The Talented, the Educated, the Able, the Willing, and
the Screwed
Author: Joe Rebel
The United States has long been the world's hot bed of technological
advancement. The cutting edge of the cutting edge of American technology
has long been the realm of the American software engineer, developer, and
programmer. All of this is threatened by a government and industry that
openly promote the destruction of this American niche. Our government has
actively and knowingly supported strategies, actions, policies, and laws that
have pushed the American engineer out of the economic game and into the
unemployment lines.
A political and economic culture that has always placed the non productive
occupations of venture capital, marketing, speculation, sales, and short term
profit over and above the production of quality products, worker dignity, and
worker rights has short changed those who not only have the capacity to
contribute to society, but who have actually already done so. No change in
the last twenty years has transformed our society more than the changes created
by the software developer. In exchange for this creative transformation of
all aspects of society, foreign workers have been brought in, jobs have been
exported, and American technical talent has been wasted.
Our reward for working twelve hour days, often six days per week, has been
a constant race towards lower salaries, lower benefits, lower respect, and lower
prospects. Despite the fact that our individual intelligence, on the
average, greatly exceeds that of the corporate leaders that exploit our labor
and rob our dignity, we remain passive observers in a world running headlong
into senseless war and self destruction. Is it not time for us to use our
talents and energy reordering the current regime? Should we not stand up
and fight for our right, and the rights of all workers, to self determination
and freedom from wanton oppression? Should we not withdraw our support
from the fascist state that seeks to apply our creations to our enslavement?
The oppressive state of the 21st Century relies on our
technologies. Only we can deny them access to technological
progress. Only we can devise the means to undermine their design of
ubiquitous surveillance and control. We owe them no loyalty for they have
shown no loyalty to us! Let us join together and withdraw our support from
the American software industry. Let us commit to bringing down this
oppressive order, for only when it has been brought down can we hope to
construct a new and better order where we are rewarded fairly for our
creations. Let us not contribute to the suffering of our fellow man!
Technology is our gift to humanity. Let our good intentions not be used towards
evil ends!
Links Documenting Programmer Abuse
Note to recent graduates:
today's recent graduate will be tomorrow's "overqualified" worker...
Note, we do not blame foreign programmers for coming to the US
for work. We understand why individuals from other countries seeking work
would come to the United States. Our complaint is with the corporate
ruling class and the Government which exploits the depressed wages of foreign
workers in order to increase the level of exploitation within the United States.