On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 11:50 PM, joseph berg <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 10:50 PM, joseph berg <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 2:50 PM, William Conger >> <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> I'm not opposing the concept Marx had but I am claiming that 'mere >>> existence' is >>> not a demonstable condition for a large number of people. >>> >>> Raw capitalism -- capitalism in its pure amoral state -- will drive a >>> huge >>> segment of the population into abject poverty and degradation. >>> >>> We stopped to eat on the interstate last week The only place was a >>> Denny's (I'd >>> never been to one). It was very crowded. We chose to sit at the counter >>> directly in front of the kitchen serving area. It was mayhem. The >>> waitresses, >>> all plenty tough looking country girls (who I imagined had three kids at >>> mom's >>> trailer and an absent husband, either run-off or in jail), were running >>> and >>> bumping into each other, slopping the food, dropping utensils, and >>> rinsing >>> containers for quick reuse. The cooks, all scraggy looking, skinny boys, >>> literally threw the food onto the frying surfaces, scooped the butter or >>> lard, >>> and slammed it all onto big plates. The floors were littered, the >>> counter >>> stools were wobbly. When we had finished our leathery lukewarm grilled >>> cheese >>> sandwiches and received the check (rather steep I thought). I >>> cautiously asked >>> our waitress how she was paid. She said $4.90 an hour plus tips. I >>> guessed >>> that she probably averaged $400 a week take home, if that. Her face was >>> covered >>> with sweat. Now that, to me, is exploitation. The girl is working like >>> a >>> beast, the restaurant is like a farm where animals are fed by the scoop, >>> and the >>> prices are actually high for that type of place. Something is very >>> wrong.The >>> dignity of hard working underclass people is being abused. They will >>> not easily >>> escape their hard-times poverty. And this waitress is probably among >>> the lucky >>> few in her societal group. She's likely in deep debt as well. I gave >>> her five >>> bucks on a twelve dollar bill. I should've given every girl there $100 >>> and put >>> it on my credit card just because I don't like what chain restaurants >>> and stores >>> do to (mostly small town) workers. They need unions. >>> wc >>> >> >> - The mind resorts to reason for want of training. (Henry Adams) >> >> More and more places of employment are run like Denny's where the people >> at the top are not about to spend even half-a-penny to properly train their >> employees. >> >> So they leave the employees to "figure things out" (reason?) for >> themselves. >> >> And that precipitates a slow downward spiral. >> >> And then as the business goes into steeper decline, the people at the top >> just can't understand why (it's only the mystery of mysteries to them) and >> sometimes even blame their employees for the decline. >> >> And then the people at the top begin laying off employees to make their >> business "more competitive." >> >> And that increases the workload for the remaining employees. >> >> > > Which is why I say that in these times, you don't have to > die...................to go to Hell. > > Uh-uh. > Welcome to the "new normal."
