Good Ol' Days

“Sir, I know you worked hard for yours, but I’m out here.. If you have anything..” Sorry, I don’t have any cash. “Respect.” This young man in my neighborhood, his hair is freshly cut, but he’s begging at the Metro station and in front of the 7-11. This early 20 something has no other option but to beg? I know the economy is bad, especially for people without skills or business relationships, but..

How deep do I want to get into this. Not deep at all. I’ve got a friend who, at the time of this writing, is unemployed. He is one of the hardest working people I know. He’s held down three gigs for a period. He’s never asked for a cent. I’d give if asked, but..

Now I know the unemployed young man probably didn't get a quality education and my friend did. I would bet the young lion didn’t have the greatest support at home, my friend’s mother insisted her kids be productive. At the end of the day, I feel like shit sometimes that I can’t help either significantly, but..

Maybe this feeling of guilt is unwarranted. I’ve practically begged my supervisor to give my buddy some temp work and it happened. Don’t know if I impacted that decision. I know that I’ve given the young chap some dollars if I had it. Don’t know if more is expected of me by the divine in either case. If more is expected, just show me how to line that up with the kids and the parents. If everybody was doing this, the world would be better, but here’s a thought: what if the world is doing this already? Wall Street is looking out for it’s own, at Main Street’s expensive. That would be fucked up. Shark showing sharks love, seal looking out for seals..

Wonder if this equilibrium the extreme left and right seek is here, but they're just too close to recognize it. You don’ know you’re in the good ol’days til twenty years hence. The liberals have a young African American president, who came from a poor, activist household. The conservatives and business class has a president who signs their policies into law faithfully. Very little of this high drama is translating to Main Street, so it’s “Brother, can you spare a dime?”

I've said it before on my podcast Tricknowledgy on blogtalkradio.com, I feel like I'm playing musical chairs at work. Not at my work, but as a working American nationally. There are more and more folks out of work. Companies would rather hire someone whose already working. If they hire an unemployed person, they'll try to get them to take the lowest salary possible. Good for the company's profits, bad for the American economy. Less buying power, less retail, blah, blah..

If corporations are persons, they are some of the most unpatriotic sons of bitches ever. Forcing more productivity out of over worked employees, take more of their benefits, then pay bonuses to top management who invest their money out side the country. There has to be a structural shift in economic and politics in the West. It's not working for too many people.


photo: inside DC Metro car taken with iPhone 3Gs, Hipstamatic (Helga lens)