If Walmart is your goal in life, good luck on that…

To count on it doing any good for any individual worker to pressure Walmart into raising its wages and/or giving its employees more hours or putting more on full-time is pretty much resigning one’s self to extremely low expectations in life. In other words, if Walmart or Walmart-type work is your idea of a career, well good luck with that…

That is not to say that Walmart should not pay its workers more. I mean for one thing, why should the rest of us subsidize Walmart and Walmart-like companies via various forms of public assistance low-wage employees are entitled to?

But from the individual’s standpoint, better to look elsewhere — a career change, a new skill, anything.

But the fact is too that not everyone has the opportunity or ability to go elsewhere. Oh, and I might add I am sure many are quite happy to be employed there and for various reasons, including flexibility of hours, locale, and skill level. And to some extent such work is really designed or best for those who are not depending on it to support a whole family — it could be extra money.

For the shopper, it’s a matter of going there because that is where the stuff is and quite possibly at the most economical price. The shopper can’t right all wrongs or afford to try. On the other hand there may be times when one can get better value by shopping at places that might have higher quality merchandise and better before and after sale service.

Somehow I am dubious that the having the government raise the minimum wage is terribly effective. For one thing, minimum is minimum, as in not enough. And, if suddenly everyone gets more money, guess what happens? Yeah, your rent goes up along with everything else. The trick seems to be making more than the other guy (or gal) not the same. And to do that, pretty much you usually have to have something to offer, better knowledge, skill level, craft, whatever.

One area where government might be effective against outfits like Walmart or indeed Walmart itself is monopoly tactics — not so much the kind that put other retailers at a disadvantage, but the kind that treat suppliers badly. Walmart is such a monopoly in some areas of merchandising that it squeezes suppliers — and of course I suppose that does harm its retail competitors too.

Related to all of this is a suggestion I heard on a radio talk show from a caller: if the minimum wage is raised, then in turn public assistance should be lowered accordingly. I don’t know, just a thought, and probably hard to figure.

Bottom line, one has to look out for one’s self. And the best pressure on a bad employer is for folks to leave…

 

P.s.

And for all the talk of not being able to feed a family on low wages, well while it is certainly true that if wages are low enough, it might make it impossible, there is such a thing as beans and potatoes — it beats the cost of fast food and is better for you. Fixing your own food is becoming a lost skill in our society…

 

Ferguson was handled badly to say the least, but Cleveland shooting seems outrageous…

On this Thanksgiving Day I am thankful that I have led such a peaceful life and that I grew up in safe neighborhoods.

My last post was about the Ferguson, Mo. incident that has resulted in so much violence and hardened positions between black and white and particularly between many in the black community against the police (I’m talking nationwide not just in Ferguson or the St. Louis area). And I guess even some non-black people are up in arms about what they see as heavy-handedness by white policeman. The Huffington Post, which has never been impartial but up until now was still worth reading to glean some meaning out of things, has dropped any sign of objectivity in the Ferguson case — siding with those who claim white policemen are out to get them.

And I am not claiming there is no problem or violation of civil rights. There is indeed a problem. I do think the police need to change their tactics and I do think more caution needs to be taken to prevent deadly mistakes. And there ought to be options other than lethal force. But also there needs to be a change in the mindset of those who seem to overlook the fact that if you engage in crime or vandalism or other types of uncivilized behavior and if you go out of your way to confront the police or refuse to comply with their orders when they are carrying out their lawful duties to protect the public, you are headed into dangerous territory.

I also think that as far as the black community is concerned, that there are those, actually the majority, who are just ordinary citizens and who do their best to get along in this world and live up to their responsibilities but who must contend with troublemakers and lawbreakers among their society and too often let them get the upper hand. They need to shun the bad actors and they need to get politically involved in their own communities. They could get elected to city councils and make sure that their police forces look more like themselves. And in the worst-case scenarios where there seems to be no hope, the best option might be to move elsewhere where things are more peaceful — if that is at all an option.

But the latest incident (and there seem to be so many) is where a 12-year old boy in Cleveland, Oh. was shot to death by a policeman. The boy was black and the policeman, a rookie, was white. The boy had reportedly been waving a handgun around scaring people. The gun turned out to be what stories report as a bb-gun. There’s video showing what happened (I have not yet viewed it). From what I have read, the officer acted awful quickly. And it seems surly some other means of making contact with the kid and apprehending him could have been taken. Reportedly the police cruiser (two cops in it) simply rolled up and within two seconds the boy was shot — reportedly after not responding to previous orders to drop the gun.

