America is Waking Up -Capitalism Hits Home

Dr. Fraad traces some of the reasons why people are refusing low wage jobs right now, and observes the way Americans have become more class consciousness and aware of the low quality of living in the United States.

"America is waking up and starting to realize, because of the terrible mishandling of this pandemic, we have only four percent of the world's population and 20 percent of the world's deaths from COVID and no public health care. And also, a recession. People are starting to say no. And they're starting to unite together. There are more strikes this year than any other year since 2001. In the last 20 years, because people are realizing what we have. We keep this place going. We are essential and we're not paid a living wage. We can't live on what we get, and we have a right to stand together and make changes."

This is a clip from Capitalism Hits Home [S04E06] "Why Are 9.2 Million US Jobs Open?"
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Capitalism Hits Home with Dr. Harriet Fraad addresses the intersection of capitalism, class, and personal lives, and explores what is happening in the economic realm and its impact on our individual and social psychology.

[matthew]

Since 1973, the value of wages have been frozen and productivity has continued to increase. So much for hard work paying off

[severdislike]

Empires in decline, in rapid decline at that, have historically not gone out peacefully. They fight, kick, and scream at the behest of their aristocracies, whatever name they take, "Not like this" as they become irrelevant on the global stage.

The populous, the un-monied masses, the landless, may look inward and say "We could change, we can fix this" which will be met by increasingly brutal military / police / mandate of violence crackdowns each time an attempt is made.

It is a rare thing for a dying empire to throw off the boot of it's parasitizing gentry, and I can hope America will. The population of the US was more than willing to fight and die against it's military and police forces once, the last major expansion of the labor movement a century ago, it's well past time to remember that radical history again and remember the extremely blunt fact of "No action but direct action has ever worked."

[wnklee]

America is NOT waking up. Only this lady is waking up.

[bloodybonescomic]

This video is extra special to me. This lady is about my age (+ or-) and she has a great grasp on reality.
Because most generally people my age who have, like myself, achieved at least a modicium of success, are generally clueless.
We are waking up. That waking up is where our true hope lies. Only revolution can change things.
"Poverty exists, not because we can't feed the poor but because we can't satisfy the rich."

[oldfan]

2:21 - "Land of Opportunity" my ass.

[tamarabartolo]

Exactly that is what we all need to do is stand together and fight back!

[steventan]

Solidarity of the working class is essential for any meaningful reforms to happen and America needs more political parties, not just Democrat and Republican. May be a Socialist Party or a Communist Party can lead the way.

[warrenwoodruff]

Why are nurse unions and police unions and other unions fighting vaxcine mandates? They should have started the mandates. If unions are to be good for America they need to solve their internal problems.

[sweepthelegjohnny]

The oligarchy can no longer claim that people are living beyond their means when they are denied the means to live. We have to debt finance basic items needed to survive while other countries institute sensible tax policies on the wealthy. Well said. No matter how hard MSM tries to paper over reality and separate the masses from their senses and common sense, people are, in fact, starting to wake up.

[JohnSmith-vmrx]

Covid percentage you mentioned sounds like our prison percentage

[jimmysparks]

Too late... it's all gone... it just hasn't hit us yet....

[lysmykyta]

except for 1 time, I stopped voting after I voted for Obama. he was a huge disappointment. our wages became even more deflated during his 2 terms, jobs continued to be outsourced, right wing talking heads ranted against unions, "socialized" health care. As far as I am concerned, there is not much difference between the parties. I had to re-register to vote and voted for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primaries. look how that turned out. the democrat party establishment was terrified that Sanders would win and did every thing to make sue he did not.

[nancyk]

I'm one of those people who lost their home. Not one single late payment in 22 years and they took my home. I paid all the interest and was on the home stretch to pay down the principle when the crash of 2008 hit. I live in Michigan, the rust belt. Not a job to be found, anywhere. No jobs. Thank you President Obama. I had the experience of going into a homeless shelter. I lost everything. My home, my 401K, my savings. Now Social Security may disappear during my retirement. My father fought in WWII, my mother came out of Hitler's concentration camps. NeoLiberals have destroyed this country.

[cheongwenpa]

The role of government is to ensure capitalists and workers each get their fair share of a prospering enconomy. However the American system has evolved into balancing the interest of the Old Industry Capitalist vs New Industry capitalists . The workers are not represented.

[bradypustridactylus]

When will it return to normal? The recent developments in Texas show us that the normal is irreparably damaged. Once we realize that looking to the past where we eked out our lives at the mercy of overlords is longer an option, we can build a better world.

[JoseLopez-ysoz]

Educate ourselves to realize that we must be able to control the surplus generated by our work. Real democracy is doing just that. The absence of that is just an illusion of democracy.

[picandvideo]

Hope and change will only come by regime change. USA is in serious trouble.

[TRAVELLEROFWORLDS]

This video has what the world needs-the truth.

[TC-eoeb]

I was once a union worker in a factory for 12 years. The company I worked for had unskilled labor (machine tenders) as well as skilled labor i.e. machinists and tool and die makers. Each department had a 5 step wage scale negotiated by the union. A new hire could reach step 5 in the pay scale in 5 years. Reaching the top of the pay scale had less to do with merit and more to do with seniority. Plenty of lazy workers eventually reached the top of the pay scale. achiever

[kjchard]

i had a home through 2008. Never missed a mortgage payment or credit card payment. I live responsibly and within my means. Peace!