And I would add that the accommodation supplement is a huge transfer of wealth from renters to the rich landlord class via government grant. We need to implement regional rent controls and assess them annually to try to reduce this out-of-control income stream to landlords.
And Working for Families is a huge transfer of wealth from workers who aren't paid enough for their labour to the rich business-owning class who won't pay most of their staff more than the minimum wage - also via government grant. We need to raise the minimum wage to a livable wage and do so annually to force business owners to do the (bare minimum) right thing by their workers.
Don't be sorry!! You speak for many of us! I have this weird existence with one foot in well paid work and the other in trying to keep a small and important business in the black, and paying my wonderful peops as much as we can afford. I feel guilty so often about my paid job, but it is helping us to recover from losing a LOT of money on our business, from owning a seismically compromised apartment, from a sick husband unable to work himself any more. The whiny hypocrisy of so many businesses means I refuse to engage with any businessy type organisations or networking, having learned that my mouth has a mind of its own and if there's one thing worse than a fat woman in her 50s existing at all, it's that she has opinions and wants to share them with you.
Bah. I think there are more of us than there are of them.
Yay for 50’s, fabulous and fat! The older I get the angrier I get - and the more frustrated I get with how arse-up the world is becoming and how many people we are leaving behind. Long-term I’m working for social and political change. Short-term throwing things at the tv, ranting on social media, and cake make me feel better. Big love to all the awesome angry divas!
"Boss babe" is just another gross way of saying, women joining the patriarchy but make it cute in case the dudes are a bit threatened. You never hear "boss hot dude" because being a boss isnt new or impressive for men. We should be normalising being the boss (where we are the boss) instead of making it something cute and novel. And the whole point of being in a 'boss' position is to elevate and facilitate the growth of those coming in - more like, collective babe. Except without the babe. Also, another thought, you don't get to be at the top of a multi-million dollar private sector/commercial gig without exploiting other people. No one has 'earned' that, despite what they might think. I don't think any of these thoughts are new or interesting, I just felt like I needed to say it as I continue to not be a babe in my workplace.
You're right 'on the money' with that rant! I don't understand the mindset of businesses that don't care about their people. I work for a not-for-profit and we certainly aren't in it for the money, but you do need it to live on and it's good to be able to acknowledge the quality of your people with a little extra. A while ago we had a good year and decided to give everyone a pay increase of $1 an hour. The accountant on the board couldn't fathom the reasoning. Why not a percentage? Because then the people at the top keep getting incrementally more than the people at the bottom. Yes! He said. No! We said. We won.
I love this, Emily. I am a complete socialist. I think there should not only be a wealth tax but an actual cap on wealth. Apparently someone on minimum wage would have to work approximately 2.8million years to earn what Jeff Bezos is worth. That is absolutely obscene.
And I will never forget that horrible opinion piece John Key had published near the start of the pandemic, where he talked of the "brave men and women" who had...no, not health workers or essential workers...but who had started businesses!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes yes yes. It’s infuriating isn’t it? And that chode Max Key acting like he’s worried about future generations when he was shot up the arse by a rainbow when he was born a Key. He was born rich and his kids will be rich and their kids will be rich and he will never have to care for anyone or any thing.
Yeah, and that chode (I don’t know what that is, but I like the sound of it as an insult) gets a news story dedicated to him, thereby perpetuating his sense of entitlement and that the public have to hear him because he’s rich. It’s all nuts. These nutz!
Well deserved rant. You kind of hope business will get the idea that well paid employees are more productive because they’re less stressed about making ends meet but they never do.
Exactly!Well paid employees are more productive because they are neither stressed or resentful. I started my working life as a nurse in NZ - working 6 days a week and earning $28 a fortnight (yes I am an older woman), now owner of an all woman business running school hours,3 days a week, women can work from home if kids are sick /covid exposure from school and need to isolate (we do a weekly zoom so anyone needing to work at home can keep up), good pay for all, and total loyalty because we support each other. I blame the patriarchy for women and caring professions having such crap wages - it's only been since 1974 when married women could get a credit card or open a bank account without husbands 'permission'. I would love to see more compassionate women business owners making good money and sharing with community. I recently had a discussion with a business partner (who chose to leave the rat race) She said in corporate she would be earning $250,000 , plus bonuses as HR manager in a multi national bank (in Australia where we live); I said I cant conceive how that can be paid to someone in finance when the maximum hourly rate for a charge nurse in ICU is $39 an hour (here in Australia)- and that is dealing with life and death. So yes, businesses can pay workers a decent wage - or do more of the work themselves til they can afford to pay better). We women need to rise up and ask for what we are worth, start our own businesses and share our wealth. There really are some good business people - mostly women, although I have a son with a very strong business (Landscaping) he treats his workers well and sponsors refugees instead of buying flashy cars. Not all business owners are bad people and not all have grown up with silver spoons in their mouths (I certainly didn't - truck driver dad who couldnt read or write, Mum who spent years in psych wards). And not all are 'boss babes' (fuck I hate that label). And, if we share what we can make, let's do that. I like to believe women business owners will share with family and community to make things better.
