The wheel turns

A problem has arisen, as they so often do, in relation to paying a living wage. It's not that the cost of living would go up, that is something we already know. It is that people who have worked their way to a higher wage would feel as though all their work were for nothing. Working ones way up to management would be fruitless if you knew that you were going to be making the same amount of money.

Sure, some companies would be able to pay their actual managers better, they often do. It it those who have worked their way into positions that are low level management. High enough to be listened to by customers, but not high enough to be given actual benefits by the company. There are several positions like this within corporations like Wal*Mart. They're full time positions, but are so love level management that it is almost not worth the hassle of showing up.

We can ensure that the costs of living do not go above a certain point by placing caps on what store fronts are allowed to charge; Wal*Mart, United, Etc. Placing caps on the costs of utilities, or adding incentives to installing things like solar panels, water filtration systems and wind turbines. There are a number of things that could be done, and a great deal of them should be done. It it finding a high ranking official who is willing to push for them. To fight tooth and nail for the betterment of society.

My money is on Bernie Sanders.

Ta for now.

Pay the people what they're due

The lies surrounding raising the minimum wage are staggering. They fill the people who support it with a false sense of knowledge because those same people don't do their research on what it would help. People are more inclined to believe what they here on television and in the news paper because they do not believe that those sources would lie to them. Raising the minimum wage would increase productivity as people would feel as though they were an important part of the company. Companies and businesses that pay more have happier and more productive workers. Businesses that pay the minimum wage have less happy and less productive workers because they don't feel important. They don't feel like the company values them enough. The argument that most people on minimum wage are teenagers or under 20 is false as well. Most people on minimum wage right now are people who are taking what ever job they can to support themselves or their families so that they have a place to live and food to eat. 
Raising the minimum wage also allows people to pump more money into the economy. Those earners have more money to spend in other places other than the stores they work at, like at mom and pop owned shops. That keeps local businesses from closing down. It's not about greed, or laziness. If a worker earns the minimum that corporations are legally allowed to pay, then they're not going to work as hard as some one working for a similar store who is making two to three times as much.
The cost of living goes up in an area because of greed. Minimum wage is a good starting place if the company has a comprehensive advancement program. Places that only increase your pay by $0.25 for every milestone you achieve shows their employees that they do not really care about them. Yes there are places that do that. You don't earn bonuses unless your a manager in most places. 
There are two reasons for that. One; is if its a major corporation and they don't feel like it. Two; is if they are a small local business and cannot afford to give their employees a decent bonus or a raise because most of their business is stolen by larger corporations.
So raising the minimum wage is important. It would allow people to spend more money in general so that the economy is boosted. Corporations that can afford to lobby congress do so so that they do not have to pay their employees more. 
By not paying more than minimum wage corporations force their workers to have to find a second or third job just to make it through the month. A lot more married couples have to have more than one job in rural areas and cities because things are more expensive. 
Towns that have tourism experience higher prices on needed goods as well because businesses adjust their prices so that those people who are there for the attraction spend more money. This causes problems for the people who live there as the cost of living goes up during tourist season.
Another type of place that has complications are places with mining or oilfield jobs. Those places have the cost of living adjusted to appeal to those who work in those fields. A town that sees an increase in oil output, or an oil boom, will see the cost of rentals houses and apartments soar because those businesses are taking advantage of the increase in what they believe is a higher distribution of wealth. The problem with this is that not everyone can work in those industries for an unlimited number of reasons.
So those who live in those areas and are not working in those industries see their cost of living almost skyrocket and it gets harder for them to keep up with bills.

This little line of mine...

Not hiring full time employees is not a new thing caused by obamacare. It's what the retail and food industries have been doing for ages to avoid having to give their employees health coverage and other benefits. Cutting hours so that someone is working part time hours does the same thing. It's a money making technique. They milk you for all of the work they possibly can at minimal hours and as low of pay as they can. That ensures that the company makes more in profit than it pays out to its employees. Wal-Mart is a really good example of this. Before Sam Walton's death Wal-Mart was a good place to work. Workers got good hours, good pay, benefits. After his death they're lucky to get their discount card without being fired for bullshit reasons.

It is rare for a major corporation to do what is in their employees best interests. The way our capitalism works is companies are charged with ensuring that their investors and share holders get paid by any means nessicary. This means that greed is easy to come by in corporations. Corporations cannot function well and make the money they want to if they have to pay people a livable wage.
In order to combat not making enough to live on the government created what we now call welfare assistance, and food stamps. The official title for these programs are Temporary Assistance for Need Families, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program respectively.
Many republicans want to cut spending on these programs as well as medicaid and medicare, both funded by the government. Doing so would drop thousands, if not millions, into poverty. Men, Women, and Children would go without food, homes or healthcare. They want to cut funding to them, or cancel them all together. What about military spending? The mere mention of cutting the billions that we spend on military spending and the government goes, "Woah! Wee need that money to keep us safe!"

