James McMurtry says it well

If you've never heard this song-- you SHOULD!

"We Can't Make it Here"Lyrics
Vietnam Vet with a cardboard sign Sitting there by the left turn lineFlag on the wheelchair flapping in the breeze One leg missing, both hands free No one's paying much mind to him The V.A. budget's stretched so thin And there's more comin' home from the Mideast war We can't make it here anymore
That big ol' building was the textile mill It fed our kids and it paid our bills But they turned us out and they closed the doors We can't make it here anymore
See all those pallets piled up on the loading dock They're just gonna set there till they rot'Cause there's nothing to ship, nothing to pack Just busted concrete and rusted tracks Empty storefronts around the square There's a needle in the gutter and glass everywhere You don't come down here 'less you're looking to score We can't make it here anymore
The bar's still open but man it's slow The tip jar's light and the register's low The bartender don't have much to say The regular crowd gets thinner each day
Some have maxed out all their credit cards Some are working two jobs and living in cars Minimum wage won't pay for a roof, won't pay for a drink If you gotta have proof just try it yourself Mr. CEO See how far 5.15 an hour will go Take a part time job at one of your stores Bet you can't make it here anymore
High school girl with a bourgeois dream Just like the pictures in the magazine She found on the floor of the laundromat A woman with kids can forget all that If she comes up pregnant what'll she do Forget the career, forget about school Can she live on faith? live on hope? High on Jesus or hooked on dope When it's way too late to just say no You can't make it here anymore
Now I'm stocking shirts in the Wal-Mart store Just like the ones we made before 'Cept this one came from Singapore I guess we can't make it here anymore
Should I hate a people for the shade of their skinOr the shape of their eyes or the shape I'm in Should I hate 'em for having our jobs today No I hate the men sent the jobs away I can see them all now, they haunt my dreams All lily white and squeaky clean They've never known want, they'll never know need Their sh@# don't stink and their kids won't bleed Their kids won't bleed in the da$% little war And we can't make it here anymore
Will work for food Will die for oil Will kill for power and to us the spoils The billionaires get to pay less tax The working poor get to fall through the cracks Let 'em eat jellybeans let 'em eat cake Let 'em eat sh$%, whatever it takes They can join the Air Force, or join the Corps If they can't make it here anymore
And that's how it is That's what we got If the president wants to admit it or not You can read it in the paper Read it on the wall Hear it on the windIf you're listening at all Get out of that limo Look us in the eye Call us on the cell phoneTell us all why
In Dayton, Ohio Or Portland, Maine Or a cotton gin out on the great high plains That's done closed down along with the school And the hospital and the swimming pool Dust devils dance in the noonday heat There's rats in the alley And trash in the street Gang graffiti on a boxcar door We can't make it here anymore
Music and lyrics © 2004 by James McMurtry

corporate corruption

One really important thing I have learned through all the heartbreaks, is this; don't determine your successes in life based on title or the size of your paycheck, but rather on the love and care you give and show to others. The higher you climb the ladder to success in the most commonly recognized rings, the more corruption you will find. The ladder to that place is made on the backs of others, remember that and know that the people at the top of the ladder, no matter how nice or charming they appear, got there by stepping on others, and you aren't immune to being one of many victims. The most effective face of evil is packaged beautifully, but what lies beneath the ribbons and bows, is pure unadulterated self service. Ever wonder why nothing is ever quite right with services you purchase? Here is the answer, No one gives a damn about their job, because no one in management gives a damn about them. Trickle down economics is a great idea, unfortunately it relies upon people not being greedy and actually sharing the wealth and benefits of the breaks given to large companies. Instead they continue to under pay, under insure, and buy another vacation home.