You’re absolutely right! I can’t believe how so many business owners cry poverty whilst driving sports cars and living in large designer homes. They say they’ve worked hard for it and deserve it but pay their workers a pittance without a pang of remorse.
Its all we hear in the media though as it seems those at the bottom of the ladder have basically no voice and sadly, I don’t think they’d know what say or how to say it, if they did. That’s why they need people like you who will use your well-earned platform to get it out there. Thanks hun.
Maybe we need an alien:predator-type hybrid of communism and capitalism? Both with gnarly teeth and acid for blood but with just a little more empathy.
Gosh I love your rants, and so much agree/relate!!! Why do business people get to “have a business” and cry losses because of Covid and lockdowns etc but are not made to pay their employees fairly and dignifiedly (?) and why doesn’t the media use the word Capitalism as the political insult it is, but socialism and communism get bandied around to illustrate tyranny.
And yes, capybaras ♥️♥️♥️ I’m Argentina we call them Carpinchos and are a symbol of social uprising ♥️♥️♥️
I'm 67 and ashamed of my often smug and entitled generation. We benefitted from free healthcare, education and could find beautiful, unspoilt countryside (having not yet fully exploited and destroyed our environment) Capitalism is a destructive force. I wince every time I hear some miserable (usually bloke) complaining about wage costs. Agree with those that say 'the older I get the angrier I get'
I absolutely get angrier the older I get! I feel like I’m trying to teach my kids to fight against injustice but to also believe things can change for the better. And that’s hard to do if you’re not sure they can...
Never apologise! Unless you've said something racist and sexist, and then you only need to apologise for your word choice, not the twisted ugliness inside you that made you think they might have been okay to say. Oops, sorry, I'm still angry about that thing from two weeks ago.
But seriously, never apologise for your rants! Your rants are perfection, and true, and right. The world needs more of us to have these rants, loudly and in public, because we'll never have the money to influence the broken systems behind these problems, all we have is our collective voices.
Thanks for this, love a good rant, especially when I agree so vehemently!
I'm deeply worried about the polarisation of our politics - collectivism v individualism. Reading about the climate package today I'm hopeful but I also can't help hearing the oppositional voice. What's inspiring to me is also, to many others, happy clappy bullshit.
Leaves me wondering how this cultural gap can be bridged. Can we stay angry without pushing away the people whose minds we need to change?
The last thing you should apologise for, since you have just used your superpower to put what needed saying more compactly and cogently than anything else I’ve ever read. Thank you for nailing it, Emily!
And on a lighter note, thank you for the capybara comfort - for itself and for showing me that my vintage map of the pointy end of Manahattan is actually a closeup of a whiskery capybara face. It hangs opposite the bed and of course I can’t unsee it now….
Thank you for sharing Emily! Keep repeating please!! And can I possibly have another serving of capybara memes?? This has made my day!!!
On a brighter note, a couple of years ago my husband gifted us a trip to Wgtn zoo and we got to go into the enclosure and give the capybara some scritches. Best day ever!!!
I also did this and it was literally the greatest day in my life. I scritched one and it fell on its side because it was so happy and I’ve never been more fulfilled ever again. It was the single best thing that’s ever happened to me lol
Oh Emily! I just squeeeed out loud at that 🥰🥰🥰 I can spend hours watching YouTube vids of capybaras - especially when they’re in onsens in Japan... with snowy backdrops... floating yuzu... steaming water... everything is right in the world.
Keep the rants coming!
If businesses cannot afford to pay a living wage, then it’s not really a viable business. They need to look at redesigning their business model.
I came to the comments to say exactly this!
And I would add that the accommodation supplement is a huge transfer of wealth from renters to the rich landlord class via government grant. We need to implement regional rent controls and assess them annually to try to reduce this out-of-control income stream to landlords.
