Serfdom America: Unemployed Seek Unpaid Jobs!

By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

Yesterday, I came across one of the most disgusting articles that I’ve seen in months. Keep in mind, I spend hours a day reading news articles as part of my research for my current events blog. The article entitled “Unpaid jobs: The new normal?” provided an interview with an employer who has used 50 unpaid interns his small business’ in marketing, editorial, advertising, sales, account management and public relations.

In recent years, the nation has experienced the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression and over 14 million workers are unemployed, many of them for over 6 months. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average number of weeks for the unemployed is 37.1 (as of Feb 2011.)

To put this into perspective, this number remained in the teens for most of the last decade. The average number of weeks for the unemployed ranged from 12.7 in 2001 to 19.9 in 2004 and 17.5 in 2008. But since the economy has taken a downturn, millions of people have lost their jobs, the middle class has contracted and food stamp participation has soared (to 44 million as of Jan 2011.) Simply put, many people are becoming poorer and desperately need of job. SO when I hear about Kelly Fallis, chief executive of Remote Stylist (a Toronto and New York-based Web-based interior design services company), boast about the advantage of using unpaid workers to start her business, I can’t help be ask myself if this is the beginning of a modern day serfdom.



Traditionally, unpaid interns have been good for compliment college students who were looking for a way to gain experience and build a network within their field. But now, we’re seeing unemployed and experienced professionals offer their services for free to keep their resume fresh and maintain connections with the hope that this will give them an edge in this brutal job market. I’ve heard all of the arguments.

Let’s start with the “work ethic will get you a job argument”. The belief is that an unpaid internships allow workers to show potential employers that they are hard workers and will increase the likelihood that they will get hired. In reality, virtually no one is hiring. If you can get 3 experienced professionals (former managers, computer technicians and accountants) to work 20 hours for free in a horrible economy, why hire a full-time worker to do the same job? After all, an employer can simply replace the interns and avoid paying for health insurance.

What about networking? Networking is important, but I doubt an unpaid internship or volunteering will help. The problem with working for free is that it lowers your social value and makes you look desperate.

“…it can also give employees needed experience, a reference letter or even a self-esteem boost in a depressing economy,” proclaims Katherine Reynolds Lewis of Fortune.com.

A self-esteem boost? How does working for free provide you with a self esteem boost when you have bills to pay? And how low must your self-esteem be to take pride in believing that your labor is worth ZERO dollars? Can someone show me any proof that a significant amount of people are getting hired because of volunteering and working as interns for free? I seriously doubt it. I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, but I strongly believe that this will not help most people.

Here’s what I’m doing. I have a youtube channel with over 16,000 subscribers and a steady viewership. I have monetize my online work and have turned it into an important source of income. Frankly, this is how I pay my bills. My 47 year old sister has been out of work for 3 years and my 67 year old mom is too sick to work. So the energy bill must be paid. The water bill also needs to be paid. I can’t afford to waste 6 months working for free and I think employers will respect you more if you show that you were able to get paid.

One of the most important things you’ll learn about America is that, the more you need something, the less people want to give it to you. If you look desperate, women won’t sleep with you, employers won’t hire you and professionals will not want to have a drink with you. Have you ever wondered why people are so quick to give gifts to celebrities, but we have millions of homeless people leaving in the streets of America's metropolis?

Everybody wants to be around a winner. They don't want to be around someone who needs help. I know how mean that sounds, but this is why you need to give people the impression that you don't need them and that you are not desperate. So I think people need to network through friends and college contacts while creating an income. Working for free doesn't raise your social profile and I think that will affect your ability to get the job you want. Personally, I'm going to see if I can create a new career all together. Wish me luck!

Kelly Fallis was convinced that businesses using unpaid workers as a part of their strategy was the wave of the future. "Ten years from now, this is going to be the norm," she explained. If that is true, it will be traffic to watch American descend into a modern day serfdom.

So what do you think? Is it a good idea to use an unpaid internship to get back into the workforce?



Unpaid jobs: The new normal?

SNAP Participants 44 Million

Average length of unemployment creeps up to 37 weeks in February


You can also find me on

Facebook

Twitter

BlogTV

Personal Info

DEMCAD: Libya Bombing an Impeachment Offense!

By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

Joe Biden appeared on the MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews in 2007 and made a bold claim. He said that if President Bush had launched an attack against Iran without Congressional approval, he would have called for impeachment hearings.

"I don't say those things lightly, Chris. You've known me for a long time..The president has no constitutional authority to take this nation to war against a country of 70 million people until we are attacked or unless there is proof that we are about to attacked!"