From what I have taken in so far of the Cleveland incident, it seems outrageous. There just had to be some other option for the cops who were in relative safety in the patrol car (I of course don’t know or can’t see all that happened and exactly how it took place, video notwithstanding or even with video that never shows all).

Yes, there is no doubt something has to be done. And talk and platitudes won’t get it. And I think blacks have every right to be angry. The question is, who all should they be angry at. But whatever, action needs to be taken. Peaceful action. Political action. But action and now.

Meanwhile, I am thankful that I live where peace reigns.

Well actually there is violence all around in society and the world, but I am just referring in general to my own life.

May all have a good Thanksgiving.

A young but fairly large man stole cigars from a store and pushed the puny clerk out of the way, and then he walked down the middle of the street, and then he tangled with a cop, and then he was shot dead, and then others decided to riot and loot stores, and then when they didn’t get their way with the grand jury, they rioted and looted some more; one wonders if there is much of a connection between the death of a young man and rioters and looters…

It was all very predictable. The reaction to a local grand jury’s decision in Ferguson, Mo. not to indict a white police officer in the shooting death of a black youth, who as it turns out was reportedly unarmed, is that some have taken to rioting and looting and setting police cars on fire. The violence I have read so far is not limited to Ferguson.

From comments on the web and radio you can tell this is a racially charged incident that puts the spotlight on the racial divide between black and white or black and, well non-black.

But one wonders if some or even most of those who riot and loot care not for justice as much as lashing out to be lashing out, and stealing to be stealing, and whether they have any real sense of responsibility in their lives.

Certainly many black people may simply be frustrated with what they see as racism among white cops and the continued preponderance of poverty in their culture.

I began this post before the grand jury announcement and had written we all seemed to be forced to be on pins and needles because if the decision was not what the mob demanded they would go wild (not my exact words, well actually I did not post that — my real job  demanded attention before I could finish it). It was not until perhaps about an hour (not sure) after the decision was announced I had time to check the news. But the reports are of violence (exactly how much and how widespread I am not sure as I write this — but it sounded bad).

—————–

ADD 1: As of 11:18 Central Time, I have heard reports of looting, the setting of fires, and heavy gunfire in Ferguson, plus violence in the St. Louis area. There are reports of I-44 being shut down and flights diverted away from an area airport. One area radio commentator said the violence is not about the dead young man anymore but is more simply widespread lawlessness.

—————————-

I don’t think I’ve commented on this case previously. I have been reluctant to because for one thing the details seemed fuzzy but at the same time it seems that the poor dead youth was playing the part of bad actor and there have been reports that he attacked the officer and/or resisted arrest in some manner.

Video evidence shows that the deceased had just got done with a strong-arm robbery of a store, although it is unclear whether that had anything to do with his run-in with the officer. It seems that he and another youth or youths were walking in the middle of the street and were told not to and the hassle was all about that — although the officer may or may not have seen that the now dead youngster matched the description of a robbery suspect.

It may well be that whatever the case the officer should have taken some other action short of lethal force, but things happen so fast and decisions have to be made.

How are we going to convince people to be our policemen (and women) if we tie their hands behind their back and take their authority and protection away from them? I sure would not want their job.

It is also true, I think, that the profession of beat cop often attracts bullies, I mean it just seems a natural fit (although not really a good one, and excuse the contradiction in terms).

But we should not have bullies as cops and we really need to come up with alternatives to gunfire at the drop of a hat.

In this case I think I read that the officer in question was not known to be the bully type.

But this trial by mob is not the way to go.

P.s.

In Ferguson and elsewhere, as I understand it, police forces have a hard time recruiting blacks. Also, up until now, as I understand it, the black population in Ferguson has not taken part in local politics for the most part. Apparently they should.

 

Citizenship by just showing up is not right, but maybe it should be easier to obtain for workers…

Does anyone know what our immigration policy is? I tried to look it up on the internet and on more than one site it said it is “complex”.

And why do so many have to go through a long and arduous process and prove they know more about our country than many native-born and others just show up and demand citizenship?

