The Illusion of Choices In an Irrational Time
I have a dear friend who is known to say “Well, that’s what you chose”. when he is uncomfortable with a conversation.
The last few days, I have been mulling the concept of choices,usually an action we make because we have come to an impasse, where just cruising along is no longer workable. I am amused by people who plan endlessly, because like as not, you end up having to steer around, climb over or go through something that stands in your way. The shortest distance between two points might well be a straight line, but life isn’t like that. There is too much that we DON’T choose.
And then of course, you are faced with choices resulting from the unforeseen, and even unforeseeable circumstances.
Since ACA was passed, there are flurries of individuals who swear it is socialist evil, raised their insurance rates, and created chaos that NEVER existed before in healthcare. (Right, kids…keep believing that.) They will explain that people don’t DESERVE healthcare, unless they are willing to work harder to get it. They are CHOOSING to not have it, so therefore, tough shit if they sicken and die.
Um.
Seriously? When fewer employers offer health insurance, or worse, offer crappy bare bones policies that have insane deductibles? When the cost of housing, once regarded as affordable when it only took 30 percent of your income is now more than 50 percent, income is getting spare. In my state, you can count on losing 30 percent to state and federal taxes. (Not complaining…you get more bang for your tax dollars here.) So 50 percent and 30 percent make 80 percent of your income gone…leaving 20 percent for everything else. Is that worker actually CHOOSING not to have insurance? Or is fiscal reality forcing them to skip it?
According to the state, minimum wage will purchase a rental exactly nowhere in the US. And before you start that bullshit about it was never intended as a living wage, I suggest you check your facts. It was instituted in the 30’s, when companies started reducing their employees wages BELOW what people needed for bare living. The argument was that with so many workers needing jobs, they could replace you more cheaply, and someone else might accept the lower wage out of desperation. The minimum wage was fought bitterly, because it was suggested that workers would become lazy, and unmotivated…yadda yadda. It succeeded because the economy became so lopsided, that even the well to do and companies started to feel the pinch. When the vast majority has nothing, they purchase nothing. But that isn’t choice. It’s reality.
Millennials are now facing crushing debt, not only from school loans, but credit cards. And before you go all judgy, kindly not that their average income is 30K a year. The estimated average debt of this demographic (aged 25–35) is 28–34K…NOT counting college debt. Again…they are not choosing to be poor. They don’t lack ambition, skills, or motivation. But 30 years of reduced wages, and corporate greed have eroded the wage level to the point of nearly eliminating the middle class.
Can we PLEASE stop pretending this is a choice made by individuals?
The Millennials went to college believing it would be needed to find decent employment. (Sorry…but they were raised with that notion.) They came out, trailing huge debt, to find few full time positions, and stagnant wages. An employer offering 30 hours a week still expects your devotion. They want you to ask permission to seek another job to be worked simultaneously. They use flex time to their advantage, not yours. And you can “choose” to work for someone else…who might be doing the same thing. Or you can “choose” to get another degree, borrowing even more money, hoping THAT gets you employed.
Or you can chose to be over 50. Employers have sneaky ways of weeding out applicants based on age. When software is employed, it can be programmed to ignore resumes that feature more than 10 years of experience, or more than 15 years since your last college degree. If no one in HR ever sees your resume, they can’t be accused of age discrimination. The older, experienced applicant isn’t “choosing” to be ignored. But they are.
The LGBT community isn’t choosing to be Gay, Trans, or Bi…they simply are. But enough mouth breathing, socially stunted fascists will insist that it is a choice…despite science to the contrary, because JESUS. (who never said a word on the topic, BTW.)
Crappy things happen throughout life, that aren’t anything anyone ever chose, so pretending that good choices, or better choices make all the difference is absurd. Circumstances change, and that really GOOD choice you made 2 years back becomes a shitstorm. No one told you to have a baby. No one told you to buy a house. No one told you to have a car accident, or marry someone who might get cancer, or got dementia, or had substance issues you CHOSE that, they insist.
No. We didn’t. We chose to live. There is NEVER a perfect time, nor any guarantees in life, granted. But it is absolute arrogance to tell someone they chose wrong, because that’s really shorthand for “Sucks to be you.”
Namaste.
