The Lies We Love

One of the biggest things I have learned about my country, and what so many seem to shrug off by saying, "that's just the way it is," is that what matters most - above health and human wellness, above happiness, above morality and care for out neighbors -- is profit.

The fogginess surrounding my thoughts of a country that has not only held up the enlightened ideals forged over two hundred years ago by men of heart and soul, but carried them forward into ever new and promising visions of "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," is only growing more dark and dim.

What is the reason NASA has chosen not to release a study to the public about airline and air traffic safety (which shows twice as many bird-strikes and near mid-air collisions)? "A senior NASA official, associate administrator Thomas S. Luedtke, said revealing the findings could damage the public's confidence in airlines and affect airline profits." (Emphasis is mine).

In other words - people may demand something be done! In the meantime, they just might take the train. If something must be fixed, that's going to cost money. And if less people fly, that's less money the airlines (and corporations like Boeing) make. Our safety doesn't matter as much as profits, so NASA won't tell us the truth in order to protect bottom lines. Countries that put their citizens (the true holders of governmental power) first are great countries. At least it's something we used to be.




Remember, President Bush vetoed the S-chip bill that would have given health insurance to poor children. He said that $35 million was too much money to spend on something like this. Thankfully, today he came to his senses and asked Congress for $46 billion - with a B - for war. "To date, Congress has already provided more than $455 billion for the Iraq war, with stepped-up military operations running about $10 billion a month."

In saying why he vetoed S-chip, "Mr. Bush argue[d] that the expansion is too costly..."

Kudos to Rep. David Obey (D-OH), here.





We're all in really big trouble. Everything we use runs on oil: our cars; the machines that make our cars; the trucks and ships that get our cars and good to the stores; the machines that make the machines that make the ships and trucks; the combines and harvest our food, the plants that process our food - everything. Our entire life-support system is based on oil.




As if undermining out life support system wasn't enough; we're REALLY stabbing ourselves in the back with this: "...an alarming new study finds that warming signals are stronger, and happening sooner than expected, due to increased human emissions of carbon dioxide and an Earth less able to absorb them."





P.S. Glenn Beck is an idiot.

Equal pay for equal work

Let's say there's this guy named Tom. Tom works for a cell phone company's call center. He is the voice of the cell phone company - especially when dealing with irate and upset customers. Tom is the one who customers will remember. Tom has the ability to win over or lose customers.

He processes orders, fixes billing mistakes, calms down customers, files reports, talks to customers and potential customers 8 hours day, and (for some companies) must meet a certain quota of sales or retentions in order to keep his job. Tom sits in front of a computer all day - with an hour for lunch and 2 15-minute breaks. (In a lot of call centers - there are no windows or natural light).

Then there's Mike. Mike works in a factory that builds cars. He is a robot technician and he is responsible for programming the robots that build part of the cars. Mike is also the troubleshooter and repair man whenever any robot fails or malfunctions. Mike too works 8 hours a day in a loud and noisy environment. His breaks are the same as Tom's.

I know these are very simplistic profiles - but go with me here...

Without these employees (and thousands others like them) companies wouldn't able to function. It is these people who actually make the corporations products or carry out their services. What does Ford do? They make cars. Who actually makes the cars that earn Ford so many millions of dollars in profits? Mike - and thousands of others like him.

So why is it that CEOs feel entitled to make millions of dollars per year? They get posh offices, private jets, lush compensation packages, health care, life insurance, guaranteed pensions, and other benefits. At the same time their employees - those who make the company the company, take pay cuts, and lose pensions and benefits; some after 35 years of dedication to the company.

Are they really that much more important than the Toms and Mikes? No way. That's why this is pretty disgusting.

And you'd be mistaken to buy into the fabrication that our economy is growing and we're all doing well. For a good breakdown of American income gains, poverty levels, and the state of our economy, read this.