So they keep us safe by invading other countries to look for one man and his cronies who are hiding at home? Right, and I'm the rightful king of scotland. Where do we draw the line? When do we realize that it is time for the people to do our duty and empty the government of everyone in it and start over? When are we going to realize that unrestrained capitalism is what is destroying this country? Not the liberals. Not the conservatives. Not those who have relying on government assistance programs. Not even the bloody terrorists. Companies who make billions and contribute nothing to society or to helping people are the worst problem we face here because they have a long leash.

Stay active my friends.

Small Truth

Our country is screwing its self and we are to blame. Not the government, not the corporations, us the citizens. The people are in the wrong. We became complacent with allowing the government to make things easy for us. We allowed them to infiltrate our lives, find out what we care about, and then they coerced us into caring about it more than our liberties.

A few tried to get others to stop falling for the distractions, but they were called "crazy" or were told it's all just a conspiracy. Now everyone’s eyes have been open to the fact that the world we have created is harsh and uncaring. Men, Women, and Children go to sleep in the streets without having eaten properly. Men, Women, and Children are harmed, murdered, raped, robbed, and exploited by someone every second of every day.

Only now are we starting to realize the underhanded deals our government has been making with the mega corporations. Some will think that we deserve it, that we did it to our selves. Others will become angry and want to do something violent about it. Then there are those who understand that it is time to take responsibility.

It is time My Fellow Americans. It is time to run for the offices that have been kept from the people for too long. It is time to put actions into words and fight against the corruption that we have allowed to fester under out very eyes. The government cows to corporate whims in order to make us work harder for less.

They spread lies that by raising the minimum wage the cost of living would go up. Why? Because companies would have to charge more to make a profit. So instead of making corporations who can afford it pay their workers more, the government simply makes things harder on We, the people.

Is this the end?

I've finally rounded out why the republican party has lost so much respect, and keeps getting negative numbers. It's not because of liberals, nor is it because or progressives. It's the morons that are elected to represent, what I find to be, a group of people who only want whats best for this country. Sure some are a little misguided and could do with a great deal of time away from the television, but those people exist in both parties.

The problem with democrats is that they very quickly make really sharp turns. Kind of like taking a sharp turn in a top heavy vehicle, things topple. Both parties have their problems, and in fact the whole separated party system is just a ploy by politicians to divide a once united peoples.

I personally don't take part in the party system. I pay attention to politics by gathering information from multiple sources, both liberal and conservative. I weigh each politicians words with their actions from the past, i.e; how they voted and what they're doing now. I look at who is trying to restrict our freedoms and what guise they are using, i.e; religion, acts of domestic terrorism.

To be quite honest we have more restrictions than freedoms. Our constitution was created with freedom in mind. Looking at it from a completely unbiased point of view, which is hard for many people. One can see that what is set forth in the constitution and the bill of rights protects everyone regardless of what the believe in. It gives people the right to believe what they want and not have to face persecution. It limits the powers of both the National and State governments, though it has a high emphasis on promoting states rights within reason.

I'll use the first amendment as an example. This amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.

 This means that the states cannot pass laws because of religious beliefs. There is no grey area, they cannot do it because that would mean they are, in some fashion, passing a law that respects an establishment of religion. Which infringes on the rights of the people. This means that any laws passed banning gay marriage, or banning abortion, because of religion are to be deemed null. States cannot pass such laws based on religious beliefs because federal authority trumps state authority when it comes to the constitution and the bill of rights.

Another thing is that allowing abortion, transgender rights, gay marriage and a myriad of other things is a must in a government such as ours is supposed to be. Why? Because of the right to privacy. People should feel secure in their private information. The founding fathers knew this, which is why it is implied through out the bill of rights.

Just as people are allowed to stock up on guns for what ever reason, so long as they're not intending to go on a rampant murder spree. So to are people allowed to take part in these things that the government, and the people, is currently feuding over.

The truth about the so called "controversies" around these things is that they are smoke screens used to distract us from the real problems. The problems that the government is creating and forcing us to clean up. Low wages, chemical food tampering, corporate interference with the political process, the false war on drugs, the false war on terror, destruction of our planet. The list is almost endless.

If my words have pissed you off, or stuck a nerve. Good. Maybe it'll open your eyes to what's happening. We are on the brink of a war that would bankrupt this country. If we strike against Syria, then it's likely that will draw retaliation from other countries. America is currently the only country that is intent on attacking them for something that has nothing to do with us. The UK has said they won't interfere. China and Russia are watching with anticipation for us to fuck up. One little screw up is all it takes for a country to incite World War 3. This time our country will be the oppressors. This time it is us who will suffer the most. Our once great country will fail, hard, should we attack unprovoked or for no reason.

We will lose everything.

