The United States Makes Me Feel Sad.

Someone quoted what the richest men in America make. $189+ Billion? 216+ Billion? Minimum wage hasn’t moved significantly in a couple of decades. Anyone else see a problem here?

It’s no wonder people are quitting their jobs in record numbers. It’s no wonder McDonald’s posted a letter intended to strike fear into the hearts of people thinking of quitting. Corporate America is mentally ill at the top. I’m sorry. It’s true.

The problem does not involve government.

For the record, I’m not down with Communists nor Socialists. We don’t need the government to step in to “tax the rich.” Why? Have you seen how much these politicians make? Congress can vote itself a pay raise anyway. There’s no sense going after them.

This involves company leadership being smart enough to hand out PAY INCREASES! Screw minimum wage. Hire people at $15 an hour or more. Hell, look at the cost of living in any giving operating area and match it!

Will it ever happen? Optimistically, I still doubt it. You really don’t make billions by philanthropy and paying really good wages all the way to the bottom. Most of the time middle management is where the pay begins to drop off.

Not to sound super old fashioned, but we should all be so lucky.

We’re supposed to look up to our leaders in business, finance, education, politics, entertainment and so on, right? We want to be in that 1%, right? Personally, I never begrudge someone for being rich. Good for them! They made it. I love money! I would love to have more of it.

Sadly, most won’t give back. Most don’t give back. Amazon can afford to put William Shatner into space, but their truck drivers are peeing into a jar for fear of falling behind schedule. See the disparity?

I could get by on a million dollars or less per year.

I’m guessing most of us can, regardless. But would it really hurt Elon Musk to take a pay cut and pay his people more? Could Besos get by on half of what he makes in a year and pay his drivers to take a break occasionally? How hard can it be?

Seriously, if I ever hit millionaire status, I’ll probably pull up roots and move off the grid in the North woods somewhere. That’s kind of still the dream. Will I make sure my family and my workers (however few there may be) are paid very handsomely for their help? Absolutely. I promise, if I ever hit big and have the funds, I’ll gladly give back. It’s the least someone can do from that position.

Have a lovely week. Please stay healthy. Stay hydrated. Please be kind to one another. See ya soon.