You couldn't be here if stars hadn't exploded.
To the question, “Why me?” the cosmos barely bothers to return the reply, “Why not?”
Atheist: Natural Morals, Real Meaning, Credible Truth
Showing posts with label Economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Economy. Show all posts

31 July, 2016

Choices

It is a hard choice that has thousands of people starving and suffering at your border fence because of the probability that some small fraction of them would turn on you if allowed in and creating more people who will turn on you in the future. It is difficult to determine if this is objectively the correct choice. The US is making this choice. Germany did not. In my opinion Germany made the right choice.

The other choice is to allow in the refugees, build communities with them, develop trust with them. The community will help with security fears.  If they can't be allowed in, help them where they are, real actual help that works, to help them adapt and move on.

I think things are going to get a lot worse with climate change, learning this now will make the future less bleak.
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11 September, 2015

Am I Grateful?

At work they have these opinion pieces and viewpoints about our company and work.  This week they have one from a VP titled "Thirty Years and Still Grateful."

Grateful?

"After 30-years I remember one word. A word that describes best how I felt 30-years ago. That word is Grateful.
I am grateful to be part of a legacy. I am grateful to be part of the here and now—and also grateful to be part of the future. I am grateful to have had the lucky fortune to have been accepted into a great company. I am grateful to have served my nation through my service to that company."


Grateful?  I don't feel grateful.  After 35 years I've participated in successes and failures.  I've resolved problems and avoided creating many.  I have seriously supported our customers and made them successful (sometimes despite themselves), the direct ones who pay our contracts and the indirect ones who go into harm’s way almost daily since 9/11.  I've worked hard long hours for that success with teams who also worked hard long hours in support of our customers.  I'm proud of the things we did and do today.  I'm not grateful to anyone.  It's the country and company that needs to express some gratitude.  A 10" compound miter saw and a fancy dinner with a VP doesn't really cut it.
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05 August, 2015

We Then Me?

This was posted at work as one of those "voices of..." things meant to be inspirational.  Or team building or something.
like it or not, ***** ****** has been depicted in the past as an arrogant company. It doesn’t matter whether that characterization originated from competitors, the press, our partners or our customers — it’s out there. And if we want to change this perception, we must start with making a change within ourselves, rather than expecting others to change and conform to our standards.
As a coach for the “We Then Me” pilot program for the Quality Assurance organization, I am even more aware of how the “Me” mentality can be disruptive to those around us. To foster change, it must start with each of us as individuals. We have the power to change from a “Me Then We” to “We Then Me” culture. Little by little, if we all have that mindset, we can change the perception those have of us as individuals and as a company.
I was going to comment with: "Many of us have worked with positive impact for our customers for decades.  We've worked "we then me" with dedication to mission success and performance which is I hope why **** **** is where it is today.  The "me" part has been a little lacking with economic purchasing and political power declining.  The "we" part is important but as the Soviet Union showed, not viable by itself."  But I didn't comment.

I'm pretty tired of working for the good of the company and country.  All this effort and the country fails to support it's people, only supporting the welfare of those in power.
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07 December, 2013

Twitter discussion about utopia...

I was in a Twitter conversation.  After I said good by, they kept talking about me, including me in the conversation...
You read from the bottom up...  but just skip to my reply below.



 My reply:

 @BertmcdRm @kpresley7 @EEElverhoy @FreedomFW @mantis8585 So, there seems to be some misconceptions about what my position is in your discussion about me. I am not looking for utopia. Per the original posts, I am looking for a level(er) playing field of opportunity. I don't want to take your money or anyone else's. Statistically, I probably make twice as much as you do anyway. I am not looking for someone to make my dreams come true, I want my kids to have a chance to make it happen. I want everyone to have a chance. Even you.

I think those who prosper from the society they live in must contribute to the society in a way that pays back for what that society provided them. If your business causes $1million in road damage to truck your goods to market and you only pay $1000 in road taxes, there is a deficit. But if you also pay your workers good wages, that can easily make up for it. If you pay crap wages and no benefits and whenever they have medical issues they have to depend on charity care, that is a big deficit. Their taxes aren't helping pay for the road damage and everyone else's health insurance and costs is impacted. When a business takes from society and doesn't pay back, then everyone else loses. Someone has to pay somewhere. And that is what is happening. The top 10% are raking it in and not paying the costs somehow, with taxes, wages, investment, charity. They are not.

Do you know that you probably have not had an effective raise, except for occasional promotions, for the last 10-12 years? Even though productivity of the American worker has improved by more than 25%?
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2013/01/13/opinion/13greenhousech.html?ref=sunday-review 
Do you have ANY sense to what the actual wealth disparity is in this country? Probably not. 
http://youtu.be/QPKKQnijnsM 
HOW can a vibrant economy with opportunity exist in this situation? It can't.

How does this change? Taxes and fees for those who use the system we provide them. Regulation for health care coverage. Fair wages commensurate to the work. I am an aerospace engineer and the companies do wage "market research" to set our wages. That is not a free wage market. That is the equivalent to price fixing and should be illegal. What does it do? It keeps wages flat. It happens everywhere, companies pay "per the market". If you happen to get a 10% better offer somewhere, good luck with raises the next three years. They will hold you to the market from then on. It is like working in a communist country, work your butt off, increase productivity, make profit, no raise. That IS what is happening. Wage fixing should be illegal in this country. The minimum wage must be raised. 

Those who need help should get it, because it gets them spending money in the economy instead of being outside it. The majority of those who get assistance don't like it, it isn't a good life, are working full time anyway, and don't stay on it any longer than they need to. For the very reasons you cite, making your own life is much better than living off someone else. Sure you can cite anecdotes about welfare queens but that isn't the rule or the data. Look it up somewhere other than Faux Noise. Giving help makes us better people, surely you know that... The Inuits didn't put their elders out when they became a burden, the elders left out of self sacrifice, service to their communities. Government helping those in need is our self sacrifice to them and is an investment for the society. The Inuits didn't have a choice about what happens, we do, we have wealth far beyond their imaginations, we don't need to cut the rope to the needy or ask them to walk away into the wilderness.

When our society decides to help the poor, sick, and disadvantaged with increased taxes or fees, that is a decision we made with our elected government. Like it or not. You don't get to live in this country and not participate. If you don't want to, leave. (I have no idea where, Russia maybe?) Or try to convince the rest of us that your way is better and change the decision. You are honestly welcome to try. But, if it is an imposition on you you don't like, basically, too fucking bad. You are here, benefitting from our society, if you want to stay and play, you pay. It is the price you pay for being where you are. The Libertarian utopia you seem to long for has never existed or lasted. Mainly because it can't.

Frankly, you people are ugly. Your destain for what I tried to say is ugly. Someday you may need some help and if the country is the way you want it, I hope you suffer. I have a lot of compassion for those in need. I have none for those who cause it.
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