And you know those low-paying jobs that so many illegal aliens do could be performed by our own citizens, but if they were those citizens might demand better working conditions and higher pay.

But why do those who work and pay taxes have to subsidize American citizens who are not working, while illegal aliens fill the void?

And why do we chase down people who come here to work, albeit illegally, but seldom go after the employers who draw them in?

And let’s be honest, illegal aliens do not just take low-paying, low-level jobs. The have moved into the trades. In some cases the trade work has been dumbed down to make it possible to hire unskilled workers, and in some cases we all suffer for that.

It’s hard to feel bad towards those who come here to make a living for themselves and their families. I think there ought to be a way for them to get citizenship more easily by immigrating under a legal process.

But let’s stop using the euphemism of “immigrants” when we are talking about people here illegally. Immigrant puts in mind someone legally becoming a resident of the country.

What to do with the millions of illegals already here… the only thing I can think of is not much of anything until or less something comes up to bring them before the law, and then sort it out case by case.

But meanwhile we need a policy that is fair and practical and not so complex that few understand it.

I don’t think immigration policy by presidential decree is a good idea. On the other hand, the congress has thus far failed to act.

P.s.

I have not been able to decipher yet exactly what President Obama’s latest executive order on immigration does, but I understand it is a piecemeal approach and does not by any means address all issues concerning illegals or others involved. As an example, it gives children of illegals more time to stave off deportation but does not help their parents. And basically some illegals are helped and others not. The president has called upon congress to pass a comprehensive plan.

Also, there is the issue of legal highly-skilled foreign workers. That would have to be the subject of another post. But the question is: why are we so short of highly-skilled people?

 

Cosby is being hurt by his silence (but maybe he has nothing to say)

Normally I wouldn’t comment on such tawdry stuff, but this Bill Cosby scandal is hard to ignore. On the one had it might be like people asking any man, any innocent man: “so when are you going to stop beating your wife?” In Cosby’s case, it’s more like: when are you going to stop raping women?

First of all, the only people who likely know whether allegations of sexual attacks leveled against Cosby are true are Cosby himself and the alleged victims.

But they seem to be coming out of the woodwork, alleged rape victims, that is.

Rich individuals and corporations often settle lawsuits that may have no merit but may cause much financial drain and bad publicity with financial arrangements to those who file them. Sometimes or all of the time lawyers get the bulk of the money — much more than the alleged injured party.

And let’s be realistic right here: whatever the truth in the ongoing Cosby scandal is, it is not going to come from his lawyers. The lawyers are not being paid to tell the truth, just to protect the client. If they do speak the truth, that is just incidental.

In Cosby’s case, it seems that paying off one of his accusers (and her lawyers) is actually working against him. He has denied any wrongdoing, but only through his lawyers, as I understand. In an interview on NPR when confronted with the allegations, Cosby chose complete silence.

Now for the average Joe, silence might be right. I mean asking a guy when is he going to stop beating his wife, as the old line goes, with no proof or even reason to expect it ever happened is unfair. I mean how do you answer such a question? Even addressing it makes you seem defensive/guilty. But Cosby is not your average Joe. He is a highly successful and rich entertainer. And he has made a living out of being Mr. Clean and out of encouraging young black men to go the straight and narrow and not walk around with their pants dragging the ground (and of course this is now the custom of many non blacks).

Part of the current flap flared up when a YouTube video of a young black comedian dissing Cosby, flat-out calling him a “rapist”, went viral on the net.

No doubt with his squeaky-clean image and his constant scolding of young black men, Cosby has become the subject of much schadenfreude.

I don’t know what to think. I’m not a big Cosby fan, but I did enjoy his TV programs and when I was a teenager I enjoyed his comedy records, especially the one where he said his parents couldn’t afford a baby sitter so they put him in a crib in the middle of the room and told him to stay there and that thousands of snakes were crawling around in the room. But poor little Cosby had a problem. “Snakes I have to go to the bathroom; don’t you bite me. Well okay, maybe a snaky lick.” (Despite the quote marks maybe not exactly the wording of the joke, but something like that.)

If that were his only problem now. He was in the process of making a big splash comeback on the entertainment scene in his old age. Now several projects have been cancelled either by him or by producers/sponsors or all concerned.

Cosby is either getting a deserved payback or is subject to a terrible injustice. But his silence is not much of a defense.

