The ability to survive is rapidly becoming a major concern for 99.9% of people. Globalization is just another word for cheap labor. Inflation is rampant and exacerbated by traders in commodities who switched from speculating in real estate because they destroyed its value.
In the meantime they managed to destroy the only equity most people have, their homes. And they have no stake in whether or not a person is forced out of their home. I don't want to get into a convoluted discussion about the ideology of the "free market", securitization, the cheap cost of lending and a paper trail that leads nowhere.
America, the land of profit over people. In fact, people are an obstacle to profit and are therefore expendable.
What about the social contract? What about broken faith? These issues don't stop at our border. They are global problems.
Enough ranting. In today's NY Times, the article Squeezed In Europe describes the misery of two-income families who see their lives descending into a spiral of rising prices and dampened wages. For the first time, they don't think things will improve in the future.
People describe their desperation to keep the wolf from the door. A teacher in France and a director of documentaries in Spain, separately allude to the French Revolution. They know who is actually benefiting:
"In France, when you can't afford a baguette anymore, you know you're in trouble," Ms. Renard [teacher] said one recent evening in her kitchen, as her partner [a postal worker] measured powdered milk for the 13-month-old son. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION STARTED WITH BREAD RIOTS."
14 years ago Maria Salgado, the director, made almost the same wages she makes now:
"The well-to-do middle class has become the tight middle class," she said. "I'm surprised we haven't started a revolution."
These people are not ignorant of what is going on and who is benefiting. Axel Marceau, a 41-year-old schoolteacher living outside of Frankfurt, said:
"[A] new class of bankers, executives and other high earners has taken over. I feel like we've been in a slow process of losing to the people up top."
But the unions say they will no longer accept the deal that they sacrifice so the others profit:
"The idea that 'I will sacrifice to save my job' is dying," said Ralf Berchthold, a spokesman with Ver.di, the largest services union in Germany. "People are ready to fight now."
Let's storm the Bastille!