Eileen Workman's Page

This morning we learned that the U.S. jobs market shed another 263,000 jobs in September, bringing the unemployment rate up to 9.8%; a 26 year high. By the way, that's not counting those who are employed only part-time because they can't find full time work, or those who have dropped out of the job market entirely. If we add them in, some sources estimate that we'd be looking at an unemployment rate above 15% of the able-bodied American population.



This problem begs an important… Continue

I went utterly insane once, so believe me when I tell you I know exactly what it feels like. For a time during my experience I believed I was immortal and didn't need to ever eat or sleep again. I believed I could stare at the sun and receive cosmic information in the form of digestible light packets. I believed all I had to do was wish for something and it would come true for the world. I believed I could pick up an angry rattlesnake that had accidentally become trapped in our bedroom and… Continue

Isn't it fascinating how the banks have suddenly turned "profitable" after nearly going bankrupt less than a year ago?



Would that the average human being be able to pull off such an amazing financial turnaround! What, we must now ask ourselves, marks the magical difference between a regular person who, after suffering such a severe financial setback, finds themselves in a perpetual struggle to recover; versus the way the banks have managed to bounce back so handily from the brink of… Continue

Lately it seems many of our businesses aren't genuinely doing the jobs for which they were chartered. For example, our insurance companies aren't covering those of us who may need to file a claim; they're only selecting those customers who aren't likely to use their services. Our pharmaceutical companies likewise aren't curing us of disease; they're merely treating our symptoms of illness for years and years. Neither are our banks making it easier for us to save money; they're actually making… Continue

I have lately come to realize that capitalism has been collapsing virtually since its birth. That's because the main premise of capitalism, which is that in order to succeed every human being must take out more from our economic system than he or she puts into it (i.e. earn a profit) is flawed at its very core.



In nature, all living systems are created such that wholes must always be greater than the sum of their parts. This is particularly true if they hope to be self-sustaining. A… Continue