An Inconvenient Truth

Going over arguments from all sides about a raise in minimum wage, I would have to say that it's not needed at this time. What is needed is more job creation, less tax breaks for large corporations, and lower cost of living. Raising the minimum wage will not allow people to be able to survive as the costs of living will go up. The price of food and needed supplies will increase. Rent will increase as the costs of up keep on housing will go up. Raising the minimum wage is admirable, however the benefits would not out weigh the inevitable costs of doing so. Corporations are being treated as people, and are being taxed less. Corporations are committing atrocities against the people they would hire so that things like; safe work practices, fair and equal pay, the ability to earn a raise or a higher position; can be denied to those who com in at the entry level positions.
Another thing we dearly need is sweeping government reform. Our government is not to be making decisions that do not coincide with the will of the people. We've allowed corporations, banks, and corrupted organizations buy our politicians so that legislation can be passes that benefits them and pushes us closer and closer to a form of enslavement that would mean living under true tyrannical ruler-ship. What happens when you work for a company that can deny you payment, or fire you, because you called in sick more than six times a year? What happens when the government takes away your right to voice your opinion and you cannot do anything because they'll have you killed or worse?
We're dangerously close already. These things are happening now, we've seen them. We just choose to ignore it because it's inconvenient to do anything about it when the newest episode of Awesome show #42 is on, or when the sports station has your favorite team going against your least favorite team. America is failing because we are letting it happen. We would rather argue over which amendment is more important than realize that they are all equally important. We would rather blame objects and deities for mistakes than those responsible. I am willing to hold my self accountable for my own actions. I am responsible for my own happiness, not the government, not entertainment, not anyone else. Just me. While I have fallen on tough times because of my infirmities, I am still out there every day searching for my next experience, looking for a better way to live my life. Still, I feel as though we could be doing fantastic things as a country. Discovering cures for various diseases, creating the best health care system the world has ever known, creating the best education system which creates enlightened people who have no need for violence. People who once again understand the value of life, who understand what it means to enjoy life, what it means to earn the things that they have.
Yet, I witness arguments that make no sense, arguments which turn us against each other. We accept labels because they make us feel self important. The truth is; we are not liberals, we are not conservatives, we are not republicans, or democrats or libertarians, or anything of that nature because these are ideals and beliefs, not people. We a citizens of the United States of America. Our country is a part of the planet Earth, which is filled with people from different backgrounds different belief systems. We've made it this far without completely destroying each other because of idealists. People who dare to hope for a brighter future for everyone, not just for themselves.

Odd fighting

These are the original definitions of the terms conservative, liberal, democrat, and republican. From what they say, the various people who align themselves with those terms either do not know what they mean, or have re-defined them to themselves. I've seen a lot of conservatives calling liberals Nazi’s lately. What I find interesting is that it seems as though those conservatives have either forgotten or willfully ignore that the Nazi, or National Socialist, party was believed to be a Right Wing party that believed that the Aryan's were the master race. In essence they were a group of bigots who hated Jews.

I've seen people say that liberals hate Jews and are racist. I have also seen the same about conservatives. Those who follow liberalism in its original sense could not be considered bigots because they fight for equal rights for everyone. When Hitler rose to power, he did so by using the Nazi party as though it were a pawn in a chess game. He claimed that the Nazi's under his rule were neither right nor left, but syncretic. He blamed the left wing for their "craven-hearted and obsequious foreign policy." He said of the right wing, " It was through their miserable cowardice that those ruffians of Jews who came into power in 1918 were able to rob the nation of its arms."

It honestly isn't fair to compare either side of today's American liberals or conservatives of being anything close to Nazi's because both sides are slowly, very, very slowly, beginning to see that the government is intentionally giving the two groups reason to fight so that our rights can be restricted or taken away, big businesses can find ways out of paying their workers a fair wage, and ruining what was once one of the greatest countries in the world.

The people directly responsible for the state our fair country is in are those in power. If the electoral collage were not to exist, then the people would actually be in control of who is elected president. However, we no longer have that control sadly. A few states have varying control, but it's majority rules instead of your vote actually counting for who you voted for.

The reality of our countries situation is that because we are fighting among our selves over who has the best ideals, conservatives or liberals, our once beautiful country is heading towards civil war. Conservatives on one side, liberals on the other and those in between forced to choose sides or perish. But, I believe that we can stop our infighting. I believe that we can come together and challenge the corrupt politicians with their bank and big business backers.

Why fight a war against your fellow Americans when another country is already threatening us and our allies. Why fight a war on two fronts? I will readily admit that I am against war and violence in general (in my opinion they should be left to entertainment media). However if myself, my friends or my loved ones are threatened, regardless of their political views, I will be one of the first to step up and defend them with all that I have. I view the threat from North Korea to be more important than fighting over whose idea of a perfect nation is correct. In truth this nation would be perfect if everyone accepted that everyone has flaws.

If you wish to discuss anything in today’s post, you can contact me here: shadow_draegon@yahoo.com