I have just taken a test to discover my ‘Slavery footprint‘ – not something one considers daily as we go about our lives missing out the undeniable truth that, as long as we participate in a system that is abusive and doesn’t take the well-being of all into considerations, we are ‘de facto’ the Employers of Slaves.

Our direct participation is causing problems on the other side of the equation, the race for ever lower prices, bargain huntings, outlets, as our wages go down, as our purchasing power goes down and we do nothing about it, either because we have not yet invested the time to understand how it all works or because we are too tired or just too lazy to become involved in changing this system for all, someone on the production line has to give up money we are no longer willing or able to pay into a product.

One simple point about production is that when prices are low, impossibly low in fact, there must be something missing in the cost calculation, you can bet that the bonuses for those on top are counted for, the raw materials must be counted for, packaging and shipment, check, so the only thing left that we can use to diminish prices is to diminish wages, oh wait, better, get slaves so they have no wage at all.

This is basically how we are driving this world into a state of despair, we hear about the Fast Food workers whose wages are not fit for a living, that is certainly unacceptable, obviously though these workers and many more, who don’t have enough to get by, will be looking for the cheapest products available, and we can bet, products in which there is not a built-in ‘living wage’ for those that manufactured them and when they are ridiculously low then we must know someone is not been paid at all, because so far, in our ludicrous management models, we seem to have come up only with this one solution as the ultimate cost saving grace, to cut wages at the bottom.

We are about to face another problem, goods manufacturers who are now sick and tired to face the wrath of those working that don’t make enough to live -and dare complaining about it-, are planning to lay them off and replace them with technology, we can’t blame them, because we have a systemic problem here that we need to address and from their high up position, close to the sky, their view is clouded by their wealth, in a sort of Marie Antoinette way, who told the people who complained they could not eat bread, to eat croissants instead.

Maybe this is why we still read in the news people like the Koch brothers saying that The Poor have it too easy and they should stop complaining.

So, how are The Poor having it too easy, may I ask?

Poverty is a condition that refers to the general dearth of material possessions or money that prevents people from having access to basic human needs such as food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, health care, and education. It is a sad fact of life that in the richest nation in the history of the world, an inordinately high number of Americans live in abject poverty and do not have the means to provide their families with fundamentally basic needs of food, shelter, or healthcare.

This must sound like an exciting way to live and bestow on others, maybe as I said the problem is that the rich who are drafting policies on how we should manage wealth, on who should be squeezed by taxes while some hide their money in fiscal paradises, on how we should spend public money, giving preference to ‘Defense Programs’ that aim to arm people that then go round the world bullying those that did not have the capacity to invest equally in ‘defending themselves’, instead of investing in public well-fare and public well-being, are making the rules alone -and this is no longer acceptable.

On the other hand who left them in charge? Today I read a comment about an Italian guy that joined a meet up of the Movement 5 Star, a party that is aiming to reform the system, who was amazed at how people are organizing themselves, rewriting Laws and participating in this change that we will have to bring about from the bottom up, he concluded by stating ‘where was I when those people were working for change – enough with the fuckitol attitude, let’s get involved’ and this is the point.

It is out lack of involvement that allows the world to function as it does, Greed is a disease, we have people at the helm who are diseased as in sick and need our support to steer the world in the right direction.

This will not happen by praying or hoping by the way, it requires our direct involvement.

Today I discovered I very likely have 63 slaves working for me in the world? How?

Count everything we have that is the product of slavery somewhere in the world, gold, precious stones, electronics, cotton, food, you can just about put anything in the list because almost everything is manufactured in Third World Countries where wages are pathetic and so are human living standards.

So, how long can we accept such a world, how long can we pretend that we are not participating in the worst of the worse just because slavery is kept away from our eyes, without considering the economic slavery we have to live with day in and day out that we accept without even raising an eyebrow, I would say it’s plenty enough.

We have worked out a minor change to the system that would guarantee that this system can set on a self correction course, it is obvious that guaranteeing a living to All must become a non negotiable point as in a Basic Human Right, the rest can be adjusted as we go, as the Elite falls from Grace once the bottom gives in – just because they failed to consider that they were sitting ON those at the bottom to reach the sky from which they have become unable to stay in touch with the reality of many.

It is not just Charles Koch, another wealthy CEO, Bud Konheim, said just last month that “We’ve got a country that the poverty level is wealth in 99% of the rest of the world, so we’re talking about woe is me, woe is us, woe is this. The guy that’s making, oh my God, he’s making $35,000 a year, why don’t we try that out in India or some countries we can’t even name. China, anyplace, the guy is wealthy.

First, it is important to note that poverty, at least relative poverty, is generally defined by reputable economists contextually as economic inequality in the location or society in which people live, and in that context, it is likely that more than half of the American population is living in poverty. Charles Koch completely disagrees and last year his foundation produced a commercial stating that a family earning $34,000 annually are part of the richest one-percent in the world; especially when compared to developing third world nations and countries such as China and India where the majority of the population lives in absolute squalor.

If the measure of poverty in America was not based on economic necessities for living standards during the 1950s and 1960s and applied to living costs today, the federal poverty level would exceed three times the current levels meaning that over half the nation is living below poverty.

Imagine that, some did not notice that Americans are no longer in 1950/1960 and they are NOT living in China or any other Third World Country.

Those seem pretty big point to miss out in a speech, unless the speech was tailor-made to prove a point that cannot be proven in any way, because there is the Wonderland of the Rich and then there is the Reality of those that know that they don’t have enough to cover their basic needs – they don’t need to think about it, they just need to see the empty wallet and be sure they are not making that up.

We need a solution that will come swiftly and with the least possible resistance, some should realize soon that the system is unsustainable even for the rich and that giving those at the bottom a solid living will guarantee their ability to sit on top – to sit ON them in fact and prevent them from fading away, out of the picture and have the top tumbling down like the house of cards it is.

We have designed such solution, it is called a Living Income Guaranteed, it will make sure that every single person on the planet is supported and enabled to access their Human Right to LIVE (amazing we are still at the stage to have to spell out that Living itself should be a human right), it will come in waves as each country embraces this simple solution, so wherever you are, consider getting involved, sponsor it, take it all the way to Parliament, have it voted, do whatever you can within your capacity to bring it about because it will not only solve the problem of a living, it will solve the violence and anger that is boiling up and that will come to a point where no one will have enough ground to stop, we better stop it now through bringing about A Solution.

You can check out how many Slaves work for you Here, see the magnitude of the problematic world we live in, take responsibility for the role we play and then do your part to change it to a world that works for All. Join us.

Economist’s Journey To Life

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