Greensboring.com | Greensboro, NC

Culture & Food • Re: The Immigrants that America Loves.

2013-12-12T02:16:55+00:00

Well, you do (though you're likely doomed to jail, or exile for it), it just means, either doing something you don't want to do.... like starting a revolution.... or leaving the country for a structure of society that more fits your ideal.

Unfortunately I came to the conclusion some time ago, that there's no amount of political or social influence in the U.S. strong enough to overcome the current system of controls. Without complete collapse, this country will grip to its I-phones, and flat-screens before they'll ever demand better work conditions.

Honestly the more I see of my poor working neighbor's lives, the more I wonder, how much they deserve it.

They don't fight for anything, and just complain how they wish the world would just change.

You get, what you give... and America needs to stop expecting what it hasn't earned IMHO.

Greed is America's 1st Amendment. If Americans are just going to bend over, rather than fight these capitalistic ideals of the republic, then they should expect others to stand on their back.

It's a shitty world, and America isn't changing anytime soon.... so the bottom line is, join-in on the greed, or escape to somewhere else.

Once you realize that, it all becomes a lot easier.

Statistics: Posted by Liv — Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:16 am

Culture & Food • Re: The Immigrants that America Loves.

2013-12-12T01:51:30+00:00

Liv wrote:
I absolutely agree.

However, this is a capitalist society, whereas profitability must continue to improve.

Sounds like greed to me. And one thing I think can certainly be said of all greed: It robs one of humanity. When numbers in a bank account is a higher priority than making sure human beings are accorded a basic modicum of dignity... the line of evil is crossed. I don't think I exaggerate here. What I think it sad is that nearly everyone who is a victim of this greed has learned to AGREE with the attitude of greed, think it is the way things must be.

I guess that's why I'm so unhappy so much of the time: I do NOT buy the paradigm of greed. But I have no power to actively fight it.

Statistics: Posted by SouthernFriedInfidel — Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:51 am

Culture & Food • Re: The Immigrants that America Loves.

2013-12-11T18:06:29+00:00

I absolutely agree.

However, this is a capitalist society, whereas profitability must continue to improve. On a graph, we must imagine a line towards infinity. This is what shareholders demand of business; however, it is an unreal expectation. When a company has become as efficient as possible, and has saturated the market as much as possible, when there are no other places to cut, to increase profitability, labor is what get's cut.

I went through the same exact thing at Deluxe. My peak income was close to $3,000 a month when we had incentives, commission and full pay. When I left, I was making under half that. By the time I left, we were doing the job of four other closed down call centers.

I know what you're talking about.

Meanwhile, in France, you have a 35 hour work week, 5 weeks of vacation, and pregnancy leave for both men and women.

Sounds like what you'd like is a little taste of socialism in your capitalism.

It's delicious.

Statistics: Posted by Liv — Wed Dec 11, 2013 6:06 pm

Culture & Food • Re: The Immigrants that America Loves.

2013-12-11T17:53:42+00:00

What I object to is the drive by employers for ever-higher levels of productivity. What I mean by that is that employers work to drive up their profits by minimizing their "human resources" outlay, by cutting their headcount to the point where people -- sorry... RESOURCES -- are forced to do the work of 2 or more, expected to work upwards of 60 hours with no pay past 40, and expected to do that FOREVER. And the people who object to this demand are told, "You're easily replaceable, so shut up or we'll get another unit to take up your workload."

These companies can readily afford to hire enough to give people reasonable work loads they can successfully do without such stress, and pay them enough that they could have a decent amount to spend and/or save for retirement. But that would not make for growing profits, which is ALL that matters. I'm tired to DEATH of being a resource, being an interchangeable cog that is not allowed to have a HUMAN existence in the eyes of any employer I have ever worked for.

I hear there are better companies out there somewhere. But I've never seen such a beastie in real life.

Statistics: Posted by SouthernFriedInfidel — Wed Dec 11, 2013 5:53 pm

Culture & Food • Re: The Immigrants that America Loves.

2013-12-09T14:30:46+00:00

It's a global economy SFI. If you don't speak multiple languages, aren't open to global relocation, and don't have the credentials that younger individuals do, then it's hard to compete.

