Creating Jobs

I've seen this expression plastered over the news for a whole decade now. Being unemployed (hitherto permanently,) I have never once thought to turn to a government office for help finding employment. My main reasoning being that everything else they touch becomes so convoluted and wrapped in red tape that I have this terrible mental image of walking into an unemployment office and drowning in bullshit. Pardon my French. The idea of excessive bureaucracy pains me in a way that I can only describe as "emotional asphyxiation." By the time I'm through with all of it, my energy is gone and I feel less motivated than I did before (My main experience with this being attending a State university and drowning in not only federal bullshit ((they tend to leave me alone because I don't make any money,)) but also in the State of California's bullshit ((which, I hadn't noticed until moving back to Texas, is a nightmare.)) What they say is true, if you can make it in California I guess you can make it anywhere... I guess unless you're looking to grow or distribute marijuana or are allergic to the cold (in which case my suggestion of moving to Boulder just won't do.) Anyway, sorry for the momentary sidetrack, but the point that I was getting at was jobs. I'm biased on this, my opinion having been enstilled in me by my father from years and years ago, but it's my opinion nevertheless. I believe it is the Government's job to help us, to protect us and to serve us, but they cannot be relied on for creating jobs. I think my logic behind this is pretty simple- Businessmen with capital create jobs because they have the resources to do so. The government does not need to have the resources necessary to provide people with jobs in order to accomplish their job, which is to serve us citizens, including the people who CAN help to create jobs- the entrepreneurs, the pioneers upon whose toils and labors this nation's legacy has risen from the dust. As you can see here: , the federal government clearly disagrees with me. If my taxes were coming out of my own pocket, I'd be pretty upset that what's passing has little to do with what I voted for. Financial regulation is great (when necessary), but why is my money (or rather, my parents money, since I have none) going to go to getting some other schmuck a job when I don't even have one? As an unemployed young American, I'm a little angsty over this.

And in case any of you are thinking that I'm complaining about unemployment without grounds, I applied to five jobs yesterday alone, and plan on keeping at it until I finally get one. I don't need help. I think that if anyone SHOULD be getting help on my level, it's ex-cons. I understand the implications of helping former criminals, but I also legitimately think that it would help to do the most good. These people need therapeutic reintegration, not a stigma that will keep them repopulating the prison system. When I was watching Obama's q&a in Ohio this weekend I was disappointed at how he floundered when an ex-convict asked what he should do about a job. I really do believe that a lot of these people are the ones that need the most help, lots of them have never been employed and come from broken homes and have no idea of the rewards of becoming a functioning, contributing member of society. I'll keep my Black Cross opinions to myself at this juncture, but I'm sure we'll get around to talking about in the future.

Ciao for now,
T-Dub

Corporate Spending and the Government

Today, the supreme court overturned policy limiting corporate spending in candidate elections, reports Adam Liptak of the New York Times (article available here: ). The decision was a close one, getting a 5-4 ruling from the bench. The concerns posed against the decision were based on corporate money flooding the government and "corrupting democracy." Please, as if our democracy has any face left to save on that front (just ask your local congressman or senator who their favorite lobbyist to play golf with on the weekends is.) My opinion on the subject? Maybe if the government accepts huge corporate bribes they can stop harassing individuals for money. I agree with the decision that limiting a corporation's contribution to any campaign effort would be a vindication of free speech, however on that same wave I believe that every American has given up on their fellow citizen's sense of personal responsibility. The social contract upon which this nation's political infrastructure is based is broken and irreparable. Before all of you start hating on me for dissing the Constitution please just take this into account: When the founding fathers were initially framing the constitution they had no idea that the world was going to be facing mass overpopulation by now, hell, they probably didn't even know if the United States was still going to be around (how often do you think 224 years in advance? Never. Am I right?) They had no concept of things like nuclear warfare or the internet. So as much as I hate letting the government get away with anything (their whole point is to protect and serve us, not vice versa, remember?), I recognize the need to make allowances. Corporations pouring money into whomever they please is fine provided both that everyone involved in said corporation who is going to be paying to have their opinion heard is held accountable for every dollar spent, and that the citizens digesting the propaganda that they spew out is held accountable for being informed about their decisions. There, my friends, I find a break in the system. No such accountability is anywhere to be found. Not in the corporations, not in the government, and, to my American chagrin, most certainly not in the people. Sad as this is to say, we've reached a point where we deserve to be swindled. Those who have the will to fight back (against the corporations that they hate so much) are not willing to fight fire with fire. They are afraid to infiltrate and change the system they think is broken for fear of "becoming like them (I mean the people with the money of course, the corporations, etc.)." Um, if becoming like them means equipping ourselves as well as they do, then screw this. I'd rather work for them. The public protest, as a manner of voicing your opinion is all but dead. No one listens to the messages being yelled in the streets except for the people in the streets. Who knows, maybe what honest-hearted rebels fighting corporate greed need is a mercenary- someone of flexible allegiance who knows how to take on their opponent with an intimate knowledge of how they work. As Sun Tzu said, know your enemy. So at the moment I favor the decision to allow corporations to throw facefuls of money into the government provided I get my bailout check when the time comes.

The Introduction

This bit of perfunctory fluff is for your own edification in order to make your time reading my blog more tolerable. Yes I said tolerable, not enjoyable. I think that before I pour all of my ramblings (the opinions in which will be obscured, muddled, and without a doubt convoluted) into your head, it is only fair that I give you some sort of basic insight into the head that they are pouring out of. My name is Tyler and I was born here in Austin, my travels have brought me into relatably close quarters with various social issues that can be controversial at best and at worse times have made irrefutable changes to my life (things like domestic violence which I have no personal experience with but have close ties to people who do, and drug abuse which I, personally, have a little more to say about.) I am not an outspoken person in the public eye, I tend to keep my thoughts to myself because I'm paranoid (whilst sober, at least.) While most of the thoughts that I keep to myself are judgment oriented, I'm not a judgmental person. I may have something snide to say, but chances are that my commentary has little to do with any lasting impression that a person has made on me and more to do with personal entertainment. I forgive more than I permit, and I have a tendency towards overreaction. As a culmination to this post, I would like to apologize in advance to everyone I offend with my remarks and commentary. Now that I'm caffeinated, I bid you a fond adieu, and I look forward to any and all feedback.