Misdirected Optimism

Before I share some seemingly pessimistic and insensitive commentary, that is written in a hope of helping motivate you, let me say that I understand and I relate:

I too am pissed off about not getting stuff I don’t deserve. I don’t like many aspects of what I have to do in order to obtain the kind of life I want for my family.

But I have no other options. I’m just not pretty enough for porn.

Now that we have the Vladville tone firmly established, let me share a post from Facebook that I thing highlights the challenge of compromise in corporate America – and how it transcends the plight of minimum wage and is even present in every day mental handicap of many people you may have working with you across all levels of income.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2013/11/18/walmart-store-holding-thanksgiving-charity-food-drive-for-its-own-employees/

Mixed feelings on this one… Yes, it’s sad. Yes, that is what happens on minimum wage and it’s sad. But if that is not the incentive NOT to stay at the bottom and show 0 effort then I don’t know what is. No, not everyone can be a CEO and not everyone is going to get to waste 4 years in college, but “I do my job, give me more than you agreed to pay me for it” is not going to end well. That IMHO is the true “entitlement” in USA, expecting more for not doing more — not the food stamps that help people that get stuck in minimum wage temporarily.

Now every time you post something about doing the bare minimum the defense points from the more compassionate people are always the same: 1. Minimum wage is not livable wage 2. Many people cannot afford to move to a place where there is more demand and thus higher pay for unskilled labor 3. Employers should just pay people more. Fair points but unrealistic in the economy and legal system we have – income disparity is in place to reward people who can maximize profits. End of conversation, you can disagree with it and bitch and moan about it’s unfairness but it’s all about the highest score at the end of the game and nothing else matters.

Now, I shared the above in the typical Vlad compassionate way and was told the following:

“This store is 5 minutes from our house, and it says a lot more to me about opportunities here, than Walmart’s wage structure. We are a community engulfed in brain drain, it’s not that people don’t strive to provide for themselves, but far too many of them have to leave here to accomplish it. I’m sure you are not often accused of being an optimist Vlad, but incentive and hard work don’t seem to be worth as much here.”

The key word is “here”: If your work is not being rewarded then you need to get the fuck out of “here” and move elsewhere.

The Solution To Economic Class Warfare

Walmart is not an inherently evil corporation, it is an American corporation that behaves in the same soulless way that they all do: their job is to maximize corporate profits that are reinvested in further growth or dispersed as dividends to it’s shareholders who spend it, donate it, reinvest it or otherwise. In order for Walmart to continue to grow it needs more demand and more people.

Raising pay would be a suicidal move for Walmart because it would impact it’s margins or raise the cost of goods sold which would make it less competitive with Target/etc. So don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

The only way Walmart, McDonalds and other minimum wage sweatshops will raise their wages is if there is less available labor that is willing to work for minimum wage. And how do people stop working for Walmart? Education, moving to an area with more opportunities, starting up a business, etc – it starts with people not willing to put up with shit deciding to make a change.

But most people don’t want to be inconvenienced: I like where I live. My family is nearby. I don’t have the time to get a degree or enroll in a vocational program. I don’t want to move. I don’t like those hours that pay more because I want to spend time with family. Insert $WHINING $BITCHING $MOANING, it’s someone else’s fault.

And you see, fellow Walmart Associate and everyone else unhappy with their pay, it is not someone else’s fault that you are making excuses instead of doing something. That is not injustice, that’s your inability to accept inconvenience and sacrifice. If you look around a little and see a whole bunch of people doing better than you.. unless you are surrounded by Kardashians, those people had to go through a lot to get where they are and they feel very little sympathy for you.

Wishing and hoping and praying may make you feel better but that temporary comfort will not change things or make them any better. As much as it may appear that some folks have it easy, barring something illegal, in this country we work for rewards. Yes, the more you work the more disproportionately you get compensated eventually compared to those who show no effort at all, but knowing that fact.. right now.. you have the opportunity to do absolutely nothing or do something.

An optimistic person would tell you the truth and implore you to work harder towards what you want. A pessimist would blame something instead of doing anything.