Fast forward to 2011: Democrat Barack Obama is now the President of United States. He has authorized an air attack against Libya without Congressional approval or proof of a threat to America. Obama is clearly violating the boundaries that Biden set for Bush. And if you use his own words, Obama is clearly violating the United States constitution. So where is Biden's call for Obama's impeachment?

I'll go a step farther. In 2007, candidate Obama attended a Q&A hosted by Boston Globe Staff Writer Charlie Savage. Here are a couple of quotes that stuck me as odd, especially considering how Obama has clearly contradicted his own promises and claims.

"The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation," Obama claims. Yet, he authorized the bombing of Libya without permission from Congress or proof of a threat to America.

Here's my favorite quote from Obama, "I reject the Bush Administration's claim that the President has plenary authority under the Constitution to detain U.S. citizens without charges as unlawful enemy combatants."

That's strange. I thought Guantanamo Bay was still open. Oh wait, it is.

So let's review. By Obama and Biden's own words, the decision to bomb Libya is an impeachment offense. Obviously, no one in Washington will respond. They only pretend to have principles, but I think it's critical that we recognize their lies and spread the word. So that they can be held accountable when it matters the most.

Barack Obama's Q&A

DEMCAD: Japan's Last Days?

By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

As dire as the situation in Japan may seem, this nuclear disaster in Fukushima will not be the end of this economic power. Popular Youtuber Jbern released a video entitled 'Fukushima update - Japan's last days' where he descisses what he believes to be a situation worse than Chernobyl. Unlike the Soviet Union's nuclear disaster, the Fukushima crisis hasn't been upgraded to a level 7 (major accident), but with explosions at four different nuclear reactors and a significant amount of radiation leakage, the seriousness of the situation can not be taken lightly.

I think Jbern's description of the Japanese government response is fitting.

"I think Japan has very weak leadership...and they are not taking the right action."

Many nuclear facility workers have abandoned their post and the Japanese government has failed to handle the situation in a timely and effective manner. The leadership needs to pull nuclear experts from other power plants and use its military personnel and technology to get more workers involved. The more people they have working on the nuclear reactors, the more they can accomplish. With a limited amount of people, they will be slowed down by the fact that a worker can only be exposed to so much radiation.

Jbern asks some very important questions that I would like the answers to, "Where are the 5,000 employees from the Fukushima plant? Because they have left their plant. They have deserted from their troops...their job in a war-like situation."

My answer: They saw the writing on the wall and decided to get their families as far away from this mess as they could. Maybe they don't have much faith in their own ability to stop a catastrophe.

Another good Jbern question: "Ask yourself, where are the families of the managers and the government?"

I'm dying to know the answer to that one. I agree with Jbern's assessment of the severity of the damage at reactor 4. But I disagree with his assertion that "Japan is lost." He goes as far as to declare that the Japanese government should have evacuated pregnant women and children from the island. The problem with that scenario is that it would have been impossible to evacuate that many people from japan in a short period of time. And how would have accepted them? The United States of America. That would be a huge political risk for the host nation. If the people couldn't return or didn't want to return, the host country would have millions a people living on the soil. What economy can support that level of a population increase? None.

My biggest concern is the economic impact of Japan on the world economy and America. It seems that Japan will be seriously affected by this crisis in its financial and manufacturing sectors. Even GM is halting its 'nonessential' global spending, because of this disaster. I think Japan will be hit with a tremendous amount of debt and worsen its status as one of the largest public debt burdens in the world. However, it's industry and ability to actually produce products will give it a strong chance to rebuild and recover. it may take 10 years, but I am confident that Japan will recover as long as they can offer products to trade for natural resources.

GM Halts 'Nonessential' Spending Globally Due to Japan Crisis



March 15th Polar Shift

People, we made it. March 15th came and passed. We didn't see massive earthquakes across the globe, we didn't see the end of the world and the U.S. government didn't bring out the ark. We didn't see a major and rapid polar shift. So what does this mean? Internet conspiracy theorists and bloggers will jump on a new date and uplaod more videos to scare the hell out of people about a possible end of the world. I call these events "Dates of Doom." It always amzes me how certain youtubers can scare people will this ridiculous information and never apologize for being wrong and scaring people for no reason.