And Working for Families is a huge transfer of wealth from workers who aren't paid enough for their labour to the rich business-owning class who won't pay most of their staff more than the minimum wage - also via government grant. We need to raise the minimum wage to a livable wage and do so annually to force business owners to do the (bare minimum) right thing by their workers.
Yes, by not taking as much of the profits. 👍
Don't be sorry!! You speak for many of us! I have this weird existence with one foot in well paid work and the other in trying to keep a small and important business in the black, and paying my wonderful peops as much as we can afford. I feel guilty so often about my paid job, but it is helping us to recover from losing a LOT of money on our business, from owning a seismically compromised apartment, from a sick husband unable to work himself any more. The whiny hypocrisy of so many businesses means I refuse to engage with any businessy type organisations or networking, having learned that my mouth has a mind of its own and if there's one thing worse than a fat woman in her 50s existing at all, it's that she has opinions and wants to share them with you.
Bah. I think there are more of us than there are of them.
Genuinely believe fat women in their 50s are the future and I can't wait to be one.
Oh good. It's not hard, just stay angry and eat all the baked goods. Happens automatically! <3
Haha now that I can do.
Yay for 50’s, fabulous and fat! The older I get the angrier I get - and the more frustrated I get with how arse-up the world is becoming and how many people we are leaving behind. Long-term I’m working for social and political change. Short-term throwing things at the tv, ranting on social media, and cake make me feel better. Big love to all the awesome angry divas!
"Boss babe" is just another gross way of saying, women joining the patriarchy but make it cute in case the dudes are a bit threatened. You never hear "boss hot dude" because being a boss isnt new or impressive for men. We should be normalising being the boss (where we are the boss) instead of making it something cute and novel. And the whole point of being in a 'boss' position is to elevate and facilitate the growth of those coming in - more like, collective babe. Except without the babe. Also, another thought, you don't get to be at the top of a multi-million dollar private sector/commercial gig without exploiting other people. No one has 'earned' that, despite what they might think. I don't think any of these thoughts are new or interesting, I just felt like I needed to say it as I continue to not be a babe in my workplace.
Yes yes yes yes yes.
You're right 'on the money' with that rant! I don't understand the mindset of businesses that don't care about their people. I work for a not-for-profit and we certainly aren't in it for the money, but you do need it to live on and it's good to be able to acknowledge the quality of your people with a little extra. A while ago we had a good year and decided to give everyone a pay increase of $1 an hour. The accountant on the board couldn't fathom the reasoning. Why not a percentage? Because then the people at the top keep getting incrementally more than the people at the bottom. Yes! He said. No! We said. We won.
🙌🙌🙌🙌
I love this, Emily. I am a complete socialist. I think there should not only be a wealth tax but an actual cap on wealth. Apparently someone on minimum wage would have to work approximately 2.8million years to earn what Jeff Bezos is worth. That is absolutely obscene.
And I will never forget that horrible opinion piece John Key had published near the start of the pandemic, where he talked of the "brave men and women" who had...no, not health workers or essential workers...but who had started businesses!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes yes yes. It’s infuriating isn’t it? And that chode Max Key acting like he’s worried about future generations when he was shot up the arse by a rainbow when he was born a Key. He was born rich and his kids will be rich and their kids will be rich and he will never have to care for anyone or any thing.
Yeah, and that chode (I don’t know what that is, but I like the sound of it as an insult) gets a news story dedicated to him, thereby perpetuating his sense of entitlement and that the public have to hear him because he’s rich. It’s all nuts. These nutz!
I agree with you 100%. And obscene is the perfect word for it.
Well deserved rant. You kind of hope business will get the idea that well paid employees are more productive because they’re less stressed about making ends meet but they never do.
Exactly!Well paid employees are more productive because they are neither stressed or resentful. I started my working life as a nurse in NZ - working 6 days a week and earning $28 a fortnight (yes I am an older woman), now owner of an all woman business running school hours,3 days a week, women can work from home if kids are sick /covid exposure from school and need to isolate (we do a weekly zoom so anyone needing to work at home can keep up), good pay for all, and total loyalty because we support each other. I blame the patriarchy for women and caring professions having such crap wages - it's only been since 1974 when married women could get a credit card or open a bank account without husbands 'permission'. I would love to see more compassionate women business owners making good money and sharing with community. I recently had a discussion with a business partner (who chose to leave the rat race) She said in corporate she would be earning $250,000 , plus bonuses as HR manager in a multi national bank (in Australia where we live); I said I cant conceive how that can be paid to someone in finance when the maximum hourly rate for a charge nurse in ICU is $39 an hour (here in Australia)- and that is dealing with life and death. So yes, businesses can pay workers a decent wage - or do more of the work themselves til they can afford to pay better). We women need to rise up and ask for what we are worth, start our own businesses and share our wealth. There really are some good business people - mostly women, although I have a son with a very strong business (Landscaping) he treats his workers well and sponsors refugees instead of buying flashy cars. Not all business owners are bad people and not all have grown up with silver spoons in their mouths (I certainly didn't - truck driver dad who couldnt read or write, Mum who spent years in psych wards). And not all are 'boss babes' (fuck I hate that label). And, if we share what we can make, let's do that. I like to believe women business owners will share with family and community to make things better.
