Saturday, February 19, 2011

Will There Be A Battle Between Takers and Makers? (Nah, Not in the US...)

Will Grigg said it last year, and he said it last night in a radio program. There are two kinds of people: "Takers" and "Makers".

More and more, it is becoming clearer. It is almost surreal in the 21st century, but the world seems indeed becoming a two-class society: "Takers" who take away money, wealth from others through taxes so that they get paid for their work; and "Makers" who pay those taxes to local, state, federal, governments so that "Takers" get paid for their work and get well taken care of once they retire.

In the case of the US, "Takers" extend all the way from the occupants of the White House, Congress, courts, to federal, state, local government workers, police, firefighters, public school administrators and teachers, public librarians, and private contractors, big and small, who get a chunk of business from the "government" - federal, state, local.

(So, of course Nancy Pelosi strongly support Wisconsin public union workers. She and they are in the same boat, "Takers". After all, Ms. Pelosi has never worked a day in the private sector.)

Never mind if "Takers" may have their jobs guaranteed (in case of Wisconsin public union teachers) in this unprecedentedly severe job market , and on average "Takers" earn much more than "Makers" who have to support them.

Faces of "Takers": Wisconsin public union workers protesting against the WI governor's plan to limit their union's collective bargaining power, to have them pay more for their health care premiums, and have them contribute to their own pensions. These public union workers are protesting, claiming the governor's move will hurt kids. (How can she open her mouth that big without dislocating her jaw?)



Faces of "Takers": The Egyptian counterpart of Wisconsin public union teachers - well-fed, well-clad police demonstrating to demand better pay, while claiming it was not their fault if they beat up and killed anti-Mubarak protesters because they weren't given the proper training. They also claim they are the friends of the anti-Mubarak protesters. The photo is from February 14 Al Jazeera Live Blog. I believe they were later routed out by the protesters.



Faces of "Makers": Egyptians who drove Mubarak out of office, and who return to the streets to push the Army, another class of "Takers", for real reforms. The photo is from Al Jazeera Live Egypt Blog.



Faces of "Makers": Americans who still have jobs in the private sector, who pay taxes to local, state, and federal governments so that the public employees get their jobs, salaries, benefits, and pensions and health care for life, and who have finally decided enough is enough and risen up against "Takers"....














2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a sick load of bull. A person is a "maker" if they get wealthy stealing the products of the labor of others, CEOs and corporate scum who have become obscenely wealthy thanks to our horribly immoral economic policies don't "make" anything except money. To imply that people who work, NOT for a corporation but for the benefit of the people, for our nation, or even most nausiatingly to imply that teachers who work for our children are "takers" is just vomit. This is more despicable double-talk to try to deflect from the REAL point--we have a few obscenely wealthy people in this country paying HISTORICALLY LOW taxes, while millions don't have enough to eat, decent health care, or a place to live. Our schools are underfunded, and in order to preserve their immoral share of our nation's wealth, the bald-faced LIE that we are "broke" or "cannot afford" decent services for those in need, to pay our teachers or other public servants, or to meet our responsibilities as a remotely decent nation is being puked forth over and over again. It's a lie, a lie, a lie. We CAN and MUST afford to pay these teachers better (ignoring, as you did, that the teachers and other public servants in Wisconsin were willing to make MASSIVE concessions in wage and benefits, that this is really about just busting unions, just robbing workers of rights heroes fought and died to give the workers of this nation)
This nation isn't "broke". The debt is not a major issue, doesn't affect American families at all, is NOT some horrible thing for our children and grandchildren. The damage lowlifes like the governor of Wisconsin are causing WILL. But, if you want to pretend the deficit is a serious issue, knock yourself. Need a solution? It's painfully simple.
Stop these obscene, illegal wars and pumping billions of dollars into pentagon pork.
And stop giving America's wealthy massive tax cuts.

problem solved.

You're welcome.

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

Massive concessions and wage cuts? Now that's funny. Average salary plus benefits of $100,000 is a sacrifice? Who pay for those? Yes, your filthy rich CEOs AND ordinary taxpayers most of who don't work for governments.

In CA, a director of state parks retired with $300,000 a year pension. Chief librarian at a public library gets over $100,000 salary. Average for the non-government workers in my town? Probably less than $35,000.

Unfortunately around here in CA I don't see any evidence of public schools underfunded. They have new school facilities costing many millions of taxpayers money, tons of teachers and aids to teach kids who hardly speak English.

Your solution of cutting military budget, I agree with that to cut the federal deficit. But for state deficit, that wouldn't help much.

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