How do 85 people in the world control the same amount of the wealth as one half of the world’s population or 3.5 billion people? Another way to look at this is each of the 85 richest people has access to the same resources as do 42 million of the world’s “have nots” and last year 210 people joined the ranks of billionaires. So at this time the wealth of the 1 percent is $110 trillion. Now, how do the 99 percent pry away some of this money?
One way is to make the oligarchies pay a living wage of at least $15 to $16 an hour and, yes, there is a huge inequality between the 1 percent and the 99 percent, and the old worn out playbook of the GOP anti-union plays will not hold water any more. You know the old sayings like, “pull yourself up by your own boot straps.” I would like to see someone do this. I think it is literally and physically impossible to do. Another ignorant position is only young wage slaves just starting their work experience are the workers at fast food, low wage jobs. This is wrong. The average age of these workers is 29 up to their 60s.
So it is 1,400 billionaires against the rest of the world’s population. I think the “have nots” can win this wage war. Tax time is fast approaching so as you’re filling out your forms remember one in four corporations do not pay federal income tax. The GOP would rather you make up the difference by cutting benefits, such as unemployment and food stamps. With corporate profits at a 50 year high and unemployment at a record high, how is it the rich are job creators?
At this time there is movement and wages are slowly going up or being slow walked, but we must keep the goal of $15 to $16 an hour in 2015. We can’t buy into jobs being lost for their will always be someone to take over the hamburger stand or car wash. If one business closes, the jobs will stay if there is a need. In fact, with higher wages there will be many more jobs, which will lower county, state and federal government costs and even be more money all around.
Now is the time for the 99 percent to wake up to the reality of our inequality and think what is best for themselves and fight and vote for their families’ best interests and not listen to what Fox news, Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, O’Rielly, Palin, Cruz, or Paul. People who listen to these con artists are products of our dumbed down educational system that no longer teaches students critical thinking skills. These corporate whores and the GOP scream about government overspending, but fail to tell you that President Obama has literally cut President W. Bush’s deficit in half.
People need to wake up and stand up and just maybe your grandkids will someday be proud of you and what you did for their futures, and if not maybe you could reserve a shopping cart for them now for they could very well have a master’s degree and still be on the streets unemployed.
It is up to us, the 99 percent, to do the right thing and now is the time and we are the ones to do it.
I hope that I am wrong, but what I see at this time is our unions are going to be in the fight of their existence. This is the most perilous time of our life. The life we had is threatened like never before. Unions are the largest organized group of people who can save our country if things keep going the way they are heading at this time. We need to all stand together for power, but we each must prepare and plan to take care of ourselves and our families. We can fight the big fight and not be distracted by worry about things that can and should already be taken care of. For instance, stashing at least one month’s pay and at least a month or even a year’s worth of food, whether the food is staples (pasta, rice, canned goods) and meat or chicken in the freezer. Keep your vehicles' tanks full and if possible a gas can full. It’s in your best interest to also save money for house or rent payments plus extra. This is not new thinking for us old trade workers who had to prepare when...
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