I fired a client I've had for 20 yrs this week ( a 1%er) [View all]

[KentuckyWoman]

Look, I expect a certain amount of "let um eat cake" from the wealthier clients. Pretty much all of them are offended by being expected to pay anyone for anything. They all have this disgusting sense of entitlement. But there comes a point when someone is just so putrid it's embarrassing to be in any way associated with them.

He's the last of my 1%er clients to be fired within the last 5 years and done after he spouted off about how great China is that they don't let pesky things like human rights or the environment get in the way of building high speed rail. He'd love it if we could be them and the undeserving masses of America could be slaves living in squalor while he could speed past at 300 mph in luxury comfort. The rant was breathtaking in it's boldness. He didn't make any effort at all to even so much as phrase his hatred of the non-1% in any sort of palatable terms. The man is clearly in full love and worship of of "Communist China".

I am posting this because I want everyone to understand that the outsourcing of decent American jobs to slave labor countries is not just about rich people's greed for more profit. There is so much more to that dynamic than money and a callous disregard for other humans. For many of them, there is a perverse joy that comes from seeing their servant's suffering.

When we fight for economic justice we have to keep this in mind. Our parents and grandparents in the early days of unionization fought hard for worker rights that are being dismantled. Not just to push wages down but to retrain the younger workers not to ask too much. Not to expect too much.... to just be grateful some 1% cares enough to be abusive to them kind of twisted thinking.

That is much of our battle. To make sure all workers everywhere understand their value and expect to be treated fairly and with respect.