One in seven Americans short of food.
In the late days of the 19th century, industrialist robber barons viciously resisted labor unions or any attempts at creating food security. A common sentiment was, "we must keep people hungry, otherwise they will not be sufficiently motivated to labor in our factories."
It seems the robber barons of the early 21st century share a similar sentiment. Except that there are no longer any factories for the hungry to labor in for their daily bread, but hey, there is a shortage of nannies and gardeners, if we reduce the standard of living enough maybe our elites won't even have to import Mexicans for those jobs!
-- Badtux the "Same old same old" Penguin
Calaveras County sort of stopped counting at 20% unemployed. Haven't needed food stamps in 38 years but it was really easy to get them this time. One small sheet of paper and a bank statement, got them the next day. I applaud the county for what they are trying to do which is feed us .
ReplyDeleteAt this point I would love to be a gardner for some Robber Baron , any income is better than none. Know any Barons that need a servant?
the Times they are a changing ...
w3ski
I've been wondering when the Spanish-speaking immigrants would begin to be seen as too demanding of high (over minimum-wage-law-required) wages.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm in NC, imperial home of pig farm barons!
Thanks for your reporting.
S
My image of the "conservative" model for America has been either 20th century So. American banana republic or 11th century European feudalism. Just this week, while reading Krugman's "Conscience of a Liberal" is struck me that it's 1890 - 1920 U S of A.
ReplyDeleteThey do want us to be hungry enugh - not to work in their factories, but as w3ski has so conveniently illustrated, be their servants.
No FDR on the horizon, alas. We are SO fucked.
Yours in misery,
JzB
Don't recall ever being without food a day in my life. Maybe not a lot but always something.
ReplyDeleteNow I have food I moved here with eleven years ago. Considering where I live I don't picture running out of food for the rest of my days on this rock.
I'm surrounded by bounty.
Don't recall ever being without food a day in my life. Maybe not a lot but always something.
ReplyDeleteNow I have food I moved here with eleven years ago. Considering where I live I don't picture running out of food for the rest of my days on this rock.
I'm surrounded by bounty, even though I may have to go into the mountains for it.
I know folks that are in deep shit and lack food and in danger of having their electricity turned off and things like that, but a lot of it is due to their lack of planning and not listening to me telling this was coming.
If I recall correctly, a callous comment from a royal about a shortage of food led to a revolution... "let them eat cake." At least once in history, robber barons did not get their way (unless the guillotine was their fondest hope).
ReplyDelete