We've been sold a bill of goods. Big Greed has convinced us they are the only game in town. In some cases that might be true, but where we do have options let's use them. Must we always eat Big Greed's bad food? Or loan Big Greed money? Or buy Big Greed's sweatshop products from Big Greed Box stores that are miles away?
In Big Greed's Dream I suggest Three Rules for Ending Big Greed's Tyranny:
1) Recognize the actions of Big Greed in your life.
2) Minimize and/or eliminate your transactions with Big Greed.
3) Repeat.
The scourge of Big Greed is now obvious, but let's review just to get your blood pumping, for it's your lifeblood Big Greed is sucking out of you. Nothing the government is doing or plans to do will stop Big Greed.
As you read this, Big Insurance lobbyists are working hard to derail any substantive health care reform or, at minimum, make it as favorable to them as possible.
Big Finance is changing the terms on tens of millions of credit cards from fixed rate to variable rate in order to skirt the rate hike protection supposed gained in recently enacted "reform."
Big Energy will continue to obstruct any efforts that might circumvent their control of power production and delivery.
And, Big Food will continue its price pressure on small farmers and independent retailers & restaurants to assure their strangle hold on the food supply.
According to the Wall Street Journal (July 21, 2009), based on an analysis of the Social Security Administration data, "highly compensated employees now receive more than one-third of all the pay in the U.S..." And get this, that doesn't count billions of $$$ in compensation that is not included in the federal wages and salaries number, like stock options.
Big Greed continues to ship jobs overseas where it can dodge costs, use inferior materials and exploit workers. Mike Elk documents just such a case in "GE Promotes Manufacturing Jobs in US... Then Ships 'Em Overseas." (July 21, 2009).
Elk reports on ATI, an American company, which invested $30M in a Michigan plant to supply wind turbine parts to General Electric. GE backed out of the deal when a Chinese firm underbid ATI's price. Even after offering to match the Chinese manufacturer's price, GE refused to return the business stateside. Three-hundred and two union workers were laid off and the modernized plant shuttered.
The June figures from the government put unemployment at 9.5%. Shadow Government Statistics and its economist John Williams who takes the time to adjust a number of government issued indicators to more accurately measure the real situation, puts the June unemployment rate a 20.6%.
What can you do...? If you want jobs to be created here again? Or to stop the race to the bottom of worker wages? Or to crimp the siphon of profits that are sucked up and out of your community, your state and your country by Big Greed into some netherworld of corporate excess?
Buy an American car? Okay, but a typical car is now made from parts and assemblies sourced from all over the world.
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