There is a scene in Network, a movie made over 35 years ago, that is part of the collective consciousness of most baby boomers. Howard Beale, the character who appears to be going mad right before the very eyes of a live TV audience (predating the era of reality television) is really just conveying what everyone else was feeling at the time but were afraid, unmotivated, or too complacent to say on their own.
I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad.Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad! You've got to say, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"
While Russia doesn't seem to be a looming threat any longer, most of what Howard is ranting and raving about in this scene continues to plague us. But there's more... so much more... and it's time to get mad.
Let's start with jobs.
There aren't any, and as a recent article here on the Huffington Post shows, many of the reliable industries (such as manufacturing) are drying up.
Even worse, companies are putting more into capital improvements than in people. An article in the New York Times reports that more companies are investing in equipment, not workers. "I want to have as few people touching our products as possible," said Dan Mishek, managing director of Vista Technologies, a Minnesota-based firm. "Everything should be as automated as it can be. We just can't afford to compete with countries like China on labor costs, especially when workers are getting even more expensive."
And yet, our government continues to offer tax incentives to subsidize capital investments, not the creation of jobs, and the training of workers. Why? Capital has gotten much cheaper relative to labor costs. Workers lose, companies win, government sits back and watches.
A new study from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the Great Recession that technically ended in 2009 has doubled the time it takes before the average unemployed person either finds a job or gives up looking for one.
Another report, also from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, states that of all the new post-recession jobs that have been created, 90% of them have gone to men. Why? Because employers still believe that men are the main breadwinners in the families, and that a job should be given to an unemployed man before an equally qualified unemployed woman. It isn't a stated policy, of course, but this antiquated thinking prevails.
In terms of salaries, women still continue to earn approximately 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, across a wide spectrum of industries. And since single women head more households than ever before, it's not just women who suffer, but children, as well. This helps perpetuate a continuous cycle of poverty, unemployment, despondency, and dependence on government assistance.
Alarmingly, a smaller percentage of women hold senior level management jobs or board positions, relative to men, and the percentage is dropping, according to a recent Grant-Thornton study.
If a woman is fortunate enough to have a job, there are relatively few satisfactory childcare options available. On top of that, women continue to be penalized if they choose to take time off to raise children, often due to a lack of sufficient childcare options, when they try to return to the workforce.
Are you mad yet? No?
How about the fact that our government has just entered into a third war instead of following up on pre-election promises to bring our troops home? Just as important, funds are being used to support these wars instead of putting them where they are needed the most: creating jobs; figuring out how to offer affordable health care; rebuilding our infrastructure; and preparing our children to be leaders and strong participants in a new world order where other countries, such as China, are becoming ever more powerful.
What about the daily violence against women and children around the world, including right here in our own country? And the fact that both major political parties use women as political pawns, especially when debating the future of our own reproductive health and rights?
But, there's more: The chemicals that pollute our air, water and food. The assault on the environment and many of the animals that inhabit our earth. The dumbing down of America by the proliferation of mindless TV at the expense of quality programming.
I started a discussion about this on Facebook and Twitter and one person left this comment:
Everyone has to get mad at a government that is hell bent on an agenda that erodes our way of life. There will be more publicity today about Sarah Palin's emails than soldiers wounded or killed in Afghanistan.
Another Facebook friend wrote:
How can we collectively get together and express our dissatisfaction and offer ideas for change, with a concrete plan?
Women, this is a call to action. We have to stand up and say "We're as mad as hell as we're not going to take it anymore!" Demand jobs, equal pay, health care, the right to choose what we do with our own bodies, greater representation in government, and more leadership positions in the private sector. We're not asking for a lot. We're only asking for what every human being deserves.
Turn your anger into action:
A few months ago, I wrote an article here on the Huffington Post -- "Feminism: A Moral Compass for Change?" -- that included this simple statement:
To embrace feminism is to embrace this fundamental truth: every human being has rights.
We have the right to get angry, and the power to take action. Be brave, be bold, and get mad as hell.
Follow Barbara Hannah Grufferman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BGrufferman
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Thank you, dear, dear wonderful "The Girl". And thank you for letting me have the honor and privilege of being your first HuffPost "fan".
