This is me giving the middle finger (nnln) to capitalism

[WARNING: THIS EMAIL MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR SENSITIVE READERS OR THOSE WHO LIKE AMERICA THE WAY IT IS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!]

I have officially decided that I hate capitalism, unfortunately for now I don't have a better idea but give me a year or two in the sociology program and I will come up with something. But for now DOWN WITH CAPITALISM (except for Wal-Mart right now but soon down with them to [I ain't that strong yet let's not expect miracles]) !!! What has me so irritated you ask, it's U_S again. I went to my "orientation appointment" today and you could see the smoke coming out of my ears as I left. They suck as a corporation and with my powers of deconstruction ( I do realize that others can see through walls, leap tall buildings, and breathe with gills under water...but they all wear tights and how comfortable can that be).
So I went over there for my 9 am orientation and when I walked in a secretary handed me a pamphlet, YES THE SAME D*MN PAMPHLET THAT WAS READ TO ME BY MISTER: "I'm here for UPS interviews at the I.C. (if you don't know what that stands for check the last blog) When I saw that I was understandably annoyed but that I could swallow. As she lackadaisically handed me the pamphlet she directed me toward a room directly in front of her. Now can I fault this woman for not getting paid enough to greet me with a good morning, No! As I walked into this room there were school room desks. When I say school room I do not mean college sized I mean school room like you would expect in junior high, in rows of three. As I looked around the room they had pictures that were supposed to give the appearance of vintage memorabilia all dedicated to promoting UPS and they company "values." One of them was a sign that discussed what a true employee stood for. Being on time was on the list which we will get to in a minute. There were other things on there like employee comradare (sp) and other things to give the appearance of a small company feel and not the capitalistic monster they really are.
Our minute later has arrived: I walked in to the building about ten minutes before we were supposed to start as I sat there waiting I sent an email and started a game of sudoku. When I finished my email I looked at the phone and noticed it was after 9am, a minute or two later a tall gentleman with a dress shirt walked in to place some pencils on the desk. Because of the environments attempts to infantalize those that were there most sat erect as he walked in. His appearance in the room was brief because as soon as he came to drop off the pens he left. For about two more minutes we waited for him to come back. When he finally came back he put in a video that he told us was the, and I quote, "the most accurate description of what it's like to work for U_S [just in case big brother is watching and I get in trouble]"
Oh the video! I would have sooner slit my wrist than watch this display of brainwashing and attempt at intimidation. Two of the main characters were Black and the third was in dispute. All these three talked about was how hard the work was and how when management said work harder you did because you want to please them so they can see that you are working hard. The Black woman in the video talked about how important it was to her that her boss knew she was doing a good job. After the video ended I thought about the traditional type of people that apply for UPS, usually people in school or people in desperate need for money. If this is really the case then why are those in charge of making this video assuming these people are stupid? I don't know if it's that they really think they are stupid but rather trying to enforce a working class hierarchy.
The main contention of this video was not individuality or creativity but rather obedience to authority and blind subservience. Additionally they felt that it was completely within their right to assume a certain educational level of the applicants watching the video. My problem with this is that the amount of education you have does not dictate intelligence. The problem with America today is that we have these archaic notions of what intelligence looks like and how many letters it requires you to have behind your name. Most of those who are reading have family members who are without college degrees but have still made it work. What I mean by made it work is supported a family on one income. Raised successful children who have met societies so-called standards for intelligence by going to college even though they themselves did not get to go. Loved their children as much as humanly possible with the baggage their carry from their own upbringing. THEY MADE IT WORK. And what I am amazed by is that they made it work in our society...the way that it currently is. I am not so naive as to think that this ...I don't even know what to call it...dumbing down of manual labor employees is new, it can't be because they sure seem to have perfected it into an art, so those we know that made it work had to endure years of this from snot nose supervisors fresh out of college who thought they knew everything.
The whole thing is degrading! When we finished the video and he came back in the room two minutes later he handed us a paper he wanted us to complete. In his continued efforts to alienate all intelligent thought from the room he ordered us not to write on it yet till he told us to. ARE YOU [EXPLICATIVE] KIDDING ME!?! There was no one in that room who was under 18 and from the way it looked no one under 21. I have not had a piece of paper placed in front of me and told not to touch it since grade school. Once we were allowed to touch it, which was mind you after he let the "class " "borrow (which he made poignantly clear that he wanted directly back after we were finished)" some brown U_S pens, we were only to write as far as we were instructed. I am almost good and positive that those that were in the room had experienced filling out employee paperwork, as such could have done so WITHOUT explicit instruction. But alas he continued on.
The final straw for me was when he asked if anyone had any questions. I had two but only asked the second after he expressed a frustration that no one wanted to ask him anything. ARE YOU FOR REAL!?! You just spent 20 or so minutes of my life trying to make me feel like a child and reinforce your notions of my stupidity and NOW you want to know if I have questions. Why would anyone in that room feel comfortable asking anything?
I'm getting worked up again. As I walked out I gave the receptionist my pamphlet back, letting her know I had already received one and didn't need two. Instead of being grateful for my attempts to save company paraphernalia she took it and continued her informal phone call. Now I realize that is classist of me to expect gratitude for a small insignificant act so maybe we are even but what tips the scales back in my favor is that they waisted almost 30 minutes of my life for free! I'm not sure what irritates me more, the fact they took advantage of people who need work or the fact that I'm dumb enough to continue to go back in for a job I don't really need that badly. What also makes the scales lop-sided in my favor is the final declaration of Mr. Nice Shirt who informed us that it would take two weeks to schedule the next step of the hiring process which would be an unpaid tour of the facility. EVEN AFTER THE TOUR THEY STILL DON'T HAVE TO HIRE YOU!!!
Ok so let me conclude. I want to say that what's wrong with America is not the poor who bust their but for pennies every day. It's not the laborers who are incessantly demeaned and then lectured by the middle class about merit, hard work, success, and their interconnectedness. It is not the other than English language speakers who attempt to preserve their native language with their children, because of Englishes infiltration in all other aspects of their life, but get dirty looks from others who make under their breath snide remarks about how they need to learn the language. The problem with America are those who think a hard days work builds character. bullshit a hard days work often earns the laborer little money and even less respect. The problem with America is million dollar companies who pay people they expect to work 5 hours a day not stop without air condition or a more than ten minute break as little as possible with the promise of "promotion within the company." BULLSHIT! If these non-air conditioned over worked people get hurt before they make it into management what then?The problem with America is a system that is structured to beat the life, creativity, drive, and motivation out of people because it is not conducive to a "group work environment." BULLSHIT and we claim to be made about gays marrying because we are a country founded on Christian values. There is NOTHING Christian about exploitation. There is nothing Christian about those who have a lot getting a hell of a lot more at the expense of those who have a little ( I know that is the same as exploitation but I'm on a role and if I stop now you wont get the gist of how angry I am ;0) ! And there is definitely nothing Christian about the problem of race we still have in this country and how the majority of its occupants are still wondering if its really still a problem.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: TO ALL WHITE FOLKS...YES AMERICA IS STILL A RACIST COUNTRY!!! I would assert the most racist in all the world.
Ok this is getting lengthy so I'll stop. In closing: THIS IS ME GIVING THE MIDDLE FINGER TO CAPITALISM

nnln