Graph of the Day - December 24th

(Source: MaddowBlog via Robert Frank chart by way of Ezra Klein)

Vocabulary Review: "Median" does not mean average...it means exactly in the middle. If there were a total of 3 workers, it's worker in the #2 spot. If the are 101 workers, then it's worker #51. A median worker has an income smack dab in the middle of all workers. The same goes for median rent.

For Baby Boomers to insinuate that current (young) workers have it so much better off and that they are merely squandering their income on unnecessary toys is insulting and counterproductive to any discussion of economic reality. Not only do Baby Boomers as a group speak from a chronologically privileges position (older workers hold a disproportionate percentage of jobs above the median due to number of years on the job, tenure, experience, etc), they also reference their past with false equivalency.

And a note about the "standard of living" argument. This is not 1950. You can't get ahead through social networking by asking everyone you meet for a card and storing it in your Rolodex. A smart phone is a near necessity if you want to get above that median during your life. Most decent jobs now require applications complete with PDF downloads, uploads, customized cover letters, and more information about your past than one person can possibly remember. Let's not forget that just the cost of attending college has grown at a far faster pace than inflation or wages.

Monday's Song from Hell - November 14th

Not because it is an annoying song that you can't stop humming. Because music can sometimes cement itself in the minds of people and become a common expression of their values or opinions. That's why this song might become hell for those who stand in the way of the 99% of Americans who are not being served by our political, economic, and financial systems.

Now Makana's new song "We Are The Many" can be criticized as being from hell because of the very simple rhyming pattern of the verses (AAAA), but at least the end of the chorus makes clear the whole point of the Occupy Wall Street and 99% movement.

Lyrics below the video thanks to Honolulu Civil Beat.

We Are The Many Lyrics & Music by Makana Makana Music LLC © 2011

Ye come here, gather ’round the stage
The time has come for us to voice our rage
Against the ones who’ve trapped us in a cage
To steal from us the value of our wage

From underneath the vestiture of law
The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw
At liberty, the bureaucrats guffaw
And until they are purged, we won’t withdraw

We’ll occupy the streets
We’ll occupy the courts
We’ll occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

Our nation was built upon the right
Of every person to improve their plight
But laws of this Republic they rewrite
And now a few own everything in sight

They own it free of liability
They own, but they are not like you and me
Their influence dictates legality
And until they are stopped we are not free

We’ll occupy the streets
We’ll occupy the courts
We’ll occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

You enforce your monopolies with guns
While sacrificing our daughters and sons
But certain things belong to everyone
Your thievery has left the people none

So take heed of our notice to redress
We have little to lose, we must confess
Your empty words do leave us unimpressed
A growing number join us in protest

We occupy the streets
We occupy the courts
We occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

You can’t divide us into sides
And from our gaze, you cannot hide
Denial serves to amplify
And our allegiance you can’t buy

Our government is not for sale
The banks do not deserve a bail
We will not reward those who fail
We will not move till we prevail

We’ll occupy the streets
We’ll occupy the courts
We’ll occupy the offices of you
Till you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

We are the many
You are the few

Graph of the Day - September 7th

Source

It's funny how many people look back to the 5o's, 60's, and 70's with nostalgia yet they vote hard core corporatist Republican. You would think that people would figure it out that tax and economic policy matters in creating a more equitable society, one that more people enjoy living in. Income equality matters. Everyone doesn't have to make exactly the same, but everything works better when Americans are all playing in the same economy. As is, the wealthy play in completely different economies, often insulated by geography and other barriers.