You’re absolutely right! I can’t believe how so many business owners cry poverty whilst driving sports cars and living in large designer homes. They say they’ve worked hard for it and deserve it but pay their workers a pittance without a pang of remorse.
Its all we hear in the media though as it seems those at the bottom of the ladder have basically no voice and sadly, I don’t think they’d know what say or how to say it, if they did. That’s why they need people like you who will use your well-earned platform to get it out there. Thanks hun.
Maybe we need an alien:predator-type hybrid of communism and capitalism? Both with gnarly teeth and acid for blood but with just a little more empathy.
Gosh I love your rants, and so much agree/relate!!! Why do business people get to “have a business” and cry losses because of Covid and lockdowns etc but are not made to pay their employees fairly and dignifiedly (?) and why doesn’t the media use the word Capitalism as the political insult it is, but socialism and communism get bandied around to illustrate tyranny.
And yes, capybaras ♥️♥️♥️ I’m Argentina we call them Carpinchos and are a symbol of social uprising ♥️♥️♥️
Thank you Silvana. That capys are a symbol of social uprising has totally made my day 😂✊
I'm 67 and ashamed of my often smug and entitled generation. We benefitted from free healthcare, education and could find beautiful, unspoilt countryside (having not yet fully exploited and destroyed our environment) Capitalism is a destructive force. I wince every time I hear some miserable (usually bloke) complaining about wage costs. Agree with those that say 'the older I get the angrier I get'
I absolutely get angrier the older I get! I feel like I’m trying to teach my kids to fight against injustice but to also believe things can change for the better. And that’s hard to do if you’re not sure they can...
Here for all the anti capitalist rants! Absolutely agree with everything you've said.
Never apologise! Unless you've said something racist and sexist, and then you only need to apologise for your word choice, not the twisted ugliness inside you that made you think they might have been okay to say. Oops, sorry, I'm still angry about that thing from two weeks ago.
But seriously, never apologise for your rants! Your rants are perfection, and true, and right. The world needs more of us to have these rants, loudly and in public, because we'll never have the money to influence the broken systems behind these problems, all we have is our collective voices.
Yes! You do so well to put these thoughts I share into words - thank you so much for that!
Thanks for this, love a good rant, especially when I agree so vehemently!
I'm deeply worried about the polarisation of our politics - collectivism v individualism. Reading about the climate package today I'm hopeful but I also can't help hearing the oppositional voice. What's inspiring to me is also, to many others, happy clappy bullshit.
Leaves me wondering how this cultural gap can be bridged. Can we stay angry without pushing away the people whose minds we need to change?
The last thing you should apologise for, since you have just used your superpower to put what needed saying more compactly and cogently than anything else I’ve ever read. Thank you for nailing it, Emily!
And on a lighter note, thank you for the capybara comfort - for itself and for showing me that my vintage map of the pointy end of Manahattan is actually a closeup of a whiskery capybara face. It hangs opposite the bed and of course I can’t unsee it now….
Yes yes yes to all of this.
Thank you for sharing Emily! Keep repeating please!! And can I possibly have another serving of capybara memes?? This has made my day!!!
On a brighter note, a couple of years ago my husband gifted us a trip to Wgtn zoo and we got to go into the enclosure and give the capybara some scritches. Best day ever!!!
I also did this and it was literally the greatest day in my life. I scritched one and it fell on its side because it was so happy and I’ve never been more fulfilled ever again. It was the single best thing that’s ever happened to me lol
Oh Emily! I just squeeeed out loud at that 🥰🥰🥰 I can spend hours watching YouTube vids of capybaras - especially when they’re in onsens in Japan... with snowy backdrops... floating yuzu... steaming water... everything is right in the world.
I have a capybara tattoo just to remind me of how great they are haha