News Summary: To Half And Half Not

You wake one morning to find that your country is the functional equivalent of an airline, and that this airline is, unfortunately, not named Southwest. You read that Beck and Newt still believe it's morning in America, but it is a hungover morning; they will fix it with an aspirin made of our anger and their ability to make a lot of money from that anger.

After eight years the Taliban are on the run again, a good opportunity for our European "allies" to begin quitting and plan their trips home. You learn that New York's legally bland Governor is not a quitter, which is truly a shame.

On the front page you learn about chronic unemployment. You read that economist Allen Sinai says," American business is about maximizing shareholder value. You basically don't want workers...." and you hear about one unemployed woman who "....sends out dozens of resumes a week and rarely hears back."

Mr. Sinai has obviously never worked for a large corporation or he would know that he was making a joke. American business is really about maximizing wealth for a very small group of people in finance, law, education, senior corporate management and government: about 2% of the US population. We'll throw in some Media elite as well, like Beck and Newt. Many of the other 98% are indeed individual shareholders, but they get left holding the empty bag. This isn't a complaint, merely a clarification.

As for the woman sending out resumes, her library bookshelf probably contains 300 titles that propose to help her find a new job or career. Funny thing, but nobody ever writes a book for HR and other execs about creating effectual, respectful hiring practices. Consequently, they owe applicants nothing: no respect, no dignity, no returned letter, call or email. As you have mentioned to a few CEO's of these "hiring" companies in follow-up notes:  they need to understand that their own hiring practices are extensions of their brands to applicants who are also consumers. Duh.

Each week Sunday Business contains "Corner Office," in which the paper profiles an executive and describes their hiring philosophy and skills. This should be labelled Fiction, based on the same paper's unemployment report. Some might say this is like the left hand not knowing what the other left hand is saying at this particular paper.

Finally, you read that thousands of out of work journalists and editors get gmail accounts, start blogs, Tweet, and try to earn a living online. Just like you. When they succeed, they make about half what they made when on staff. You think it might be time to try something else, maybe dust off that novel in the desk drawer.

All of this brings up a question: if everyone winds up making half of what they use to make and receiving half the benefits, does that mean the country's glass is half-full or half-empty?

Or, maybe we really are becoming a country of halfs and half-nots.

Note: stories referenced above: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/business/economy/21unemployed.html?th&emc=th
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/world/asia/21afghan.html?ref=world
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/business/economy/21unemployed.html?ref=business
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/business/21cornerweb.html?ref=business