Blip.tv Channel
DEMCAD

DEMCAD

You can also find me on

Facebook

Twitter

DEMCAD: Japan Will Be Forever Changed

Japan Will Be Forever Changed
By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

The earthquake in Japan may have created a series of tsunamis that claimed 10,000 lives, but the building crisis at it's Fukushima nuclear power plant could changed the face of Japan. As of today, Japan has six reactors that are unstable and at risk of a full meltdown. On Saturday, this was an explosion and partial meltdown at the no. 1 reactor that leaked radiation into the atmosphere. How much? We don't know. But another power plant had an explosion on the following day, possibly leaking more radiation into the atmosphere. Fortunately, the weather patterns will force it out into the Pacific Ocean. Which is good for Japan, but troublesome for the West Coast of the United States, since the jet stream could carry the radiation across the ocean.

So far, Japanese authorities have evacuated over 200,000 people from the nuclear zone, recovered over 800 bodies, projected a possible lost of 10,000 people, scanned thousands of citizens for radiation poisoning, treated over 160 for radiation sickness, dealt with six unstable nuclear reactors and assured as that the situation is under control.


Frankly, seeing explosions at a nuclear power plant doesn't convinced me that the situation is under control. And anyone who thinks that this crisis will not affect America is dislusional. Nuclear power plants are usually very efficient and safe, as long as the engineers are able to keep the fuel rods cool. The problem at the power plants is that the earthquake has damaged the coolant system and made it difficult to keep the rods cool enough to control. To make things worse, if the floor of the reactor room is cracked, the melting fuel could reach the ground and become uncontrollable. This is the worse case scenario. And given the fact that there has already been two explosions at the plants, I think it is time to take this scenario very seriously. If there is a significant leakage of radiation, it could travel across the Pacific in a storm system and threaten areas in California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and other states.



There have already been two explosions in the containment building of two reactors. If six reactors have a full meltdown and explode, this radiation will claim lives. If I still lived on the West Coast of the United States, I would consider stocking up on Potassium Iodine. Your thyroid absorbs iodine, whether it is radioactive or not, if you fill your thyroids with potassium, it may reduce the radiation sickness. I would also make sure that I am not allegoric to Potassium Iodine. Hopefully, you guys have been listening to me when I warned you to stockpile food and water. If not, now is a good time to start.

Today, I'm going to the suburbs to meet up with a guy who is forming a preppers group in the Flint, Michigan area.

I also recommend you follow Youtuber Dutchsinse. He's been doing a good job on covering the story. I'm also vblogging about the crisis on my channel (DEMCAD).




U.S. Navy crew members get radiation sickness.

Second explosion at Japanese nuclear plant

Japan battles nuclear meltdown

DEMCAD: Libya Revolts & Gerald Correct was Right (again)!

By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

It looks like Gerald Celente was absolutely correct in forecasting a worldwide revolution. As he stated in several interviews, "The youth of the world will unite." First, the was Tunisia, then Egypt and now we're seeing civil unrest in Libya. Protesters have actually captured cities and military bases. This reads more like a revolution than a series of demonstrations. And it's getting bigger by the day. We're seeing protests Algeria, Iran and Wisconsin.

The unions are battling a newly elected Republican Governor in Wisconsin for the bargaining agreement rights, the Green Movement is pushing against the Iranian government and the entire Middle East appears to be on the edge of chaos. Once again, Celente was right.

What's even more amazing about Gerald Celente's forecast is the accuracy of the details. He correctly predicted the use of social media in fighting regimes. He called it, "Journalism 2.0." For those of you who don't know, Celente is the president of the Trend Research Institute. This man successful predicted the stock market crash of 87, 9/11 and the crash of 2008. So when this guys warns us about the collapse of America, you better listen.

As far as the civil unrest, I think the primary factor is the most obvious. People can't afford to support their families. Remember when the idiots at the Federal Reserve were using qualitative easing to stimulate the U.S. economy last year? Well, this is what happens when you print dollars out of thin air. This is what happens when you produce more currency that isn't backed by anything of real value.

The value of the dollars decrease, prices go up because it takes more dollars to buy the same product and most people's income can not keep up with the increase in dollars. This is why people like Peter Schiff and Marc Faber attack the Federal Reserve. This is what inflation does to the people. People are revolting, because the price of food is rising and they can't afford it. And this is what's going to happen in America. We're already seeing the prices rise and the packages of food sink.

Wisconsin is just the beginning. The states can not afford to pay their bills and unlike the federal government, they can't borrow money from the Federal Reserve. They're going to have cut spending and/or raise taxes. For the record, I think raising taxes right now would be insane. But they MUST cut spending. They simply don't have a choice. The only other option would be a federal bailout, but if that happens, the federal government would have to borrow even more money. So no matter what happens, we're in for a lot of pain.