The further I go in my academic career, I realize how competitive the market is. Most people graduating with a BA, and stopping are having huge difficulties finding work, and when they do, it's for not much money.

I know several people with double majors, double minors, and who have studied abroad.

It's absolutely insane, the level of competitiveness.

I'm quite certain that the southern ideal of "just enuf" will present huge problems for The South in the near future.

Statistics: Posted by Liv — Mon Dec 09, 2013 2:30 pm

Culture & Food • Re: The Immigrants that America Loves.

2013-12-09T11:20:01+00:00

Where I work, in the world of IT, the current fad is to hire foreign workers. People named "John" or "Bill" are far outnumbered by people with names like like "Akhil," "Ahmed," or "Gurdeep." Same with IT recruiters... most of the time, the people that call my cell phone leave messages that have such heavy accents, I automatically delete them, because trying to talk with such people is a far worse trial than actually trying to get a job on my own.

I just can't see why it is, if India's economy is booming and in need of talented folks, why they choose to come and flood OUR talent pool and drive down the labor market?

Statistics: Posted by SouthernFriedInfidel — Mon Dec 09, 2013 11:20 am

Culture & Food • The Immigrants that America Loves.

2013-12-09T03:19:56+00:00

iggy-azalea.jpg

A few years ago, the immigration debate was was the topic of conversation in the U.S. - Today, it's simmered down, and many immigrants left due to their own choice after the financial crisis of 2008. However, back then, many Americans were vehemently against immigrants. Asked to describe one, they would describe someone from Mexico. Never would they argue to deport William Shatner, or Michael J. Fox. Think Shania Twain is from the south, think again. Hell, half the cast from Walking Dead are foreigners, and if you haven't figured it out yet, House, isn't an American doctor in real life (our crappy health-care system doesn't have doctors that good). They're all immigrants: Jack Bauer, Christ, James Cameron, Trinity from the Matrix, yep, you guessed it.... all despicable fence jumpers here to raise your taxes and live off food-stamps. Who ever asked them to come here anyways? Aren't they just stealing REAL American's jobs?

However let's stop with this line of thought, and jump to another.

Take for instance a young girl named Amy born in New South Wales, who lived in the house that her father built of bricks of mud. At 14 years old, she pretended to be a rapper from the group T.L.C., and hung out with her friends, pretending to rap. No one took her serious, and people told her that, obviously, a white girl from Australia can't be a black rapper like she aimed to be. People teased her, and eventually she dropped out of high-school. Cleaning hotel rooms, she scraped together enough for a tiny holiday in the U.S. - A few weeks Stateside, and she called her mother to tell her that she wasn't coming home.

Of course, a white woman with an Australian accent is likely going to do better in American than a dark-skinned guy named Jesus who picks strawberries for a living and eats tacos, and she did. Despite every odd against her (except being a stereotype immigrant), living illegally in the U.S., and many people telling her that she had no talent, she become successful and famous around the world. This is that girl today: Iggy Azalea.

script

It's a story that's important to remember, especially the next time they tell you you're too white to do what you love. Do it anyways. If you win, you get a tiger on your bed.

Statistics: Posted by Liv — Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:19 am

Culture & Food • Re: Steven Moffat's Doctor Who

2013-11-24T03:54:49+00:00

Tonight's episode was AWESOME!

Best Moffat DW ever. So happy that high stakes are back!

Statistics: Posted by Liv — Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:54 am

Culture & Food • Re: Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November.

2013-11-07T20:33:55+00:00

I'm not so sure anything can save us now.

I suppose if America was smart enough to elect both a president and congress that was honorable, we could, in a short time- but, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Statistics: Posted by Liv — Thu Nov 07, 2013 8:33 pm

Culture & Food • Re: Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November.

2013-11-06T22:49:56+00:00

It may be a harbinger of good news for next year. The Democrats, however need to realize they CAN'T rely on just reminding voters about Tea Craziness. They need to have their ducks in a row for POSITIVE messages of what they want to do to solve the country's problems.

Statistics: Posted by SouthernFriedInfidel — Wed Nov 06, 2013 10:49 pm