 

Maybe it’s time to quit supporting Israel (the unjust home demolishing)

After just reading a story about Israeli forces demolishing a Palestinian apartment, and damaging others, destroying the home of an accused Palestinian terrorist, thus reviving a long-standing policy of home demolitions of those suspected of terrorism, I have to ask the question: should the United States quit sending aid to Israel, and should we strongly condemn their actions, and really should we not totally rethink our attitude toward that state?

No, I am not anti-Jewish and I am not pro-Palestinian. On that I am neutral.

But the policy of destroying homes violates all civilized norms. We’re not talking some kind of war operation where the army advances into enemy territory and in the process civilian homes are destroyed. We are talking about a government demolishing homes of its own citizens. There is no trial, simply what amounts to “collective punishment”. I mean in the process of demolishing apartment buildings, whole families, most or many of whom may have nothing whatsoever to do with the terrorist acts, other than they might be of the same ethnicity of the terrorists, are left homeless and may be killed or injured in the process.

I don’t think the United States can resolve the decades-old Israeli/Palestinian dispute (it began about the time I was born and continues today 65 years and change later). I do think the United States should consider washing its hands of the whole mess.

If we feel we are somehow responsible in that we helped create the modern state of Israel — helped make it possible — then perhaps we should simply demand that Israel recognize fully a separate Palestinian state as a condition of any continued backing.

Each party almost dies and then is reborn; some thoughts on issues

Blogger’s Note: What follows is a slightly revised version of a recent post, deleting a somewhat meaningless intro:

Every time one of our two major political parties suffers a major loss at the polls, the political obituaries are written — that is that one of them is dead or dying.

But they always come back to life.

I think one problem is that neither party represents the just plain middle of the road working people. One party prefers rich people and people who make money out of nothing and on the backs of others and the other party bends over backwards to help people who contribute nothing but does so in the name of helping the less fortunate. So the broad base of the electorate must thrash back and forth looking for someone to represent them.

Currently the Democrats are in shock over losing so big in the mid terms. And the Republicans, who won big time, taking control of the senate and adding to their majority in the house, are in disarray, with the ongoing internal struggle between the party mainstream and the so-called Tea Party.

If we had a parliamentary system the Tea Party might become a power in its own right,  but in our constitutional federal structure we seem to only be able to accommodate two major parties, with an occasional independent lawmaker who still must figure out whether to caucus with the Democrats or Republicans.

I think the Democrats lost because so many people are frustrated and maybe not all for the same reasons. But what else can you do if you are not satisfied with the government you have or the way things seem to be going? You vote someone or some party out and the other in. In addition, maybe some of the incumbents forgot that all politics is local, especially in mid terms. You have to take care of the home folks, and let them know it.

I have little complaint. The economy, I don’t know. My personal economy is fine. That is to say any problems I have are mostly of my own doing and I am resigned to live with that. I am fortunate to have full-time employment and have had for years. Since I am not in the upper tax bracket, taxes are an annoyance I suppose, but not a major problem. I personally think the income tax could be done away with and should be because too much time and effort and expense is put into collecting it and auditing it and so on. And it is highly unfair, in that so many people pay and so many others do not, due to questionable loopholes and downright cheating. But something would have to replace the income tax — national sales tax, value added taxes, as examples.

Foreign policy: I simply think the United States is a superpower and should act like one and that we don’t dare lose that status because then we would lose control over our lives, and there are those who would want to even scores. But we cannot afford to get bogged down in wars and we cannot expect everyone in the world to live like us. We can set the example and let the rest of the world figure out what they want to do. There are times when we have to act in our own interests and we must use everything at our disposal or be prepared to.

Social issues: we are in a time of profound change in social ways and mores. Much of it is good. And really government should not have to be overly involved in the personal lives of citizens. Birth control and sex lives are personal issues and unless there is some compelling public interest they should stay personal.

And I will say this about homosexuality: I accept that it is a fact of life — some people are apparently born that way, and to the extent it does not interfere with the lives of others not so inclined it is a part of personal freedom. But that does not mean we have to promote it in our schools. Children should not be taught to embrace or revile it. They need to be aware of it. It would be nice if politicians ignored it and quit using it as something to distract voters from other issues.

