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FarmingHumans.com 2023 American Inequality

05/19/2023 Click here for Spotify, Apple Music, or Youtube. “American Inequality” is my 44th official release. This song is edutainment, or educational entertainment which is music that teaches you. The song is intellectual rap about American economic inequality. The song was self-recorded, and mixed and mastered by Keyano. The beat is from Tantu, and the cover art is made by ArtworkGang from Fiverr.

Links:

FarmingHumans.com YouTube Shorts Playlist

2022 American Inequality YouTube video blog post monologue

2022 American Inequality Blog Post 

“American Inequality” rap song

“Had Enough” rap song

“The Villian” rap song

Intro

I made a post about American inequality last year and the blog post for it on EricLeo108.com was the demo of this song and then a treatise about the problem. I planned on updating it every year I’m in graduate school or write a book with the original post’s themes. You can find the latest edition of my take on American Inequality at FarmingHumans.com or click here for the 2022 edition.

This (release) is the 2023 edition. Since I’m not in graduate school yet I haven’t added much to the plot/details but the concept is still there. This will be an abridged version with new revelations. I will discuss the main points of the American Inequality 2022 post and give an explanation that will clarify the lyrics. The video shown immediately below is the FarmingHumsns.com 2023 American Inequality 2023 monologue

YouTube Shorts

You can get the information presented here through shortform video from various creators by watching my “FarmingHumans.com” YouTube shorts playlist which will better detail and explain the information presented here. Most of the points I make here and reference can be found and enunciated in the YouTube playlist. 

Qualifications 

Why should you listen to me? I graduated magna cum laude with a degree in sociology from Eastern Michigan University. I took a class and received an A in college on a course about writing history. I keep up with current events and I have a reputation to build and uphold. Even if I don’t make it to graduate school this year, I’ll keep trying and I need to stay correct, intuitive, and current to make an impression in academia. I really can’t wait to apply sociological theory to the issues I discuss here. I have been accepted to a masters program in sociology at Western, but it’s still unknown whether I’ll be able to afford to attend seeing as I don’t have housing and I need to be awarded my fasfa which hasn’t come in yet. I also self-published my book “108 The Story of Discovering Earth’s Consciousness” which is non-fiction and autobiographical.

Who Rules America?

First of all, have you ever wondered “Who rules America?” Well, that very question is answered by William G. Domhoff a leading social structure sociological researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz. His experience and conclusions are more valuable than mine and worth looking into. But to summarize, corporations rule. To be more specific, corporate CEOs wield immense power. I say it best in my song “Had Enough,” it’s a “CEO fraternity, the CFR (council on foreign relations) logistically.” Although America is a democratic republic it functions as an oligarchy where a group of wealthy individuals rule.

Basically how our government functions is a coporporation wants something done so they fund a politician and write bills. Those politicians are then sympathetic to corporate wishes because that’s where there donations and livelihood comes from. The corporation then writes a bill that is presented by their politician, they fund a public relations campaign to get support, and if it doesn’t work the first ten times, they’ll keep trying until they succeed.

Sure special interest groups and communities do get laws passed, but this is the exception and not the rule. If you look at 2022’s post you’ll find a graph showing the average individual, economic elites, and interests groups effectiveness on government policy. The average individual have a flat effect where the wealthy and special interest groups have kind of a linear effect where the more support you have the more likely it is to get passed. Like George Carlin said, it’s a group of powerful individuals working in their self interest which creates a conspiracy of interests. Adam Conover discusses this in his content talking about corporate consolidation and the power it gives to inidividual CEOs. 

It seems that the effects of corporate consolidation are being recognized, thwarted, and attacked. This can be seen with the protests in France right now which are happening because their government wanted to raise the retirement age. The French people have taken to ransaking Blackrock’s headquarters in France because the people are saying they are responsible for the policy change. Blackrock and Vanguard are the largest corporations in the world. 

Buckley v. Valeo

Ever since the court decision Buckley v. Valeo wages haven’t kept up with productivity and the minimum wage has remained stagnant while costs have skyrocketed. To recap, America is so entrenched in corporate rule healthcare is privatized and we spend ⅕ of all spending on defense because it makes corporations a whole lot of money. Corporations and the wealthy can buy elections because money is speech. There’s a direct relationship between how much marketing a candidate does and their likelihood for winning. Those that can pay to familirarize themselves with the public win, and corporations have the money to make that connection between the politician and the voter happen. Read Noam Chomsky’s “Manufacturing Consent” for more. 

