I saw an episode of Seinfeld the other day and it made me realize why Trump can win the election. The episode was called The Strike, and in it, the audience learns that in 1985 Kramer worked at a bagel shop at which the workers went on strike demanding $5.75 an hour. In 1997, twelve years later, the minimum wage hit $5.75 an hour and he went back to work.
The reason this rang true with me is because that is what is going on in the world right now. People are not demanding much, but they are demanding their opportunity back -economic and otherwise.
Economically, whether you just graduated high school and are seeking a higher minimum wage, or you have an MBA but cannot find anything but "on the come" jobs that don't really pay a salary or benefits, the opportunity in this country has vanished.
That is not to say that there are not still a vast number of people still living the American dream. If you had a good job before the financial crisis, and you survived the cull, you probably have a good job afterwards. Maybe better. But if you had a good job before the financial crisis, and were among the slaughtered, your job has not been recreated. It is forever gone.
Nor is it to say that there are not some great jobs for someone PROVIDED they have an ever narrowing, specific skillset AND they live in the right city, AND are willing to work for a multinational company. If you reside in this shrinking concentric circle of qualifications, you are golden.
But if you live outside of either of those two golden nests, the world does not look like it used to. Not even close.
That is why for the first time EVER more businesses are failing than starting in the United States.
It is why the number of those on food stamps is so much higher than it was before the Financial Recession.
It is why there has been a complete loss of faith in the two most primary institutional forces in this country, Business and Government. Both have lost their God Damned minds.
This marked shift is not about a failure of capitalism or of the American People. It is a shift that has been accelerating throughout my lifetime...Somewhere along the way it has become acceptable for the leaders of each and every node of these two institutions to abuse their power for the betterment of themselves in complete dereliction of their duty. We are at the point in this country where it is not even hidden anymore.
"If you give a million dollars to the President, your concerns are valid. It doesn't even have to be your money."
"You can bank here, but only if you have $1,000,000 or more...oh...or unless we implode again."
"If you trade on inside information you will go to jail...unless you are in congress. In that case it is both legal and encouraged."
"I am proud to be a successful big business Democrat. Now sign up for Obamacare and let me know how it goes for you."
The hypocrisy and disequilibrium has hit a boiling point. The amazing thing is that it has taken this long. But, the number of Americans, like me, who love their country, but have given up the ghost, has hit the threshold. Since I neither work for big business nor big government, neither provides anything for me that I really want.
Big Business? Fees, shitty customer service, contracts, disclaimers, and inflation, advertisements.
Big Government? Rules, taxes, overbearing security forces, wars, politicians, robo-calls, propaganda, NAFTA, TPP, $60 trillion in debt...I will stop here for no other reason than I am bored.
And that, is why Trump will win this election. He will be the only candidate in history who wins the general election with most of his backers saying, "Yeah...I know. I wish he was someone else too. But I am going to vote for him even though I know it will not necessarily help the country itself...but it will help me feel better...even if it means messing up my life for a while. At least it will mess theirs up to."
You know what that sounds like? A strike. A vote for Trump is a national strike. We know it won't be pretty, we know it won't be easy, and we know it will cost us in the short run. But these fuckers who have usurped the free money and power illegally bestowed by the government used it to cement a monopoly on the opportunity this country provides owe us. Not money, per se, but opportunity.
Americans will vote for Trump this year because they are striking in order to get back to a livable minimum opportunity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS40PH3g6kA
