Is This The New American Dream?

Everyone and their mother seems to call themselves an “entrepreneur” these days.

They read the 4 Hour Work Week and day dream about sitting on the beach while money rolls in through their online website without having to lift a finger.

I couldn’t figure out why this bothered me for so long. After all, beaches + rum = a dream come true. So why did this theory make me feel gross?

Then, I joined another group for business owners and it hit me: Every single discussion was about how to outsource 99% of their business to someone for under $5.

I recommended that they simply hire someone local to fix it. You would have thought I told them to murder their children by the reaction.

Have we really reached the point where paying someone a living wage is revolting?

I have met a lot of “entrepreneurs” who fired their actual local assistants because “I can totally hire someone in China for $1 a day! OMGZ LOLZ. I’M LIKE THE NEXT STEVE JOBS.”

What happened to creating a business that brought value to the world?

What happened to building a business so you can pay people a decent fucking wage?

Look, I totally understand needing to cut corners while you’re building your business and not turning a profit yet. The Lean Start Up, etc.

However, once you’re making enough and you still want to screw people out of a living? Please kindly slam your face onto your desk for me.

Is this what the American Dream has been reduced to?

Outsourcing everything and never working again? Never caring about our local community?

Not everyone wants to build a business and that doesn’t make them less deserving of a living.

Not to mention, are these fake business owners even paying the minimum wage of the country they’re outsourcing to? Or are they subjecting other people to poverty wages as well?

Maybe I’m naive, but I thought the point of business was to create jobs, and work hard, not the exact opposite. It doesn’t shock me to see this kind of behavior from big companies, but small business owners? What are you doing? You’re supposed to be the backbone of this country.

Look, I have nothing against Mexico or China (except China, plz step up your recycling. Thank you). I just don’t want to see their citizens barely make enough to eat, either, on account of selfish greed. I’d prefer to see everyone everywhere make enough to eat regularly and take care of their families.

Building your business on the back of hardworking people who can barely get by should get you put in jail, not applauded.

Coming from outside Detroit, I saw this new plague enter my state. Most of the car factories moved from the Mitten State to Mexico.

All those blue collar workers I knew? Yeah, they were shit out of luck.

But who cares? I mean, PROFITS > HUMAN LIVES, right?

It’s not like our entire economy depends on people having jobs or anything.

It’s hard to be judgmental when you can put a face and a name to a casualty of greed.

Here’s something you can’t outsource for $5 yet: Your death.

One day you’ll die. You can’t take your materialistic gatherings or your money with you.

All you’ll leave behind is your name and your legacy.

You have one lifetime to make it mean something.

It’s up to you.