Forum Post: Advertising doesn't create consumers nor does downsizing and gigging - it's JOBS stupid
Posted 4 years ago on Sept. 13, 2020, 10:02 a.m. EST by elf3
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This content is user submitted and not an official statement
No matter how much corporations, track, monitor, and exploit us for our data it doesn't change the inevitable fact that in order to buy something, one must have extra spending money. The war on the middle class continues - with the Mitchel Romney brand of downsizing and pink-slipping and now gigging of America. Wall Street does not innovate - it simply increases quarterly profits by any means necessary (which in most cases means treating labor as a loss) for the benefit a small few while the larger economy is in shambles. This is not sustainable - which also means inevitably their wealth - is an illusion set to crash.
Here is a perfect example. Rather than simply open a website to compete with Jeff Bezos, since they already have the infrastructure - UPS has wasted millions of dollars developing a failed GPS system in an attempt to solve "the traveling salesman problem" of finding the shortest most direct route which actually directs drivers to park on and waltz across a highway - since the system can't distinguish such details. This system ultimately was implemented to replace union drivers with gig drivers who can follow a GPS rather than learning routes. How much money have they also wasted investing on drones and self-driving vehicles in an attempt to replace workers. When the obvious most long term profits would have been opening a competing website to Amazon. Isn't it obvious???!!!!! For the life of me I don't understand how they can be missing this or how they have failed to get this going! Corporations have become so focused on their war on workers and on short term profits - they have completely missed the boat. They might have even marketed on the fact that these are good paying union jobs that build America strong - truck driving is the number one male job in America. Instead gig fever seems to be infecting corporations as much as the Covid protocols they refuse to implement safety measures to protect their biggest ASSET - their workers!
What has changed in America is the common disrespect of our blue collar workers and the loss of our unions. Unions built America strong. Apparently they have also become so hyper-focused on reducing "loss" by reducing workers that they forgot how to innovate.
And not some minimum wage GIG job. A job that puts food on the table and can afford an actual MORTGAGE!
Democratic politicians time and time again only throw their support at government unions (while Republicans decry all unions btw). If they continue to fail to stand up and support the private sector and private sector worker unions - they are shooting public worker unions in the foot - because how ya think they are going to keep getting paid? It is private sector workers which carry the load of our tax system - and all government worker salaries. Who is keeping this boat afloat?
What do we want - UNIONS - when do we want them - NOW!
Private sector workers deserve a decent lifestyle - we don't just keep the boat afloat we ARE the BOAT.
Data is not being used to advertise by the way - it is being used to restructure our society and construct outcomes which benefit those at the top of the pyramid. They want to stay there.
If they have to blow us up, divide us, destroy us - they either don't care or don't have the foresight to see that eventually they are going to blow themselves up too.
America this! America that!
Workers are America!!!!!!!!!!!
Wall Street is a conglomerate of international corporations (China, Saudi Arabia, Russia) They are dictating our downfall. If our workers fall - then America falls. They profit. Our country (our workers and citizens and economy) falls.
Ayn Randian economics didn't plan for the MNC. It didn't plan for outsourcing or information wars or technology. It created a model which is failing and destroying our country. The individual is working for the common good of Wall Street and a one percent wealth. The individual is being swallowed by this machine. We are in the age of Corporate Communism. Where we are all pulling the wagon for an elite few. When government and corporations have combined forces to oppress the individual. But we can stop it. We can stop it by rebuilding the wealth of the middle class and blue collar workers and rebalancing this horrific power imbalance- or we can witness our downfall and chaos which is just beginning.
When we don't have social security and strong healthy paid working class to support it - in countries where they don't - the elderly starve on the sidewalk. You can go to India and see where we are headed. Mass homelessness, toothless peasants, rail thin elderly laying facedown on a sidewalk. An inability to withstand disasters and weather storms, and as desperations grows - instability reigns. This is DEREGULATION. This is Neo-libertarianism in action. It is a caste system being pushed on our citizenry by those who will benefit on our backs.
And if you are of the passive income privileged not stopping to think of the long term consequences of this behavior - you are part of it. We have a social responsibility to our fellow humans. We have a social responsibility to actually keep America great with a STRONG LABOR DEPARTMENT AND A STRONG UNION WORKFORCE.
Trump has defunded our labor regulation boards - he has alongside Bush - set the stage for dismantling them. Without enforcement of our labor laws - there are no labor laws. He doesn't just feed the swamp he is the biggest crocodile in there.
So your job can cheat you on pay, they can force you to work overtime without compensation - they can do whatever they want to you - because without enforcement of the law - there is no law.
Government - YOU can not afford the loss of these union jobs!
If the unions go - you go! It is the middle class who supports this economy. It is the middle class who pays your salaries. It is the middle class who pays for your pensions and health care. You can stand there and let it fall or you can stand up and support strong private sector unions - without your help and active support - they don't have a voice.
You think Wall Street is going to save your fat government pension?
One may be surprised to learn that Amazon is union in many other countries. There has been a quiet war on workers which has destroyed the foundation and landscape of our once great nation. In America - a doctor and lawyer and teacher and construction worker used to be able to live in the same neighborhoods thanks to good paying union jobs. This has changed. Our country has changed and not for the better. Anti-unionization alongside outsourcing has created a system of haves and have nots. Unions were the great equalizer. This is not inevitable that we allow the current trend to continue. Unions as we saw with the baby boomers and the finest generation - create long term stable wealth not to mention a great country which people want to come to and live in. Our model was envied around the world. That model was respect for our citizens which was created from unions and respect of workers. We MUST find our way again.
Would you as a consumer be willing to support middle class jobs and workers? Would you as a consumer be willing to put the heat of competition on Jeff Bezos? Would you as a consumer support union labor and a healthy working class America?
UPS - don't bend to Bezos - Compete with him not by mistreating workers - but by innovating opening a competing fulfillment website to Amazon and using a unionized labor force as a chance to show the world what good paying jobs and good treatment of workers does for our economy and America. ?! There is a better way, and a better model to show the world. Investing in workers is a long term investment in wealth stabilization. It's sustainable wealth. It's wealth that will rebuild not just wallstreet before another inevitable crash - but one that will help rebuild the future of this country and a healthy stabilized market for investors.
The fact is there are many businesses who are stuck dealing with Bezos. He goes up on their fees like an unscrupulous landlord - even stealing their concept and competing with them and even closing down their shop when they refuse to comply with his demands. There is a market for a competing website - and there is no current company in a better position to do this - than UPS!
Bezos has got UPS distracted with drones and gig nonsense - the real thing he doesn't want them to do - is create a competing ordering website which gives consumers a choice and alternative.
Product fulfillment that is Eco- friendly (doesn't kill the rainforest?) Worker friendly? Supports a healthy American Union workforce? "Do it better than Bezos". That should be the model. Force Bezos to up treatment of his workers and our planet. Force Bezos to deal with REAL competition of an alternate choice. Make a website (how hard can it be?) Click order um...ship using your already vast pre-existing infrastructure? Maybe???! I don't know how long Abney could sit there missing the obvious but I guess those CEO brains don't turn as fast as they pretend to on their $7000.00 per hour salaries. I realize finance and imagination/ creativity don't always go hand in hand - but c'mon! How long can someone being paid this much, miss the obvious?
I live under a flight path so I can see that the amount of UPS airplanes clearly outweighs the amount of Amazon planes. You've got the infrastructure - so what exactly is the problem? Click, point, order. If I'm going to die from plane exhaust - let it be to the benefit of a healthy American labor force and a new model of workers as ASSETS.