Lear70
JAFFO
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2003
- Posts
- 7,487
OK... that's a lot of negativity, but I can't blame you for being upset. The last 20 years of aviation history isn't exactly "fantastic".As the extraordinary amount of dissent in this thread demonstrates, the industry is in an extreme downward spiral and pilots are, frankly, to stupid and selfish to save it. We cannot see past the end of our nose, all we care about - as a group - is getting all of our toys at the expense of others (junior guys, quick cheap time at the expense of major pay rates, scabbing, etc.) and we really don't care much about anyone else.
I guess it is an illness that permeates our society, everyone in it for themselves, then run to church on Sunday and pretend they aren't selfish, or use affiliation with a group to excuse why I should be privaledged and others aren't. All this leads to is a sort of social cannibalism which is what has lead to the utter rending of this as a proud and decent profession.
Look at the navy captain in this article, I will just go to Compass, fly for 21K and move on as quick as I can. The problem is, once one agrees to work for that wage, the precedent has been set and you will never get away from lower wage demands by management following you all the way to the majors. That is exactly what has happened to our pay rates in the majors, amongst other things.
One of those other things being a 'game-like' attitude by management to pay us as little as possible so as to maximize profits for shareholders (read realistically as the top 10% of any corporate structure). How anyone in this day and age could somehow play along politically with parties (all 2 of them) that shamelessly cater to this income climate we are in (mgmnt income up over 200%, labor flat to down 40%) is beyond me. The need to be part of the organization or part of the 'old guard of the institution' I guess.
I just can't imagine how this industry, or for that matter, our greater economy, which our politicians have whored out from under us, will ever get better. There are times when I think we are living under a government that is as crooked as a banana republic, everyone available for the right price (see Virgin America or our version of NAFTA - open skies). And for the record, I am not only talking about our present 'administration' or only one level of government.
One more thought, when my grandfather (who raised me) fought in the second world war he had a home to come back too and worked in a factory job (he was infantry, not an officer) for 46 years. What does the Iraq war infantry person today have to look forward too? A house that has lost around 20% of its' value and no good wage/benefit jobs -unless you consider Walmart good- to be be had. NAFTA'd away by politicians who themselves may have been veterans. If these same soldiers that are heroes on Fox news today come home and protest this predicament, they will be derided by the same news channel tomorrow as liberals, socialist, communist wealth re-distributors, or what ever we call people who don't keep their mouth shut. The O'Reillys, Becks, Hannitys, and Limbaughs are doing just fine, so what is your probelm?
Okay, now I am done ranting. Been off of work with an illness for 2 weeks, under stimulated I suppose. Now to pay the price for letting my thoughts out amongst other pilots......
Now, how do you propose helping us fix it?
Negativity is OK, as long as positive actions are the outcome.