What’s going on with our economy?

So by now you all have experienced the downturn in our economy.  This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, as all signs pointed to our bubble bursting eventually.  I am not referring to just the adult industry, but our national economy.  We have a serious trade deficit, credit crisis, and a financial black hole AKA the Iraq War.  70% of Americans lives paycheck to paycheck, jobs are going overseas, and Jenna Jameson will never spread her legs for this industry again...times are tough all over!

Now I'm no economist, but I think even the most lay of laymen could see the coming storm.  First of all, we no longer manufacture stuff in this country.  I spent the last 3 weeks and 2 states trying to find a store that sold a pencil sharpener made in the USA.  Every store's pencil sharpeners were made in China.  I finally compromised and bought one made in Germany.  I told myself that they were past all that Nazi stuff.  The loss of manufacturing jobs has devastated the middle class, driving many middle classers to poverty.  I used to think to myself, why don't those people just learn new skills, or open their own small business.  However, since our government is bought and paid for by corporate interests both foreign and domestic, it's next to impossible for a small business to compete with the global juggernauts that have been created.  Just like Edward Norton's character foresees in Fight Club...."the IBM Stellar Sphere, the Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks."  We've globalized our small businesses out of business so that CEOs could reap record profits, and politicians can sit on the board of directors for those same companies.  We can have huge corporations rape the land, hoard all the wealth, and then when they screw up, they can get multi-million dollar severance packages and a government bailout.  CEO's have seen a pay increase of nearly 300% since 1990.  Guess how much the average worker's pay has increased in that same time? 4.3%  Recent reports state that the average CEO pay is 419 times that of their workers.  Wal Mart CEO Lee Scott makes 871 times that of an average Wal Mart worker, and 50,000 times that of the Chinese worker.  How's that for fair?

The wages don't seem to be rising for workers anytime soon.  Americans will soon have no savings, a foreclosed home, credit card debt out the wazoo, while the cost of gas, food and shelter will continue to increase to rates that only the wealthy can afford.  It seems small business employers are unable to increase wages of workers here in the United States without mortgaging the future of the business.  They are hampered with the cheap Chinese manufactured products, automated services, and a customer that doesn't have any money in their wallet. 

It seems our policy makers are taking the stance that "it'll just get better eventually", without actually doing anything to spur that on.  The reason for their apathy is because they don't care about the average worker, your only value to them is your vote, and if you won't give that to them, they'll buy their position and power.  I seriously doubt any election will ever change things, regardless if we elect our first African American or female president.  I fail to see how putting millionaire after millionaire into the White House will EVER change anything for the better.  Now you show me an American public that is willing to burn this mother fucker down in protest, and then you've got my attention...I bet you'll get some results then.  We must stand up to the 1% of the super wealthy that are literally our owners.  Only then will we begin to see real change we can believe in.  If you think that slavery is a thing of the past, you are mistaken.  Quite clearly we are in a state of economic slavery.  Our military enslaves the poor and undereducated.  Our government pours billions into the military industrial complex to brainwash their cheap labor supply.  Our education system gets pennies in comparison.  An educated populace wouldn't stand for this.  Our government and corporations gladly do business with the government of China, that is just as brutal and criminal as any dictatorship regime in history.  If you think there's a huge difference between Hitler's Germany and Communist China, think again.  China is like a young Nazi Germany, well on it's way to achieving supreme evil status.  Yet we are subsidizing what will no doubt be our future (and current for that matter) enemy.  Do you think the Chinese people see us as their heroes?  Or do they see us as the country that buys all the shit keeping them in slave labor?  If and when the Chinese people rise up, I don't think they'll see us as their newest myspace friend. 

So I've done a fine job of complaining in this blog, but what solutions have I offered?  Well, sadly I'm about clueless as anyone else when it comes to this.  There's so many things wrong it's hard to see where to start.  I can only suggest you educate yourself about our world and our nation.  Don't fall for the fake platitudes any politician gives you.  Be skeptical, be a cynic, call out wrongdoers.  Don't buy shit Made In China.  That's my first step.  I have actively stopped buying Chinese made products.  I know it's difficult.  Like I said, I spent 3 weeks trying to find a non-Chinese pencil sharpener.  You may not be able to buy 100% non-Chinese stuff.  I mean if they make Grand Theft Auto 4 discs in China, I'll buy one.  But if you have a choice, buy Non-Chinese products.  Don't support any country that violates human rights so grossly and unapologetically.  Don't support communist China in any way.  Don't watch the Olympics this year.

We may one day get our economy turned around, but currently we've dug ourself into a huge hole that may take a generation to claw our way out of.  We just have to be a little less selfish, a little less self-indulgent, and a little less gullible.

GO USA!