:: The Rational Radical Blog ::

Monday, June 09, 2003

Not atypical of the sad-sacks who write to me was this gentleman, who works 80 hours a week and makes less than $33,000 a year, yet is vehement in defense of the system which screws him:

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!
SAME, LAME BLEEDING HEART CLICHES I'VE HEARD BEFORE.

ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE SHOULD GO OUT AND GET A JOB THAT OFFERS HEALTH INSURANCE.

I ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, BUT YOU ARE WRONG. I WORK 8 HOURS A WEEK FOR $9.25 AN HOUR, MY WIFE AND I RAISE 2 KIDS, AND PULL IN LESS THAN $33,000 A YEAR. WE LIVE FROM PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK WE BOTH HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, SO LIKE I SAID (I SAY THIS TO ANY BLEEDING HEART WHO WANTS A HANDOUT) QUIT BITCHING ABOUT IT, AND GO GET A JOB. IT IS POSSIBLE TO STAND ON YOUR OWN LEGS.

THAT'S THE FACTS, LIVE WITH IT!!!

I wanted to reply in a humane way, so I asked my friend to suggest a response. He gave me one which I used, and reproduced directly below is my answering email to the 80 hour/week wageslave:

I wanted to reply without insulting you, and asked a friend for the best way to do so, and this is what he came up with (by the way, I have health insurance, it's not me that I'm concerned about):

Me:
How'd you like to suggest to me how i could respond to this guy, essentially asking him how he could be so economically screwed by the ruling class and be so vicious and vehement in their defense.

My friend's reply:
I don't know what to tell this person, other than he's in the bottom 10% of the wealth bracket not because he refuses to work and work hard and not because he works less hard than others, but because...because...and now you have to explain the complicated economic landscape and the daily manipulations that go on largely behind the scenes, doling out billions in subsidies, transfers, grants and legislative benefits, and the extensive network of lobbyists that make sure the special interests they represent continue to receive an ever-larger share of his work product while corporate management siphons off the rest, all the while creating a growing underclass of people with little hope of pulling themselves out of the quagmire created by this avaricious system, As well, point out to him that this quagmire is writ large on the global landscape, and it leaves in its wake untold misery and suffering the corporate media refuses to cover. Point out that he doesn't realize how trapped he is and that barring a miracle he'll remain trapped, regardless of how hard he works. The conundrum is how to point out the hopelessness of his predicament without making him feel hopeless and therefore resistant to listening with an open mind to a description of things that is indeed so bleak it's a marvel anyone can muster the energy to ponder it for more than a few seconds.

Jack Clark 2:06 PM [+]   
Post #95480389