The problem? The personal issues I contend with are due to the injustices in our legal and political system. If I don't speak up, stomp our feet and make some noise I'm guilty of passing down to the next generation of women the same issues I deal with daily.
For so long I've been just "getting by" and accepting that, that is my lot in life. That has to change. I may struggle but I don't have to struggle in silence any longer.
Like Pauline, I have great credentials and experience, and live a "real life" filled with stresses that most simply don't believe - the result of a complex and baffling family court system, the physical, logistical, and financial costs of single parenting for a decade, layoff in my 40s, a miserable job market, age discrimination, and the lack of decent (dare I say it - "universal") health care.
A "moderate" optimist nonetheless, I believe that women are the answer, that we must continue to get back up over and over again, that if we can only gather our strength and our voices to move this country in a direction that is more compassionate and humanistic. Other countries do it; I don't expect we'll do it overnight. One million pissed off women is however, a great start!
I only hope we'll add one million pissed off men as well. This is our future, and that of our children. So why aren't we doing more? Are women simply exhausted from doing it all - or a disproportionate amount of slogging through and raising families?
This is a wonderful article. A rallying cry. So why aren't more women as mad as hell? As mad as they are scared - about money and the future?
I still can't figure out why there aren't more comments, but I think it just needs to be seen, be more visible. I'll work to get it out there in other media . . .
All best, as always,
Barbara
I want to point out -- as this is extremely important to me, and to the overall message -- it has less to do with your political leanings and more to do with just making decisions that are right and just. We are all human, we are all equal.
Thank you so much for reading, and commenting,
Barbara
Women have to stop letting men silence them by disrupting their conversations. Men will join a discussion among women but they will usually try, successfully, to disrupt the direction of the discussion. Women will then stop talking positively among themselves and expend all their energy fighting the men. And the men have won, because now they are framing the debate and women are reacting to male though rather then engaging in constructive female sharing of thought.
Women need to recognize these efforts to shut down their discussions for what it is and hold their ground.
Until they do these things men will rule as men stick together and practice an effective divide and conquer strategy to keep women in their place. And women keep falling for it, as they crave male approval and undervalue female approval.
I am sick of these gender baiting sexist arguments that have nothing to do with equality. Men's worlds don't guarantee board room positions or higher salaries. Life is not fair and men accept that while feminist label it discrimination and whine to no end. Men should be mad as hell because they put up with this complaining for decades and no matter how equal things get or how hard a man's life is there is always another feminist with a sob story pretending like all males are enjoying luxurious lives of privilege.
Does this article mention that young women on average get paid more than young men do ? No because it's dishonest tripe from a man hating feminist who will keep selling this agenda until every boy's first words are "I am sorry I was born a male". How about dealing with the fact that 20% more women will get their BA's than men. You see when women are not victims she does not care, and for that men should wise up and worry about themselves.
I can't bear to think that all the advances that had/have been made are being so taken for granted! Does this silver-platter instant-entertainment generation even recognize what is being systematically stripped away from us? We should be clawing for dear life and YES! mad as hell.
Maybe we need a reality show?? Every week we vote on which right to give up, would that get people's attention??
I'm encouraged, though, by the hundreds of "likes" and "shares" on FB and Twitter of this post, which tells me that there are other like-minded women (and men) out there. The key, though, is not letting this post slip down in the lineup, when other posts get published, only to have it fade away from sight, and thought. We have to keep it going . . .
Please keep sharing this and bugging the heck out of everyone to join in.
Barbara
As for that yahoo that made that comment up above about women being sexist and whining....he clearly missed the point of the whole article. As for the education piece, it does not surprise me that women have more degrees now - we need them to PROVE ourselves even more than men do. A study I saw this week is even talking about how overweight men make more than women, and a woman to make the most $$ needs to be thin. There are barriers at every turn. I'm pretty sure the dudes have the old boys network to get them through. Women need to band together and mentor each other, and create a new movement.
Hundreds of people shared and "liked" this article, which probably means that thousands have seen it . . . but why only a few comments?
But, I am encouraged . . . and very hopeful.
All best,
Barbara