From the equality of rights springs identity of our highest interests; you cannot subvert your neighbor's rights without striking a dangerous blow at your own. Carl Schurz

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

It's the precariot, stupid

We hear nothing but the middle class and nothing but the middle class from politicians of all stripes. We are told ad nauseum that the middle class is hurting, BOLLOCKS, the middle class is doing just fine. well those still members of it anyway.

The people who are truly hurting and in need of some attention from our political masters is the precariot.  In the GTHA only half of those with jobs have a traditional full time job, the rest work part time , contact work or are self employed, the latter a category that has grown by 45% between 1989 and 2007, according to the Statistics Canada

A recent study found that those in precarious employment  earn about 46% less over their lifetimes as compared to those in standard employment. But the costs go much deeper than just financial.

Those forced into precarious work put off many of life's decisions, whether buying a car, a home, getting married or having children. Life's normal progression delayed or put off permanently due to the insecurity of their work situation. 

Micheline Laflèche,  of the United Way says in regards to precarious employment,
Men in particular may feel socially isolated
"Men were the ones who were much more likely to be in standard employment relationships [permanent full-time work], and they built their social relationships through their work," she says.
"They're no longer in those kinds of jobs; men are more likely to have no one to talk to."
Laflèche says people in insecure employment tend to be less engaged with their community, a trend that could weaken the fabric of Canadian life.
"It hurts our democratic commonality and our democratic values because people don't feel like they belong. We don't have a healthy society," she says.

And that is the tragedy of life today for far too many of us. We hear the economy though sluggish is doing fine, that the middle class needs help but these are lies told to mask the true face of the economy and life these days.

The truth is that far too many of us are hurting badly with no end in sight while our political class continues to double down on the the policies that have led us here, offering up solutions that serve only those who need help the least.

The majority of Canadians have been wholly abandoned to a life of misery by those elected to serve them. Stop buying the middle class meme and demand that government turn it's attention towards those truly in need.

The Precariot

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