This blog is a ground-view of how this unemployed American who's chronologically challenged deals with this unfortunately historic time; what I see, feel, how I deal with it and what I see others who are facing the unemployment situation are doing. And because I volunteer at a non-profit group in my city that helps people trying to get back into the non-viable capitalist system that seems to be trying to kill us, I see a lot.
Call me 50-X.
[I thought paraphrasing a classic like Moby Dick would be an appropriate way to start this blog. I’m also referencing the recent Newsweek article titled “Beached White Male”. Which I found to be a racist and derogatory title, but more on that in a later blog.]
I chose 50-X for a couple of reasons. First, yes I am over 50. And unemployed. And a 99er. And facing the Deadly Darkest Depths of Mordor which is also known as clinical depression. But in my pseudonym I’m also trying to recall Malcolm-X. Not that I’m really enamored with him, I was always a Martin Luther King guy. But I’ve always wondered if MLK’s message would have gotten to the ears of power (white-bread, middle-class folks who only pay attention to politics the week before an election) without the raging of Malcolm. If that’s the case, then I just hope I can justify myself to his legacy and rage just as well.
I am not giving my real name, but before you dare to call me a coward consider what is going on here: this is a capitalist society. If you choose to live in this country you also choose to live in the capitalistic society – that’s just fact. And before I got laid-off the capitalistic society worked for me: I cared about my school-work, I got a couple of advanced degrees, I went to work and contributed to the world, I took care of my friends and family, I gave to charity when I could, and I paid my taxes. I followed all the rules I’ve been taught since day 1. And then one day the capitalist society stopped working for me. And even though the “system” doesn’t work for me anymore and I’ve seen it trying to basically destroy not only me but people within my age group, I’m still trying to get back in. So if you are on the other side (HR people) looking to hire one out of 100 people applying to the same job, would you want to hire some guy who’s ranting about how unfair our beloved American Way is? (BTW, HR people, you can expect a lot of crap from me in the future!) So you can question my sanity in trying to get back into the capitalistic system as it currently stands, but don’t call me a coward. Just being pragmatic.
So this blog will be a ground-view of this unfortunately historic time; what I see, feel, how I deal with it and what I see others who are facing the unemployment situation are doing. And because I volunteer at a non-profit group in my city that helps people trying to get back into the previously mentioned capitalist system but have not looked for a job in a long time, I see a lot.
Also, because I plan on raging as best I can, do not expect a totally objective opinion here.
Advice to my Brothers and Sisters
First, I have to say something to the folks who are in the same boat as me. If you are four-score or over, trying your best to face down the darkness of losing your job, your pride, your sanity, your finances that you spent decades trying to build up, possibly your relationships with friends or family, and possibly your entire reason for being, then you are my brother or sister. I too deal with those same problems every day, and have for years. And I encounter people who are just now facing the same bleak challenges some of us have been facing for a long time. I smile, commiserate, and offer what help I can. I can help these newbies on how to look for a job in today’s social media landscape. I can try to help them get some of their self-confidence back. But that’s it. If I had jobs to give out I would gladly give out thousands of jobs to these hard-working American treasures that helped build this country, who now come up in tears and ask for a thread of hope. My probably pitiful advice? Get out of the house, off the internet looking for a job that’s going to have hundreds of resumes sent to it anyway, and TALK TO US PEOPLE FACE TO FACE WHO ARE IN THE SAME BOAT.
And realize that being unemployed IS NOT YOUR FAULT. This country’s big into assigning blame. [Doesn’t mean I don’t also, or follow people who do too like Paul Krugman and Arianna Huffington. BTW, I’ve had the hots for you for a long time. No, not you Paul.] And it doesn’t help that one of the republican’s favorite sayings is “get a job!” I want to punch those people in the face. It’s not my fault that I don’t have a job, nor is it yours if you don’t have one. The capitalistic system failed us. Whose fault is that?
Frankly, I don’t care.
Advice to Everyone Else
Yes, I said I don’t care who’s at fault for our bad economy that continues its jobless recovery. This blog blames both democrats and republicans equally, but I’m sure I’ll razz the latter more. Sorry, but these days you guys are just so damn easy to pummel. But I really want to say in the most sincere way is GOD DAMIT, JUST FIX IT!!! I don’t care if the economic problems really started with Clinton loosening up the regulations with banks, I don’t care if the current unemployment problem started with Bush. I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care. I just want to work again. But after years of staring the beast in the face every day, something that the economist Robert Reich said struck home – that democrats say one thing, republicans say the other, and the white-bread, middle-class folks who only pay attention to politics the week before an election always figure we need a divided government so one party doesn’t control everything, so that we can meet a 50 / 50 compromise. Well, tell me, have we as a country accomplished more in the 2 years before the mid-term election when we had supposed one party rule, or after, when we had a divided government with republican input? Having a 50 / 50 compromise is not always the answer; sometimes one side is right and the other wrong.
I'm Asking for Help
A friend of mine pointed out that these days us usually white-collar professional types who happen to be over 40 are one of the most ignored groups in the U.S. today. The latest figures show the average jobless spell now lasts a year for us older workers. If you’re a blue-collar worker and talented at building roads or bridges, there’s the stimulus package aimed towards you. If you are white-collar and still have a job, you and our blue-collar friends are working and probably scared about keeping the work you have. If you’re wealthy, I don’t want to talk to you. But one other way I’m coping with unemployment is getting together with like-minded friends and trying to do something. I realize this community is full of activists (oooh, socialist-sounding phrase!) so I’m asking for assistance here. The group we are trying to put together will do some activist/lobbying/education work about workers who are over 40, unemployed, and not trying to violently overthrow the government of the United States but instead trying to get back into the system that left us jobless in the first place. Any advice or help you experts at activism you can give me would be most appreciated. Because I’m shitty at throwing real rocks in anger at a government’s injustice like they do in countries in the Middle East. But I swear, there are days where I don’t know what’s worse, facing my own monsters or looking into the eyes of someone my same age or older who’s in tears because they’re going to lose their house/spouse/you-name-it all because they can’t find employment. And I’m sick of it.