h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am sure that it doesn't help you feel better that in the USA the same groups of people are underpaid. Local fire departments are often volunteers, teachers and early childhood carers are paid pitiful wages as are hospital cleaning staff and workers in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. Even general practioners (internal medicine doctors) are poorly paid after all they have invested in their education.

Here as there--sick people are 'blamed' for their ailments and here 'poor' people are blamed for increasing tax burdens on well people. Pensions have dissappeared altogether as the stock markets do poorly. Social Security was meant to be a supplement not a living income for the elderly. And that system is being undercut by dropping birthrates.

There has to be a better system somewhere---but I fear it is not on Earth at present.

I fear it's capitalism to some extent, a system that naturally imposes the value of money and the individual over the value of contribution and the many. Bit of a bugger.

Too true. I really wish that a decent socialism was present in America. Eugene V. Debs was a great man that Americans know nothing about. DG wrote a Guide entry on his courageous stand here fighting for the cause of workers, and 'little people'. It should be coming to the Front Page soon, it's in the queue now or I could give you the link for it.

Yes that would be interesting, thank you. I didn't really know that socialism ever had much of a presence in America.