Libya: Colonel Gaddafi 'flees' to Venezuela as cities fall to protesters

Iran opposition considers more protests


Youtube Channels
DEMCAD
DEMCAD2

Blip.tv Channel
DEMCAD

Stickam
STickam

You can also find me on

Facebook

Twitter

Personal Info

DEMCAD: The Dollar's END is Inevitable!

By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

Rejoice, the House GOP managed to cut $60 billion in spending for the federal government's budget for the remainder of this year. Forgive me if I'm not impressed. We have a $1.5 trillion deficit for this year alone. That's like saying instead of getting drunk and running us $10,000 in credit card debt, you're going to run skip a bar along the way and only spend $9,800 in your drunken stupor.

House Republicans win spending cuts after marathon funding debate

What this means is that the GOP has committed this country to staying on its current collision course with a currency meltdown. The only thing stopping the U.S. dollar from melting down is the lack of a new system to take its place. But I assure you that when the IMF finishes the final touches on their SDR (Special Drawing Rights), America's borrowers position themselves safely against the dollar and the federal has the inevitable bond auction failure, we're see the end of the U.S. Dollar as the world reserve's currency. And this will lead to a dramatic decline in the standard of living for virtually all Americans.

People have sent me messages wondering what I think about the union protests in Wisconsin. Is this the beginning of the revolution? No, I doubt it. When I see people in the streets with pitchforks, torches and AK-47s, then we can talk. Until then, I will dismissed this as a union battle. The bottom line is that the state governments over expanded and made promises that it could not keep during the good times and now that we are in the bad times, people are finding that out.

You haven't seen anything yet. Just wait until the food stamps and welfare get cut.


Youtube Channels
DEMCAD
DEMCAD2




Who am I?

My name is Reginald Kaigler. Most people call me DEMCAD. I am neither a Republican nor Democrat. I am libertarian who has become frustrated by the betrayal of politicians from both political parties. I support limited government, free enterprise, reasonable taxes, civil liberties and social justice.

I am a 29 year old Michigan native who lived in a small town on an island in Alaska for two years. I moved to Ketchikan, Alaska in January 2008 to serve as an Americorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) at Ketchikan High School. I helped high school kids acquire scholarships, apprenticeships and jobs. I also served as the liaison for the high school, assistant in the Class Act programs and the web administrator for the Counseling website. It was the best time of my life. I never knew that I could connect with so much people on such a positive level.

Now, I'm living with my family in Flint, MI. I'm using my online work to support my family. People still ask me how I ended up with the name DEMCAD. In high school, I attended two years of computer drafting and loved it. I was actually pretty decent. Okay, I was was good. The program I used for my work was called AutoCAD. So ever since then, I've been using AutoCAD as part of my names and usernames. CAD represents Computer aided drafting.
I used to love AutoCAD when I was a kid. DEM is just a variant name of CAD. (i.e. XEONCAD) So that's how I came up with the name DEMCAD.

God

Let me take the time to also clear up so issues. Some people ask me about my religious beliefs. Do you believe in God? The answer is...Learn some manners. Polite people don't ask strangers about their religious views. Religion is something that almost always divide people, so I avoid it like the plague. Don't expect a video about God on the DEMCAD channel.

Censorship

You can post any comment you like in the comment sections of my youtube channels. I don't block people or delete comments. I've already been called every name in the book.

Blip.tv Channel
DEMCAD

You can also find me on

Facebook

Twitter

DEMCAD: Hard Truth about SHTF Prep!

By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

First, let me disclose the intent of this blog post. This writing is in no way might to be comprehensive. My name is Reginald Kaigler, I have a BA in criminal justice, I am a blogger on youtube (DEMCAD), but I am not an expert on preparing for disasters. I am not a survivalist who lives in a underground bunker. I don't own an arsenal of guns. I can't afford to play GI Joe on the weekends and I have no intention of sugar coating what I believe to be the cold hard truth.

The world as we know it will changed and it will happen soon. If maybe sparked by the bankruptcies of American state governments, or maybe the implosion of the Eurozone via debt or perhaps the global food crisis will spread civil unrest across the globe. The evidence is clear: UN is reporting record increases in food prices, real unemployment is rising, the federal government is out of money, the Federal Reserve continues to devalue the dollar, the housing sector is getting worse, no one has thrown the criminal on Wall Street in prison and the hundreds of trillions of dollars of derivatives still threatens the entire world system. It only takes one event to create a devastating crisis. This event is eloquently referred to by survivalists and preppers as the SHTF (Shit Hits The Fan.)



Food

I can't tell you how to prepare for such an event, but I can tell you what I've been doing. I've been buying extra cans of food every month for my food storage. The primary storage is in my basement where I have the following foods stored.