Socialism 

Capitalist have to blame socialism for economic problems because recognizing how capitalism really functions would show it’s flawed, based on luck and inherited wealth, and not based on merit. Socialism is simple, it’s “workers right over production,” which capitalist snear at because it mimimizes their control and importance. Capitlaist claim it’s the poor who don’t work hard but it’s the exact opposite that is true. The wealthy don’t have to work period, let alone hard. All you have to do is make wise decisions with your money; and by that I’m mean decisions that will make you more money. Like I say in my song “The Villian” they “claim it’s hard work when it’s leverage and a mindset.”

This can be seen with Marx’s “surplus value.” For a business to work you need labor and capital. The capitalist purchases the labor and capital goods (i.e. employees to run the machines). The money the business makes minus labor and the cost of goods goes to the owner, that’s called surplus value, and the owner does not have to work for it, all he needs is money to buy the labor and capital goods.

If you watch a season of shark tank you’ll see how the capitalist really think and act. They say all the time “I make my money work for me,” because the truth is you don’t get wealthy from working. You can get rich from you’re labor, but Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos didn’t get where they are through “earned income.” They made their money through captial gains which the American government literally calls unearned income. You work to make a living, and America doesn’t have a labor shortage, it has a living wage shortage.

Real Capitalism 

Capitalist have to say that it’s socialism because otherwise it’s the reality that it’s the current capitalist system that doesn’t allow the individual to live (let alone thrive) and creates rampant inequality. The truth is from Adam West to Mark Cuban (as you will find in the Youtube shorts playlist) the reality is capitalism requires government intervention from wealth becoming too consolidated. 

It’s literally the job of the government to break up monopolies, and raise the minimum wage. But things like that don’t happen, and capitalism goes unchecked and out of control because corporations can basically control the government through lobbying and because money is speech. This is why we desperately need to get money out of politics. There’s hope, for example, AOC has recently introduced a bill to prevent congress from trading stocks.

The truth is what the right and Fox News calls socialism is really the opposite of what it means. First of all, they think socialism is giving poor people money, which it isn’t, it’s workers rights over production. As MLK said "This country has socialism for the rich, and rugged individualism for the poor.” And by the right’s explanation of socialism, giving money to the entitled, corporations and the wealthy are socialists. You the taxpayer, give way more to corporations in taxes than any wealthfare program. If this country want’s to be in a rage about people getting money that they don’t deserve and feel entitled, you should be mad about corporate welfare (which is considered socialism by the right’s wrong definition).

Corporate Rule: Examples and Results

Some examples of the result of corporate rule are human rights around abortion (otherwise known as women’s healthcare) and gun laws. It’s clear we have such a problem with mass shootings because America is a militaristic nation and the gun manufatures (again) want to make more money so they have lobbied the government through the NRA to make guns so available they are the leading cause of death in children. 

Another example is the East Palestine Ohio train derailment. The truth is this is endemic to the way the industry works. The union tried to warn Norfok Southern and other train companies that rails were unsafe and suggested new rail and braking system. Norfolk never upgrade their breaks or rails resulting in the derailment due to negligence because they were trying to cut costs. Again, this is what every corporation does, it’s to make the surplus value for the shareholders. And again with the conspiracy, working in their own self interests to make more money a train corporation has caused a enviromental disaster, just like working in their self interests corporations have created economic despotism in America.

White Nationalism

Leaning into the conspiracy aspect and how self-interested groups merge to serve their self interests, there is a very real christian white nationalist agenda in the Republican party because corporate rule has becomed so powerful and unhinged. If you’re looking for me to point fingers at who are the conspirators, look no future than the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the Council for National Policy (CNP). These organization have ideals that many corporations support because it gives them more power. The ADF and CNP are responsible for propagating hate through society and the government with banning books, attack on women’s healthcare and reproductive rights, and the current genicide against the transgendered. Look to the Youtube Shorts Playlist for more information.

Personal

In this “American Inequality” song I say “The government exploits my labor power for healthcare” because I’m only allowed around $800 in earned income per month before I go into a trial work period which could cause me to loose my healthcare. That’s not labor exploitation but rather labor-power exploitation. The government is literally limiting me being able to leverage my labor power to create economic prosperity for healthcare. 

To explain further, the government sees income in two categories: “earned income” from employment or contract or “unearned income” from capital gains, profits, or royalties. I can make unlimited unearned income but only $800 per month from earned. Although I live on disability I got a job for a year for the seed money to start my music business.

