft it would have been political suicide. Besides, what's the problem? Cheney is old hat at this sort of thing and could even make a buck or two out of the whole sordid affair. Who cares if we bankrupt the country in the meantime? Yeee-haw! we've struck oil! There's profit to be made! With companies practically bribing our politicians in advance with campaign money why should we be surprised that they pull the strings in their own favor? Could this happen again with climate change or peak oil? Mr. Magoo is steering, get out of the way!
Wow - the Knights Templar must have really liked riding two-up - they made it their emblem.
Or is he? There is the serious possibility that Bush's evangelical side is showing itself. In case you didn't know there is a 20 million strong Christian-Zionist activist movement based on Evangelical beliefs. The Christian-Zionist movement is actively trying to bring about the end of the world by hastening the fulfillment of doomsday prophesies centered around Israel. You heard right almost 7% of Americans are actively trying to end the world faster so they can get to heaven. While this in and of itself is not that surprising the following is: 16% of Americans strongly believe in Christian Zionism and another 15% somewhat believe in Christian Zionism. This is due to the fact that the Evangelical movement comprises somewhere between 25% and 30% of the US population. So while about 1 in every 6 Americans really wants the world to end another 1 in 6 kind of want the world to end. I find this kind of funny considering that climate change activists are constantly called doom-and-gloomers by Republicans. Considering that many Evangelicals are also Christian Zionists it raises a few questions.
Click on the image for the chart of Zogby poll results.Does Bush in fact believe that the end of the world is coming? Does he see scientists as false prophets? In his mind did he kill the Anti-Christ? Could that explain why we jumped from Afghanistan to Iraq so quickly? When he used all of the biblical rhetoric at the beginning of the war I just thought he was out for oil. I'm not saying Saddam was anything other than an egotistical tyrant who tortured people (Pssst - We did too and in the same prison no less). I am saying Iraq was eerily able to have electricity and running water and lacked the aroma of explosive residue that lingers today. Throwing around things like absolute good and absolute evil does wonders for motivating the self-richeous. But now I'm afraid he may have meant it. Is he really trying to hasten the rapture and the end of the world? Is it a self-fulfilling prophesy? Obviously if he thought any of these things he would not be able to speak openly about them as most people don't want the world to end in the foreseeable future.
Evangelical doctrine dictates that the world will end and rapture is coming so use all the bounty of the earth while you still can. It is one of the most central and distinguishing beliefs of the faith. Even when Bush admitted Global Warming was occurring he still wouldn't admit man caused it and didn't even want to discuss it until Kyoto ended in 2012. Odd he chose that year at the time considering how many think the world is going to end then. I'll go over why I don't find that scenario likely in another post. It is also odd because the most rational thing to do about climate change is to discuss it NOW. Once again it could just be greed preventing discussion. If Bush doesn't think man is the cause of global warming then who or what is? GOD OF COURSE.
What are the signs of the approaching rapture:"For those who believe in a future Rapture, it is regarded to be a sudden and cataclysmic event that will be unlike any other phenomenon in history. Millions of people will disappear from the Earth without warning. As a result, tragic and unexplained accidents will occur on a wide scale basis, ushering in the tribulation period. Many speculate that the non-believers left behind who may have known of the Rapture theory, yet previously rejected it, will finally come to belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as a result of the Rapture. Others left behind will remain in unbelief, finding theories to 'explain away' the bizarre event."
Doesn't sound that different from today or the projected future does it? Why is the Bush Administration taking advice from Evangelical Church Officials on a regular basis? It could be to discuss how to appropriate money to the churches through faith-based initiatives in thanks for those magical votes from the televangelists. It could also be to discuss the coming rapture and how to hasten it. Bush has repeatedly attempted to dissolve the separation of church and state in our country. Why wouldn't he also feel this was his moral responsibility? Now that you have a bit more "Bushspective" think about what he has done to our country. Now if you were a slick cowboy oil-man who was just got elected president and thought you had a few years on earth before going to heaven what would you do? Maybe, just maybe, you would help your friends get rich off of the poor godless masses that surround you. Maybe then you would party down until the end of time, leaving those who denyed God to rot in Hell. His line of thinking with regard to climate change, peak oil, and just about everything else may be: Why plan for the future when there is no tomorrow? Whether it's due to shortsighted greed, blind faith, or a blend of both the prescription is: Let the masses have box wine and reality TV as we stew in our own juices.
1 comments:
Here in the UK we can only gaze in awe at the way the US has honed the arts of bungling, greed-crazed myopia that we so proudly gave birth to. Our own Cheneys are a bit low rent, but they're trying really hard to keep up. We are spared the Jesus business, however, so we shall tumble into the abyss without the consolation of fairy tales.
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