Oatmeal
Tuna
Corn Beef Harsh
Chicken
Peaches Mixed fruits
Spam
Salmon
Corn
Peas
Beans
Chili
Various Soups
Pasta

I also have a 5 gallon bucket of rice and 20 pounds of wheat grain in my closet also with cans of beans, chili, chicken noodle soup and oatmeal. I also store ammo for my three guns (Glock 21, Mossberg Maverick 30-06 and my Mossberg 500). I've released numerous videos on my youtube channel DEMCAD about this very subject.

I also have my tools (which includes a framing hammer, crowbar, Annihilator bar, hatchet, staple gun, hammer, screwdriver set and much more) in my closet. My preparations are very organized.

Emergency Bag

I even have an emergency bag. This bag is equipped with the following...
Multi-tool
Knife
Water filter
Water bottle
Tuna
Flashlight
Lighter
Waterproof matches
SAS survival guide
fishing line
Folding Saw
Pocket Shovel
Personal documents (state ID)
Ammo

THE RULES

So here's what I've learned about emergency preparation.

5. Start gathering Information
Before you buy that one year supply of food, you may want to shop around. And is it really a good idea to buy an ar-15 when you live in the desert? You need to research the guns, the food and everything before you start spending cash.

4. Assess Your Situation
No one plan will work for everyone. Just because it was a good idea for me to buy a 45 caliber, that doesn't mean that it will be the best option for you. Maybe the powerful, but cheaper (and more available) 40 S&W would be better for you. People living in Arizona and New Mexico should store more water than folks in Colorado. if you live near street gangs, you better be aware.Start walking around your neighbor and other areas to find alternate routes to important locations such as hospitals.

3. Get a Gun!
No one cares about your politics. No one cares about your ideas about a gun free world. Iit's never going to happen and when that drugged-out psycho is standing in your living room with a knife and a hard on, you're going to wish you had a Glock in your hand. Police departments are cutting cops all across the country as the nation descends into a deeper downturn. Good luck relying on 911 to save you if someone breaks into your house.

You'll also be happy to use your 22 to hunt for rabbits if the grind crashes.

2. Be Realistic
Don't go overboard witht he machine guns. There's only one of you and if you have a bunch of guns and no food, you'll be in big trouble. And don't think that silver will be your salvation. Yes, silver is real money, but in a SHTF scenario, no one is going to trade in their food and ammo for silver. Not unless you are trading with a foreign group.

If you live in an urban area, most of your encounters will be close quarters. You probably won't be picking looters or gang members off at 500 yards, so you better start with a good home defense weapon. The pump action shotgun is second to none in this category. The 12 Gauge round is highly verstile and powerful. You can use slugs to hit targets 100 yards aways or destroy body parts at close range. I'm planning on using 00 buckshot for most of my home defense. My primary weapon is the Mossberg 500. The Remington 870 also has a great reputation, but I like the location of the Mossberg's safety and the fact that the military has been using them.

I rely on a Glock 21 pistol as a backup. Sure the FN-57 is one of the coolest pistols you've ever seen. it's light light, has plenty of ammo in the magazine, very little recoil and looks awesome. But let me ask you a question: Who in the hell shoots a 5.7x28mm round?

Answer: Probably no one that you know of. And if you're the only guy with a 5.7 pistol during the collapse, you'll be out of luck when you run out of ammo. Please stick to the common calibers, so that you can trade ammo with your neighbors and friends. If you buy a pistol that shoots a 38, 357, 9mm, 40 S&W or 45 Auto, you'll find someone with the ammo you need.

Frankly, since most pistol fights take place in close quarters, I didn;t see the point of getting a fast traveling caliber. I decided to go with maximum stopping power. In handsight, the 40 caliber may have been a good compromise of speed and power, but I errored on the side of power and bought a 45 caliber pistol.

The Sig Sauer is a great gun, but it's heavy and expensive. The FN-45 tactical is 1,000 bucks. Simply too rich for my blood. Glock has an excellent reputation, it's made by Germanic people, it's cost effective and has no external safeties to worry about. in the heat of the moment, I don't want to be the character that forgets to drop the safety.

1. The Sooner the Better
Unless you're Bruce Wayne, you can't afford to wait until the last minute to start preparing for an emergency. Most people can't afford to buy a six month supply of food in one day. Waiting until the shit hits the fan to buy a gun with leave you vulnerable to price gouging. And realistically, most areas don't carry a large supply of guns. Expect food prices to go up, so the longer you wait, the more you may pay.

So start sitting around and start preparing.




Youtube Channels
DEMCAD
DEMCAD2


UN and France warns of Food Crisis