Obamacare: Another thing the Republicans, the tea baggers in particular, use as a smokescreen to cover up their own weaknesses. I mean it is simply a program to provide health care to the American people. Whether it is good one or not, time will tell. And yes, it can be changed if need be. It could even be rescinded in total, in theory anyway. But that would seem to do nothing more than add confusion to something that is already deeply confusing. There is really no such thing as free health care. I mean someone has to pay for it. It is in everyone’s interests to have all of us healthy. And to the extent we can, we should all pay our share. How we go about doing that is a question. But a vote was taken and a bill was passed and we have what is referred to as Obamacare, but is technically called the Affordable Care Act. Those politicians who are so smug and so critical of Obamacare and call is socialism didn’t mind you and I paying for their health plans did they? For my own part, Obamacare has not affected me directly, as far as I know, and I suspect that might be the same with a lot of people. To some, however, it may well have opened up an opportunity to have some kind of a health plan.

—————-

I wrote that preceding paragraph several days ago. About Obamacare not affecting me: I don’t know. I recently made changes to my own health coverage involving the fact that I am on Medicare and that my company insurance premium would jump too high because of my age. So like so many other people, I now have Medicare (for which I do pay a certain amount — it’s not free you know) and a privately-purchased (not from my company) supplement. I noticed that after I changed my insurance information my doctor sent me a bill for my past visit a lot quicker than normally. I have no idea whatsoever whether this had anything to do with Obamacare, but I did get the impression from comments from the office staff that they are not big fans of Obamacare. But I am not on Obamacare. But I think doctors are worried it is just another way of squeezing their own income.

And I have written this before, but we have a dearth of statesmen. We have pretty boys and girls and many blowhards.

Hopefully someone will emerge for the 2016 presidential election who will catch our imagination and who will actually have some substance. I for one would prefer proven experience.

I think we ought to go back to older, more mature leaders. On-the-job training is not a good thing for someone to be leader of the free world. Meantime Obamacare opponents are challenging the Affordable Care Act Law over the wording about federal subsidies. It would take another and more carefully thought out post to explain this one, but I’ll just say that really some people just oppose any scheme that would help who they see as “other people” and not themselves. But in reality Obamacare probably helps more people than it might hurt. And like I said, it can be amended.

 

Now is not the time to be kicking out experienced personnel in the military…

Ironies of ironies, just as there is talk that the administration might have to put “boots on the ground” in Iraq, the Army is kicking out officers who planned to make a career of the service. Some of them will lose their officer pay and revert to enlisted pay as they retire because they don’t have enough time in grade. Enlisted soldiers are also being given the heave-ho.

It’s not easy making a career in the service. You give up a lot. I know. Well that is to say I spent three years in there, nominally with the idea of a career, but it was not for me. But the up side is or has been job security, medical and other benefits, and good and dependable retirement after only 20 years, although some go longer.

But now the government is breaking promises to those who chose this different, often difficult, and most dangerous these days, way of life.

Who to blame…

I’m not sure, but whomever has been instrumental in setting this all up, to include the president and congress and both major parties and the army and even the American people, I am sure share blame.

With all the danger in the world today, most notably at this time that posed by the likes of ISIS (a.k.a. ISIL), the super violent totally inhumane offshoot of Al Qaeda (not that Al Qaeda wasn’t the same) and talk of having to go back to Iraq, one would think this is the wrong time to be cutting into the experienced cadre of officers and enlisted personnel. We need the experience, the men and woman, from the lowliest private to the higher ups.

And how do you attract high quality people in the future when you break your promises and potential candidates see that?

It is true, oh so true, that we have squandered too much blood and treasure already in the Middle East, but those were policy decisions. And the fact is there is an existential threat posed by the forces of terror world-wide.

We are also the United States of America. We are the greatest power that has ever existed on earth and the good news is that for the most part our intentions have been good — although at times that last point could be argued somewhat. No one, no nation is perfect. But even when we went the wrong way, most of us thought it was for good intentions — but sometimes the road to hell is paved with good intentions — and how’s that for a cliché?

Certainly we need efficiency in our military. But now is not the time to cut personnel. The American people should not let this happen or continue. Think about the consequences. Aggressors or potential aggressors can smell weakness…

P.s.

The story that inspired this post was one I read on the New York Times website. It said that soldiers who served in Iraq and who worked their way up from the enlisted ranks, as opposed to coming out of West Point were the ones feeling the brunt of the reduction in force. The link to the Times piece follows: