Re: the "R' word
Can't really blame one group more than another. Take Walmart for example. A Walmart superstore (complete w/a huge grocery section) moves into a neighborhood. And that right there is the beginning of the end of the local, smaller businesses because Walmart buys in incredible bulk at dirt cheap prices from retailers. Retailers will never refuse Walmart because to do this means the end for them. And then Walmart sells the products at a marked up price that's STILL cheaper than anything the consumers will find elsewhere. Which eventually means local businesses will go out of business because they simply can't compete. Which means layoffs which means the only place to work in the neighborhood is the Walmart that just crushed everything locally but good luck with that because the pay and benefits at Walmart...well, let's just say "not that great" would be an overstatement. But is this economic blight solely the cause of Walmart? No. Because no one held a gun to the head of the customers to go make their purchases there. Sure you saved five whole dollars on your last trip to Walmart, but that means less money for the local business YOU work at and where you will eventually be laid off from because it couldn't compete. Of course you want to save money...but are the couple of bucks you saved on that year's supply of pickles (most of which you have to throw out b/c who is gonna eat a year's supply of pickles) really worth killing the local economy? Not to sound preachy, but I purposely pay more at my local produce store because I know my little contribution may mean that somebody will be able to keep their job a bit longer and I'll get fresh fruits and veggies instead of the stuff they keep in freezers for god knows how long at the local super store.
My point? The blame is shared. We ALL created this mess. The ultra wealthy did it because they had more than enough and wanted more. And the regular Joes did it through ignorance (willful or not) and succumbing to a culture that demands more, more, MORE. And of course, even this is a very simplistic explanation...there's so much more complexity to this.
Anyhooo...one way I'm trying to get through this is by getting over myself. After getting my shiny graduate degree, I worked for some time and then was laid off. I applied and applied and applied to jobs relevant to my degree and came up with nada. And then I gave myself a mental kick in the rear and kicked my ego to the curb by taking a job (customer service) that a lot of people considered "beneath" my standards at a paltry rate of pay. Bills had to be paid and pride had to be put aside. I worked my rear off and within a year, received a 50% raise, got an insane bonus at the end of 2011 and was promoted to a much higher position within my company all because of Allah SWT. So ladies and gentlemen, my word of advice for getting through this...don't consider anything "beneath" you. So long as what you do is honest, it can never be beneath you. Also...buy local. I shall step down from my soapbox now. ;)