A major topic within many American communities now days is the topic of Health Care. I feel we are focusing way too much on the broad aspect on health care and I am wondering if our politicians are looking into why so many working adults do not have health care. There are a variety of reasons, some considered valid and some considered wrong (subjective of course) but there is one business practice that I feel is one of the wrong reasons; that is the practice of large lucrative companies that hire long term contract employees (basically permanent temps.
There is no doubt that the reason for this practice is to avoid paying for benefits (such as health care) or sick pay and can save a company thousands of dollars. This may be fine for smaller companies that could not afford to lose so much; but what about the larger companies whose CEO's are bringing in record profits of multi-million dollars? The argument largely relies on the idea of consent. Most managers will remind you that you agreed to this and they may even deliver you the infamous line of "If you don't like it here, then go work somewhere else."
However as I normally believe that nothing in this world is that simple and here is something to think about. That is the idea of hegemony. The dictionary defines hegemony as simply influence or authority over others, however hegemony mainly means domination or slavery by consent. The slaves or people being dominated consent to being enslaved because they know that their choices are limited.
So as far as office contract workers go, they agree to the contract because their choices are limited; especially in this economy, one most likely does not have the resources to drop everything and find another job. These companies know this and use this to hire contract employees without paying them benefits. Of course now days people every where who are employed should be thankful to have a job; but I still feel it is wrong for companies to take advantage of the average worker in this fashion.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tiffannies Tips for the Moderate Voter
On Tuesday November 2nd, we will be voting for our governors, senators, representatives and other branches of local government. Why should we vote in the mid-term elections? Because the people up for office in the mid-term elections affect our daily lives way more than the president ever will. As our country becomes more polarized by the empty kettle Democrats and Republicans, it can be difficult for the dedicated moderates to keep from choosing sides and staying neutral. Here are a few things I practice and keep in mind to stay level headed and to try and vote responsibly.
Tip #1Know your values
Before figuring out who you want to vote for you first need to think of which political issues are most important to you and which don't seem like that big of a deal to you. Knowing where you stand on issues and the ones that are important to you are especially critical for a moderate who may agree with one issue on the candidates platform but disagree on another issue with the same candidate.
Tip #2:Vote for people, not parties.
I realize this is easier said than done, however if you look at each candidate individually you will find that not every candidate agrees with their party on every single issue. Also, each Candidate has a back story which can help you identify where they are coming from and how they came to be where they are today.
Tip #3:Do your research
Of course looking for the right candidate shouldn't feel like studying for a mid-term exam (no pun intended), but there are little things you can do in your spare time to educate yourself on your candidates. I personally find reading the candidates platforms and backgrounds on their personal website helpful. If you are able to talk to some of your candidates personally just to get a feel for them. Also watching interviews and debates can also be helpful to figure out where your candidates stand.
Tip #4:Ignore Political Commercials
TV commercials are the worst place to get information on the running candidates. Even the commercials that aren't all about slandering the other candidate tend to be exaggerated and lacking of crucial information. If possible, go as far as to walk away from the TV or at least press the mute button when these commercials are on because even looking at them can slightly askew your view. Also another thing to keep in mind, not all of these commercials are endorsed by a candidate; various lobby and interest groups also create TV commercials.
Tip #5:Disregard political buzzwords
Just because your so-called friend may call you a fascist for leaning a little to the conservative side or a bleeding heart, socialist, communist Marxist for leaning towards the liberal side doesn't mean you should take it to heart or even take it as an insult. These are emotionally charged buzzwords to make you feel guilty for being who you are. Many people who use these words may not even know what they really mean. Think about it, how many of your acquaintances that use the term "Marxist" have ever read Karl Marx? Probably not many. I find that most people who use this vocab on a regular basis are less interested in politics and more like drama or like to fight and find that politics are an easy outlet for that. A level headed Conservative, Liberal or Moderate will not use insults and know how to agree to disagree.
Tip #6:It's OKAY to vote for Independent candidates
My biggest political pet peeve (other than the name calling) is when someone tells me that if I vote for the Independent candidate, then I am wasting my vote. It is true that they are less likely to win, however one of the main reasons why that is true is because people have been told they are wasting their vote if they vote for independents. By all means, if both the major party candidates seem like pawns and you actually like an Independent candidate, take a stand and give them your vote. Maybe then more people will take a stand and vote for who they want and not who they are told to vote for.
Despite popular belief that Moderates are indecisive and flaky, we know the truth. We want level headed solutions and we want to take the good ideas from both of our nations political sides to make something even better. We realize that opinions are subjective and we try our best to respect the opinions that differ from our own. I feel that we need to be just as present in the voting booths as our party member counterparts.
Tip #1Know your values
Before figuring out who you want to vote for you first need to think of which political issues are most important to you and which don't seem like that big of a deal to you. Knowing where you stand on issues and the ones that are important to you are especially critical for a moderate who may agree with one issue on the candidates platform but disagree on another issue with the same candidate.
Tip #2:Vote for people, not parties.
I realize this is easier said than done, however if you look at each candidate individually you will find that not every candidate agrees with their party on every single issue. Also, each Candidate has a back story which can help you identify where they are coming from and how they came to be where they are today.
Tip #3:Do your research
Of course looking for the right candidate shouldn't feel like studying for a mid-term exam (no pun intended), but there are little things you can do in your spare time to educate yourself on your candidates. I personally find reading the candidates platforms and backgrounds on their personal website helpful. If you are able to talk to some of your candidates personally just to get a feel for them. Also watching interviews and debates can also be helpful to figure out where your candidates stand.
Tip #4:Ignore Political Commercials
TV commercials are the worst place to get information on the running candidates. Even the commercials that aren't all about slandering the other candidate tend to be exaggerated and lacking of crucial information. If possible, go as far as to walk away from the TV or at least press the mute button when these commercials are on because even looking at them can slightly askew your view. Also another thing to keep in mind, not all of these commercials are endorsed by a candidate; various lobby and interest groups also create TV commercials.
Tip #5:Disregard political buzzwords
Just because your so-called friend may call you a fascist for leaning a little to the conservative side or a bleeding heart, socialist, communist Marxist for leaning towards the liberal side doesn't mean you should take it to heart or even take it as an insult. These are emotionally charged buzzwords to make you feel guilty for being who you are. Many people who use these words may not even know what they really mean. Think about it, how many of your acquaintances that use the term "Marxist" have ever read Karl Marx? Probably not many. I find that most people who use this vocab on a regular basis are less interested in politics and more like drama or like to fight and find that politics are an easy outlet for that. A level headed Conservative, Liberal or Moderate will not use insults and know how to agree to disagree.
Tip #6:It's OKAY to vote for Independent candidates
My biggest political pet peeve (other than the name calling) is when someone tells me that if I vote for the Independent candidate, then I am wasting my vote. It is true that they are less likely to win, however one of the main reasons why that is true is because people have been told they are wasting their vote if they vote for independents. By all means, if both the major party candidates seem like pawns and you actually like an Independent candidate, take a stand and give them your vote. Maybe then more people will take a stand and vote for who they want and not who they are told to vote for.
Despite popular belief that Moderates are indecisive and flaky, we know the truth. We want level headed solutions and we want to take the good ideas from both of our nations political sides to make something even better. We realize that opinions are subjective and we try our best to respect the opinions that differ from our own. I feel that we need to be just as present in the voting booths as our party member counterparts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)