I'm exhausted from a decade of continuous middle-class depression

[MannyGoldstein]

The current recession really started in 2002, and has not let up since. Here's a graph that shows what's happened:



The graph shows the percentage of employable Americans who are actually employed. It's a good way to look at things: it gets around cute games like not counting "discouraged" workers.

The economy began to tank towards the end of Clinton's presidency, and continued down after Dim Son took office. Picked up a little later, but never got close to where it had been before.

Then it went into freefall.

We've leveled off, but made no progress, and now we're looking into the abyss of a "second dip" as it's politely called by those whose families won't be impoverished by it.

For a decade, American workers have had to fight one-another for fewer jobs. "Free" trade, corporatist politicians, a purchased Supreme Court, crazy and/or ignorant people, and record-low taxation of the rich have taken a brutal toll. We work harder, see our families less, suck up to the boss more, all in order to hold our jobs. And now the wealthiest want to steal our Social Security retirement savings. Wall Street is king, the rest of us serfs.

It's just not right, and I'm tired of it.

[mmonk]

1. It will be over soon. We're being phased out.

[geckosfeet]

2. Agreed

[scheming daemons]

3. since you're exhausted, take the next 16 months off

Instead of actively working against Obama's re-election like you have been.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Sadly for you and Obama, I will continue to fight for Democratic ideals

You'll not get off easy, sorry.

A Democratic president fighting to slash Social Security? Who ever imagined such a thing?

[scheming daemons]

5. not sadly for me... sadly for the country and the GOP prez you're trying to get elected

Not on purpose, mind you.... but the end result of your actions.

Ps. Obama hasn't cut one dime from SS. That's a fact.

[woo me with science]

6. How utterly ridiculous to use as an argument that the President has not cut anything,

when he has spent the last month putting 650 billion dollars worth of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid cuts on the table and begging for them to be accepted.

[scheming daemons]

7. that was a ploy to out the GOP as intransigent

To the independent voters.

He knew SS was never going to be cut.

It was a bluff.... and it worked.

The GOP blinked and took SS off the table.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. So Obama's bipartisan Catfood Commission was to smoke out Dick Durbin

and other turncoat Democrats who want to cut Social Security? And Obama's cute "cut vs. slash" games, also a ruse?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2011/0707/Briefing-room-word-games-What-s-a-slash-versus-a-cut-in-Social-Security">Briefing room word games: What's a 'slash' versus a 'cut' in Social Security?

Also Obama's calls for reforming Social Security starting before his inauguration?

Truly, this is 12-dimensional chess.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

8. But oh yeah, the free trade agreements and doing away with tariffs was going to bring us JOBS!

How many more lies are we going to believe from politicians?

And even Clinton was selling us on the free trade bullshit.

I'm sooooooooooooooooo F disappointed.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Three more "free" trade agreements in the works

Sick.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

11. The fucking rich and corporations will not CEASE until this is a third world nation.

And Obama says nothing. And Clinton promoted trade agreements.

Anything for the rich man. Fuck the rest. :(

[Fantastic Anarchist]

12. Time to join the "One Big Union" ...

The Industrial Workers of the World (which is grassroots and welcomes everyone). Quit pissing around with craft unionism of AFL/CIO.

The Wobblies were responsible for improving working conditions at the turn of last century. Their membership has declined post WWII, so they need you.

They are essentially a socialist/anarchist organization and believe in workplace democracy:

http://www.iww.org/

About the IWW:

The IWW is a member-run union for all workers, a union dedicated to organizing on the job, in our industries and in our communities. IWW members are organizing to win better conditions today and build a world with economic democracy tomorrow. We want our workplaces run for the benefit of workers and communities rather than for a handful of bosses and executives.

We are the Industrial Workers of the World because we organize industrially.

This means we organize all workers producing the same goods or providing the same services into one union, rather than dividing workers by skill or trade, so we can pool our strength to win our demands together. Since the IWW was founded in 1905, we have made significant contributions to the labor struggles around the world and have a proud tradition of organizing across gender, ethnic and racial lines long before such organizing was popular.

We invite you to become a member whether or not the IWW happens to have representation rights in your workplace. We organize the worker, not the job, and recognize that unions are not about government certification or employer recognition but about workers coming together to address common concerns.

Sometimes this means refusing to work with dangerous equipment and chemicals.

Sometimes it means striking or signing a contract. Other times it mean agitating around particular issues or grievances in a workplace or industry.

The IWW is a democratic, member-run union. That means members decide what issues to address, and which tactics to use and we directly vote on office holders, from stewards to national offices. Why wait? Join the IWW and organize for a better future.




Preamble to the IWW Constitution:

The working class and the employing class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of the working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things of life.

Between these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class, take possession of the means of production, abolish the wage system, and live in harmony with the Earth.

We find that the centering of the management of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the trade unions unable to cope with the ever growing power of the employing class. The trade unions foster a state of affairs which allows one set of workers to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry, thereby helping defeat one another in wage wars. Moreover, the trade unions aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers.

These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all.

Instead of the conservative motto, "A fair day's wage for a fair day's work," we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword, "Abolition of the wage system."

It is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. The army of production must be organized, not only for everyday struggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production when capitalism shall have been overthrown. By organizing industrially we are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old.

"An Injury to One is an Injury to All!"