Just when DO we get MAD?

     I was about to blog about unions, when I became distracted by another thought. Actually, I was going to hold off on a new blog while interest was still high in several of my posts. I thank everyone who takes the time to read and discuss and share my blog, and put up with the multitude of errors (which I try to correct when someone points them out), and I enjoy the discussions that sometimes spring forth. I'll admit, I'd like to have more comments but above all, if you like the post, I've added a tweet button and there are sharing buttons below each post I'd appreciate you using them.

     There was no one post or article/broadcast that brought this on, it was a combination of 2 or 3 things I saw briefly that spurred the memory of something I'd been playing philosopher with (read:thinking heavily about).

     What I've been struggling with is the concept of angry society. There are many examples of it, and have been, for many years, in Latin America, Africa, recently and most visibly, Egypt, Bharain, Yemen, Syria, Lybia et al, and it doesn't stop there, it extends to Greece and Spain and there are many who have, as a society, come to the point where they are no longer prepared to put up with dictators and governments dominated by corporations who use greed to bleed citizens dry and when the shit hits the fan, the pompous bastards stand in front of you and tell you to pay for their errors and excesses. The corporations still make their profits and pay fabulous sums to people who do well (execs/shareholders) on the backs of people who work for usually less than a living wage, have no bonus or golden parachute, and are always employed at the the whims of those who stand to gain the most. Politicians don't cut back on anyone but ordinary working stiffs (like most of us) while keeping their own platinum pensions, generous pay and perks, office budgets and such. All the more hypocritical when in no time they'll be legislating postal workers back and disparaging people who do a far more difficult job than we think they do, who want to improve their working conditions and pay. You wouldn't want that for yourself? Of course you would. You bet the things being said and written will paint the workers in the worst light, and the people doing the bashing will fall into 2 groups. Those who don't realize without unions and the union movement, they might all be working for 2 bucks an hour, 14-16 hours a day, 7 days a week and if you got tired they'd fire you. The others will be those who have an agenda to make unions look villanous, because unions are people, and people are dangerous to the corporate and political agenda.

     Enough of that, the question I have been pondering is also the title of this post: Just when do WE get MAD???

     I've seen plenty of anger flying around over many topics. I believe we are so used to putting up with having our lives run by a bunch of people who have allowed wealth and power to so cloud their views, people who have had their hearts and minds so enveloped in greed they could care less about what happens to the other 90+ percent of the population that is not wealthy, we react like a beaten animal. Not much has changed since "Let them eat cake" with the exception they are a lot slicker at it now, people have memories that last 30 days, and apparently we are so used to getting screwed by this tiny percentage of elitists and their hangers on we will put up with any kind of injustice and we will, as an added bonus, reward these people more and more handsomely. Maybe some people will get angry and occasionally blow off some steam, but when do we reach that point where WE aren't going to take it anymore? When do WE hit the streets in large numbers and strike back at these arrogant oppressive politicians and entities? Will our peaceful protests be met with force if, say, 20 or 30,000 people showed up at parliament or the Governer General's residence to demand a fair share of the riches of the country for every single Canadian, rather than the top few percent? To demand that Government work for the people, not tell the people what is best for them. How long will you put up with the Kings in Government, and the Captains of Industry, bleeding you dry and blaming you for everything that goes wrong? This is it. This is how we are living. We are so used to being used and abused we have developed some type of sydrome.

     So have you no breaking point? You don't seem to care that a governemnt that has behaved at best, extremely questionably, secretively, has the worst fiscal record in Canadian history was rewarded for a worse than lousy performance with a majority so in this mandate, they will more than likely spend a quarter trillion of your tax dollars however they so desire and I guarantee if you disagree they will most heartily thumb their noses at you. In that time, if they do better than expected they will have also added close to, or upwards of 200 billion dollars in additional debt, borrowed from your children and their children. That alone should anger you beyond belief, at least the 60% majority who do not support this Government, but, you'll bitch, take it up the rear, and as a bonus they'll probably get another 4+ years because you just don't care enough.

     This isn't just about Government though. It's also a story of tolerating abuse at the hands of the gluttons. Greed is an overriding factor in the ruling of our day to day lives. Corporations rake in massive profits, and feel no shame in sharing 50 billion dollars among executives and shareholders while putting tens of thousands of average employees out of work in the name of "efficiency". This generally means you're now doing the work of 2 or 3 people, therefore increasing productivity, reducing costs, leading to more profits which are shared amongst...well...not you and your co workers. You'll bitch about it to co workers, friends, your significant other, but, it's not enough to make you mad. That takes committment. It's easier to just lay down, let them have at you until they no longer have use for you.

     I'm amazed how people will just take it. I'm even more amazed we seem to have reached a point where not only does a tiny minority of the population get wealthier at our expense, when they do things wrong it has become popular to actually flaunt the fact you have been or are getting screwed and since they know you won't do a damn thing about it, it's kind of fun they can rub it in and call you stupid and laugh at you, because somewhere along the line you've become accustomed to it.

     Just an example. The totally ficticious Giant Corporation of Canada has made 33 billion dollars in profit for several years in a row. One year, Giant Corporation has a 10 billion dollar loss. Obviously all those years of massive profit mean nothing, because the turnaround includes getting rid of half the employees, closing Canadian operations, shipping jobs offshore, outsourcing, and those executives will still get a bonus. Giant Corp. will also increase the price of their product but people will continue to buy it without blinking at the totally unethical, unsympathetic way business is done here. We don't seem to care. Only our children make us mad.

     Who cares about clear cutting forests? There's money to be made. Strip mines? There's money to be made. Mining and exporting deadly asbestos? There's money to be made. Oil company spills, oozes, gushes, emissions, excesses? There's money to be made. Who cares if the air is fit to breathe, if the water is safe to drink, or if we have enough viable land to feed ourselves? There's money to be made. We don't care, we'll look the other way becuase it's easy, it's simple to go along with industry propaganda and label environmentalists as some kind of flaky kooks and challenge any science that doesn't fit the agenda of there's money to be made.

    I'm just scratching the surface of this crap. We just take it. Keep taking it.

    I'm MAD

    When the hell will you join me.