I’m glad the system is the way it is with unlimited unearned income, but it should be better, it should be unlnimited earned income as well. It’s almost designed so you have to have money to make it out of poverty. You won’t get on the disability system in the first place unless your economically depraved. And you can only use your labor to make so much money. This is why I call disability a poverty trap. And again, it wouldn’t be this way if not for corporate rule. The pharmaceutical lobby is the biggest lobby in the US.  If we had universal healthcare I wouldn’t have a cap on my labor power to keep healthcare. 

The Real Question

Corporations are farming you for labor (employment) and money (consumerism). The real question is “How do we want to be farmed?” Because the truth is corporations are answering that question and ruling the farm and they are not considering the wellbeing of the animals, they are only doing what will extract profit. The reality is the American dream no longer exists. The dream of a house with a white picket fence, car, two kids, and a college degree off one income is a fallacy. That used to make us great. But because of rulings like Buckley v. Valeo we no longer have that standard of living. It’s George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” where the pigs are changing the rules and can control the farm, but are you just going to give power to them (which [eg oil] corporations would be the pigs in this senario), or do you wanna be self governed?

If you want to take back control there are some ways you can help make a more Democratic government and economy. You should support a graduated tax code. It used to be the poorest Americans paid 10% or less while the wealthiest paid 90% before Regan, now with the Bush and Trump tax cuts the average American pays a higher tax rate than billionaires. If you want things to get better you should be supporting only candidates that support universal healthcare. You can join, start, support, or help build a union. And Support bills that get money out of politics and continually make the internet more free and open.

In conclusion

Labor and subsequently the people have lost power because money is speech. Not only does the American dream not exist, the average American can’t afford to live because Capitalism isn’t being regulated like it should. There's a merger between the political and economic elites while the republicans are slowly fighting and winning for their Christio-fascist agenda.

Lyrics:

American Inequality Taught by Eric Leo 108

America’s an oligarchy One labor exploitation party While they rest and pop Bacardi  We work full-time and still are starving The American dream Is just a marketing scheme For the oligarchy So we don’t question their greed And that money is speech You can buy elections for a fee Just lobby the seat And advertise to the sheep  We have socialism for the rich Capitalism for the poor If you don’t acknowledge this Then you’re ignorant for sure

That’s a Martin Luther King quote  You really need to read more Use your mind, dissent, scold  Learn to debunk the lies told It was once the American dream To be able to afford the house and a property deed Healthcare and a scientific degree While today is hard to afford an apartment for three On minimum wage, you can’t make ends meet That used to make us great, but now the population’s asleep It’s policy that stratified the nation's books Gave tax breaks to the wealthiest when 90% is what they took Now we have a nation of debtors that can’t make it, but work  You can thank the decisions of Trump, Reagan, and Bush As the pigs slowly change the rules the horse screams work harder Just another fascist tactic of the people in charge here Only those who think can understand what they are You should be alarmed because It’s “Animal Farm” and

America’s an oligarchy One labor exploitation party While they rest and pop Bacardi  We work full-time and still are starving The American dream Is just a marketing scheme For the oligarchy So we don’t question their greed And that money is speech You can buy elections for a fee Just lobby the seat And advertise to the sheep  We have socialism for the rich Capitalism for the poor If you don’t acknowledge this Then you’re ignorant for sure

The Supreme Court let corporations overreach Into the coffers of democracy When Citizens United gave unlimited head  To how they equated money to speech I get paid $12 an hour and have a college degree It’s really interesting Americas like you ignorantly Not question the society that seemingly free And Is silent to the oppression economically  The government exploits my labor power for healthcare The systems of poverty trap for the disabled on welfare I worked for a year to make ten grand So I could start my music business and make two albums You can make enough money to not be considered disabled  And still not have enough money to afford your medication I expect at the very least you support this with a click And make sure everyone knows Eric Leo taught you this

America’s an oligarchy One labor exploitation party While they rest and pop Bacardi  We work full-time and still are starving The American dream Is just a marketing scheme For the oligarchy So we don’t question their greed And that money is speech You can buy elections for a fee Just lobby the seat And advertise to the sheep  We have socialism for the rich Capitalism for the poor If you don’t acknowledge this Then you’re ignorant for sure

4 August 2023

It's Friday again, isn't it? It's starting to seem like we get one of those, every week. I don't really notice a difference between Friday and any other day, except Saturday and Sunday. You see, my neighbors mostly all go to work during the day, but on Saturday and Sunday, their cars are still in the driveway when I go outside in the morning. When I worked, on weekends, I would sometimes set my alarm to wake me just so I could turn it off and go back to sleep. I wonder if they do the same.

A cool thing about where we live, we have neighbors, but their houses are at least a football field away. So, there is little that any of us can do that will disturb the rest of us. Not that there aren't those who try.