>Jim,
>
>>I feel that "the powers" have constructed things so that we are simply powerless pawns who are constantly set up to argue amonst each other about the accuracy of the predicted future.
>
>Gee, that sure sounds like a typical "victim mentality" -- everything is someone else's fault, usually someone either more powerful or rich than the victim.
>
>Man, how can anyone manage to get anything accomplished with such a doom and gloom viewpoint? My advice to anyone in that condition is, Don't be a victim... pick yourself up and do something. Start a business, do some volunteer work, find a job and do your best until you work your way up, save money even if it's just a little at a time and then launch your own company... anything except sit around whining...
>
>Sorry if that's too direct, but too many people enjoy being victims -- in fact, entire cultures these days are built on the concept. It's much easier than actually taking responsibility, setting some goals, and working until they happen.

"I may be paranoid, but it doesn't mean they aren't out to get me", said Henry Kissinger.

You see, I'm on both sides of the fence on this one - I don't have the victim mentality, even though I'd have many reason to have it. I'm probably the only person in the States with a fourth H-1B visa (don't know whether it counts as an achievement or as trouble, though).

This still doesn't mean that I don't think the system is set up to reverse whatever the working class has achieved in the last 150 years. Just look at what's going on - beginning with Reagan/Thacher in the eighties. And then, with the fall of the communism, the capitalism has lost its substantial ingredient, the competition. It is becoming a monopoly, just like it was in the XIX century. What happened with the 8-8-8 that was the big thing people were fighting for (eight hours of work, rest, sleep)? We're getting more exempt categories of workers, so more and more people are actually working more than eight hours for free. This doesn't get into any statistics when average wage is computed.

What happened with health care? Instead of care, it's turned into a huge business (at least here, the rest of the world's capitalist countries have a different opinion on that).

And Jim is right about the unions - the freedom of association is very endangered as soon as the association is among the working people.

I could go on and on about this - but that's not whining. That's assessing the problem before doing something about it.