[quote=sdrealtor]CAR you stand alone in this battle. There are plenty of other public sector folks around here but none of them are defending these crazy things you defend. This reminds me of my old neighbor who had a barking dog we all complained about. She thought we were always bashing on her and things she had no control over. She thought we were all crazy until a bunch of us knocked on her door and explained if everyone has got a problem with what you beleive its probably you not them.[/quote]
Other public sector folks around here HAVE tried to explain how things work in the public sector. They HAVE tried to dispel the myths. They were the wise ones who realized that some people are NEVER going to change their minds, no matter how many times they are presented with FACTS that disprove their dogmatic assumptions. These other posters have wisely given up a long time ago. They have better things to do with their time, and many of them have left the blogs altogether, often because of the vitriolic posts aimed at very decent, hard-working public sector employees. I, OTOH, am obnoxiously tenacious. 😉
——————–
As to “standing alone”…
Perhaps in your experience, the minority opinion was often wrong. In my experience, it’s been the exact opposite.
Back during the internet/stock market bubble, I was going around trying to warn everyone I knew that there was a bubble. Valuations had gone up too far and too fast, and the fundamentals didn’t justify the prices under any circumstances. I was called “ignorant,” “stupid,” “envious,” a “know-nothing,” etc. I was told how people far, far smarter than I (experts, even!) had it all figued out, and that I was flat-out wrong…that I didn’t understand technology (which I don’t, but that’s beside the point). We all know how that ended.
During the housing bubble, I was accused of being “ignorant,” a “jealous, bitter renter,” “crazy,” and other choice words. A couple of realtors literally screamed at me, calling me four-letter words, when I suggested there was a bubble and that we were going to wait until prices came down. A mortgage broker who hooked my neighbor into a neg-am loan told her that he was an “expert,” and asked, “was she going to believe me (the mortgage broker), or the ‘stupid housewife across the street'”? when I was trying to warn her about the loan in 2003. You can guess how that turned out.
There wasn’t a **single** person in my “real” life who agreed that we were in the middle of a massive RE/credit bubble (my mom agreed that “prices were a bit high and might come down,” but that “real estate only goes up in the long run” — in true realtor/broker fashion). This is why Rich’s blog, and a couple of others during the early years, was such a sanity-saver. We even lost a few friendships over it when we decided to rent. They literally got angry at us because we refused to buy a new house. We know how that turned out as well.
Prior to the bubble bursting, I was trying to get people to join me in getting in front of the bailout machine, because it was obvious that the taxpayers were going to end up taking the hit if the propaganda from “above” were to get out first. I was trying to warn about the fact that the bailouts would end up extending and deepening the crisis. All the sovereign debt problems we see today were greatly exacerbated by the various global bailouts (not just talking about TARP, but everything from central bank intervention, “cash for trash” programs, “nationalization” of the toxic mortgages via govt-backed refis and guarantees, manipulation of the mortgage market via foreclosure interventions, interest rate manipulation, etc.). This one is still playing out, but I think it should be obvious by now that taxpayers and workers have gotten the shaft while the bankers have made off with all the loot.
For many, many years, I (and others) have been trying to warn about “globalization” and “free trade.” I was called all kinds of names and told that “the experts” knew what they were doing; oh, what happy days we were going to experience, what with our 2 cent screws (that break off) and $50 vacuum cleaners (that need to be replaced every year). What was I…against lower prices? a “racist”? A (gasp!!!) “protectionist”?
But the sheeple were fixated on the promises of lower prices for consumer goods, not realizing that these “lower prices” would come at a tremendous cost — more than offsetting any benefit derived from those “lower prices.” It should be obvious by now where we (developed nations with a solid, working middle class) are headed with “globalization” and “free trade.”
So…”standing alone” and being called names by people who think they know it all (“experts,” even!) is a situation I’m very familiar with; it’s quite comfortable here. Perhaps I’m wrong this time. Perhaps there are no “private” forces out there who seek to further concentrate their wealth and power by taking over public resources and cash flows all around the world (public unions being the primary obstacle between them and their goals). Perhaps there is no movement to subvert the interests of workers and “average citizens” for the benefit of a relatively small number of “capitalists” (those who do not work, but make their money off the labor of others). I’m willing to accept the possibility that it’s all in my head.
Only time will tell who is right. I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is, though. If anyone believes that we will be better off if public sector unions are dismantled or greatly weakened, I’m willing to bet $1,000 that the opposite will be true. I believe that almost every working person will end up being worse off than they are today if the unions collapse. We will see what happens in 10-15 years (sincerely hoping we’ll all be here and in good health). Hopefully, more people will wake up so we can stop it in its tracks; but if not, my bet is workers of all stripes will be worse off. For those who want to take the other side of that bet, sign on up! I’ll bet up to 10 people. 🙂
