Life in the Good Ol’ US of A

Contract Work

Unfortunately, contract work is the neoliberal norm, ushered in by Bill Clinton and ratified by all administrations since. The last 12 or so years that I worked were all contract. That’s what all business was/is pushing. Even Boards of Education would only hire on a temporary basis (contract workers, especially teachers). That’s also a problem they are having right now in higher education with the ubiquitous “adjunct” (contract)  professors, rather than tenured, full professors.

I don’t know how many more years anyone feels they need to work a “job,” but if you think you must, then do yourself a favor and only accept something that energizes you, makes you want to show up each day. That’s the only real way to survive what’s coming (what’s already here), if even that will help.

Democracy

Experiment in democracy? It’s more like the dismantling of democracy, whatever’s left to dismantle. It’s been in pretty bad shape for a while now, especially since Ragan, and the entrenchment of the neoliberal establishment under Clinton and everyone else since.

The suggestion that we “doing the right thing as a country … what are you talking about?” Since when in our lifetime have we ever “done the right thing as a country?” I’ve never seen it… unfortunately. The US is seen as the laughing stock, hypocrite, bully of the planet, as we deserve to be seen. And we’ve certainly not done “the right thing” to and for our own citizens as a country either; never mind the planet and future generations.

I agree that some things needed shaking up (“some?” – How about the whole status quo?), but hopefully, the current crisis in our democracy will finally bring the masses to bear on fixing the problems. But that will only happen when those of us who are tired of the hypocrisy, lies, bought government, and decimation of humanity finally stand together and force the changes we all so desperately require.

Dictatorship

These are not “hints of dictatorship,” these are the first shots across the bow. Dictatorship is here, entrenching itself against any and all dissent. The police and military will be brought to bear, as promised in tweets and interviews. I don’t believe we can get out of this one relatively unscathed. There are going to be casualties of this struggle; and nobody but some rich scumbags will get through it relatively untouched. Hell, some of them are going to make a “killing” on it, especially the military industrial and criminal justice complexes, and their CEOs and shareholders (the real leeches of the world, and my apologies to leeches for such an embarrassing association).

Tyranny

Any form of tyranny is unacceptable. Tyranny is an idea, a potent one for authoritarians to be sure. But like any thought, ideas can be changed, as is the case with the whole paradigm by which we have lived so far.

Time to rise up and create a just and humane society with dignity, health, and relative happiness for all. And no one says it will be easy, but it is necessary if our species is to survive.

–LE – 5/30/25