Corporate Suckered Us
Back when there was time, when one parent
Was always there to guide a child, schools were
Not blamed for bad behavior, partly because there
Was so much less of it. One job per house meant
Security, health insurance, a nest egg, and plenty for
Suzie to go to college on. Forget the bridge club now
Dearie, everybody works. Corporate has found a way
To thrive in the post-liberation era: reduce middle class
Pay to the point of nudging, nay forcing the Moms to work.
It’s not about reduced free time, it’s about no time left to
Even get to know our own children. Since profit is king,
The new world order is thus: No assistance if the Dad lives
With his child, No benefits to any temporary workers, No
Labor jobs that pay a living wage north of the Maquiladoras,
No wins for unions since 1980, No affordable day care
For working Moms, No federal money for states with less
Than seventy five percent of the welfare recipients working,
No job training money left after building bombs, No incentives
For employers to pay better, No company loyalty, No profit
Sharing plans, No safe pensions, No guaranteed retirement,
No Social Security, No public transportation in many
Towns, No decent schools for low-income neighborhoods,
No safeguards for the food we eat, No plan in place to
Save the environment, No cash to save the mental hospitals,
No handouts to the homeless veterans, and No jobs at all
For those who work with their hands. None, zero, zilch, zip!