When I first saw this group, it seemed interesting to me, because this movement reminds me of a novel I read a long time ago that was quite influential to me. That novel was “Atlas Shrugged”.
If you aren't familiar with Atlas Shrugged, it is about an increasing number of people mysteriously vanishing. It's a mystery novel at its heart.
Spoiler Alert
The reason they are disappearing? Its because they are tired of getting robbed for their efforts. They have gone on strike from working. For example, a man invents a new kind of metal, and the government takes the rights away from him because some politician's buddy owns a steel company and he doesn't want to be outcompeted.
I read a lot of posts on here that seem to always be focused on the dickheads who are their employers. Its true – there are many business owners and corporate managers who are total pieces of shit.
However, I'd like to point out what I believe is the root cause of this increasing gap between the poor and the rich. It seems like a lot of people think that “more regulation” will solve the problem of greed.
I'd like to present the idea that the opposite is actually true. Id like to present the idea that the real enemy of workers and business owners alike is Big Government, and that business owners squeezing their employees is in large part an effect of this.
Inflation has been growing like crazy over the past 100 years. What does the government do? Why, spend more and print more, of course! Its old news. Taxes have also been growing like crazy. Think about how much you actually get taxed.
Go to work? Get taxed on your income!
Spend what you have left over? Sales tax!
Or maybe you want to invest the same money you already got taxed on? Hello, capital gains tax!
You finally manage to buy a house! Sales tax. Oh yeah and every year you can pay a property tax too.
Not to mention that scam you get sucked into because the greed of the government knows no bounds: social security. Did you agree to sign up for this so-called retirement savings plan? Nope, but we are going to take more money off your check anyway!
Oh, you want to collect social security? Well sorry but theres not much left over for you – we spent all the money you “invested” – but don't worry! We'll just pay you with the money we'll take from the young new workers who just joined the workforce!
Well, with some of it. We're going to take some of that for ourselves, first.
Yes, they do use it for important things like infrastructure, police, fire departments, hospitals etc. But they also waste a extraordinary, disgustingly enormous number of dollars every year.
Corporations, watching their profits erode in response to the global inflation that the governments of the world perpetuate, put the squeeze on their employees and their customers. Is it a dick move? Sure. But there's a prior cause.
And the problem is that people think that the solution is more, bigger government to take over the industries that the private sector currently handles. So the government grows, and the problem gets worse every year.
I think the solution is smaller government and fewer regulations. It typically leads to prosperity. Anyway. Food for thought.