You know what, f*ck Capitalism... [View all]

[Humanist_Activist]

In my 20+ years as a working man, all I've ever observed among myself and my peers, is how our economy finds ways to screw us over.

From one of my earliest jobs at Wal-Mart in the 1990s where I had to sit through anti-union propaganda while they lauded their much touted "open door" policy, but fuck, if you even associate with a union, your fired, while I was being paid barely above minimum wage. To today, at a different retailer, where I had to sit through anti-union propaganda fucking again, listening to the same tired arguments as 20 years ago, while they pay me barely above what isn't even inflation adjusted minimum wage, and part time at that(don't want to pay benefits after all).

I'm actually lucky, my full time job provides benefits, the latest trend seems to be for companies to not hire full time so they don't have to provide benefits. Been there 10 years and I'm literally afraid to try to change jobs, I'm healthy right now, but that could change tomorrow, and I don't know if I can risk 90 days with no benefits and that's being lucky, or being charged and arm and a leg on the market in my state, while having to get not one job, but two more to make up for the lack of hours a part time job provides. I already work 65+ hours a week, not much wiggle room for anything. Hell, I haven't had a proper day off in 3+ months.

How about another great example of our capitalistic system, a former job where I was hired, through temp firm, to work at a plastics factory where, just a month before, they had regular employees, but laid them all off to hire temp worker at a fraction of the wages they paid those full time employees. Yes, I was damn near a fucking scab, and hated myself for it, luckily, or unluckily, within months I got injured on the job but couldn't prove it to their satisfaction, so I was forced to quit and for a while there racked up thousands of dollars in medical bills. This was well before Obamacare, and in my state, if you don't have kids, forget getting Medicaid.

On paper, between the incomes of me and my fiancee, we are "middle class" so much so that I actually owe the government money for taxes for the first time in my life this year(Thanks fucking Trump). But hell, I can't afford to pay that money, but I'm going to have to do so anyways, somehow, anyone know what's cheaper to eat than Ramen, because I had that last night, and it looks like tonight is another night of Ramen.

But if the car needs fixing, or we have yet another medical emergency, then we are screwed. Not like I'm unique in this regard, but for fuck's sake, I'm literally taking daily anxiety medications so I don't fucking break down every night over my fucking finances.

And people are like "Show me a successful Socialist country/society" Motherfuckers, show me a success Capitalistic one.