From: ghost_of_morphy@poorconfusedstewie.com   
      
   As I said, my response was simplistic as well(although not as simplistic as   
   the idea I was replying to), and you have certainly touched on one of the   
   problems with it.   
      
   "Pagan"  wrote in message   
   news:vua3rds9o8co24@corp.supernews.com...   
   > "Morphy's ghost"  wrote in message   
   > news:bz%Eb.1964$Ol1.180@bignews3.bellsouth.net...   
   > > OK, since nadacomin has obviously reached a conclusion that won't let   
   him   
   > > answer your questions seriously, I'll take over for him.   
   > >   
   > > First of all, the post was obviously stating a fictitious situation that   
   > is   
   > > slightly (but only slightly) exaggerated.   
   > >   
   > > The post describes one bad day.  Everyone has bad days at work.   
   Everyone   
   > > has days in which things don't go the way they plan.  Yet most of us   
   > > responsible people work through this instead of running from it.   
   > >   
   > > < > working for minimum wage">>   
   > >   
   > > What is wrong with this mentality is that, while the world does not owe   
   us   
   > a   
   > > living, an employer DOES owe us reasonable working conditions.  Of   
   course,   
   > > the issue is really a lot more complicated than my statement also, but   
   my   
   > > statement is at least far more accurate than yours.   
   >   
   > The problem here is, we need a definition of "decent working conditions",   
   > which is only accurately defined by the person subject to those   
   conditions.   
   >   
   > For example, having to work 18 hours straight, with no breaks, no   
   overtime,   
   > no escape from foul weather, no significant protective devices in place,   
   and   
   > nothing to look forward to the next day except more of the same, sounds   
   like   
   > pretty crappy working conditions, and they can get worse in the military,   
   > however, millions of people have stepped right up to do it, and more do it   
   > every day.  Personally, I didn't dig it, so I left.   
   >   
   > Now,  though, I pretty much compare it to every job I've had since, and so   
   > find little reason to bitch.  Others who haven't seen service often   
   complain   
   > about our current conditions, while I can easily say it's the best job   
   I've   
   > ever had.   
   >   
   > I've seen reporters and activists get all excited over far better working   
   > conditions than I've put up with.  I find this odd.   
   >   
   > Anyway, what pops in my mind is a programs, maybe 60 Minutes, showed a   
   young   
   > boy in some third world country, barefoot, going through used syringes for   
   > some reason.  They pointed at this and claimed them horrible working   
   > conditions.  "This boy should be in school, he should be wearing shoes, he   
   > should be paid a decent wage, he should have protection from the needles,   
   > blah blah blah.  What they failed to mention was there were no schools he   
   > could go to, the economy was practically nonexistent in his area, and he   
   > considered himself very lucky to get that job, so he could buy food for   
   his   
   > family.  This reporter/activist obviously didn't give a damn that, without   
   > this job, this boy would be at home, starving along with his family.f   
   >   
   > I guess it all comes down to perspective.   
   >   
   > Pagan   
   >   
   > >   
   > > From: "Pavel Brown"    
   > > Subject: Re: The REAL blam blam blam....   
   > > Date: Friday, December 19, 2003 11:41 PM   
   > >   
   > > In article <20031219231842.15398.00001464@mb-m04.aol.com>,   
   > >  nadacomin@aol.com (Nadacomin) wrote:   
   > >   
   > > >   
   > > > Pavel writes:   
   > > >   
   > > > >So why doesn't she quit?   
   > > > >   
   > > > >P.   
   > > >   
   > > > Is this the old "McDonalds is hiring" slam that is leveled at any   
   > > > "disgruntled   
   > > > employees"?   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > > ??????????????????   
   > >   
   > > I don't recall saying anything about McDonalds... and I'm not slamming   
   > > corrections workers, disgruntled or otherwise. I do have a problem with   
   > > people who create problems for themselves, and others, through their   
   > > sense of entitlement (and lack of responsibility) though.   
   > >   
   > >   
   > > She hates her job right? The inmates are scum and she hates them too.   
   > > The working conditions are lousy. What is keeping her there then? You   
   > > are seriously saying that this fictitious woman is incapable of   
   > > obtaining employment anywhere else?   
   > >   
   > > OR   
   > >   
   > > Is she tolerating the conditions because the job provides her with a   
   > > decent salary and benefits which enable her to enjoy a fairly good   
   > > quality of life? Because if that is the case, then she is making a   
   > > conscious and informed decision to make sacrifices in exchange for a   
   > > better salary than she would earn at the local coffee shop. Alot of   
   > > people do that (nursing aids who wipe feces, sewer workers, morgue   
   > > attendants, CPS, miners, firemen, etc.) and we don't tolerate their   
   > > bellyaching. "The world doesn't owe you a living" we tell them, "try   
   > > working for minimum wage". It is only because we are allowed to despise   
   > > offenders that this kind of talk is acceptable from a group of people   
   > > making 30K+ per year. Try talking this talk as a soldier (another lousy   
   > > and thankless job) and see how long people put up with it.   
   > >   
   > > Our fictitious CO can hate whomever she wants in her own heart, but she   
   > > chose to be paid to wear the brass. She's a professional, and she needs   
   > > to act like one. She's also an adult, and she's responsible for her   
   > > decisions (like we tell the offenders).   
   > >   
   > > Look... I work with offenders too. I know it is hard. I know that it is   
   > > predominantly thankless. I know that it is often underpaid and   
   > > disrespected. Nobody falls into this type of work though. It is a   
   > > deliberate decision... and it's a deliberate decison to stay.   
   > >   
   > >   
   > > P.   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > > > Well, yes, McDonalds is hiring.   
   > > > But, if you work there, you almost have to supplement your income with   
   > > some   
   > > > kind of welfare benefits.   
   > >   
   > >   
   > > So in that case I suppose you should be thankful you have a decent   
   > > paying job.   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > > > If the, the departments   
   > > > of   
   > > > corrections would not be able to recruit hardly anybody, with the   
   > working   
   > > > conditions that exist now.   
   > >   
   > >   
   > > Maybe so, but the auto plants, the steel mills, etc, are not still   
   > > hiring. Sorry friend, but that is the reality of the world we live in.   
   > > We need to adapt to survive.   
   > >   
   > >   
   >   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)