I'm not going to be starving. But if I did have to find a job, well…let's just say that many out there are not that lucky.

I'm going to share some information from people I know well personally, along with what I hear from so many who follow my writing. If you've read my book Survival of the Richest, you know my thoughts on our rigged economy. Our bogus job market. And things have only gotten worse since that book was published. We no longer have viable unions, which served for decades to keep salaries and benefits decent, even at nonunion workplaces. Big Labor used to be a powerful force in this country. Democrats competed to earn its support. When's the last time you heard any Democrat talk about workers' rights? About vanishing benefits? About ridiculously subpar wages? Republicans will talk about the subject. They think that the minimum wage should be abolished. Because they trust the corrupt marketplace, they laughably think that employers will pay a fair wage, if only the government wouldn't force them to. There are calls to bring back child labor, as I detailed in my book.

In 2018, I was fired summarily, without any warning or incremental discipline, by Inova Health, the largest healthcare system on the east coast. I had worked there for 44 years, virtually my entire adult life. But Virginia is a Right to Work state. An "At Will" state. Which means essentially that an employer has the right to fire you for any reason, or no reason. Now, this doesn't apply if you're Black, or part of what has been determined to be a "marginalized" group. But I'm White. And a male. And old. I'm about as non-"marginalized" as it gets. There was nothing I could do. Local media wouldn't listen to me. Only one lawyer was mildly interested. I paid him for about six months, and he couldn't even get Inova to take the termination off my record and give me the settlement package all the other laid off non-"marginalized" employees got. It still irks me that I was escorted off the premises like a common criminal, for the great crime of helping out a handicapped co-worker.

I tried to apply for other jobs for a few months, but only received one interview. This was to drive a van for a retirement center, call bingo numbers, etc. I usually do well with the elderly, and I was probably already considered elderly myself. Naturally, I didn't get the job. And that was that. I couldn't even get unemployment, because Inova fought it. More "Right to Work" perks. So it wasn't enough that they fired me after 44 years for doing a good deed. They even blocked me from getting a paltry unemployment check. So excuse me if I roll my eyes when some Republican firebrand starts extolling the virtues of "Right to Work." What, do you want to be forced to join a union? They'll charge you! Well, if I'd belonged to a strong, old fashioned union, they would never have attempted to fire me after serving there for longer than almost any other employee in company history. I'm happy being a full-time writer. At this point, it's the principle here. They were wrong, and they'll never be held accountable.

Enough about me. What others are going through is inexcusably unfair. We've all heard about how ICE is hiring, right? About how they desperately need people. They'll take anyone! They're offering a huge bonus and great salary. But, as we keep hearing so often, no one wants to work. That's kind of the Right's version of diversity is our strength. Just as stupid, and just as untrue. People I know have tried to apply to ICE. They don't even get calls back. They literally can't even get to the application process. I wonder what these people think when they hear public figures talk about this tremendous opportunity. I'm reminded of the hotline set up, after the 9/11 inside job, where the public was advised to "say something if you see something." Alex Jones called that line on air, and no one ever answered. No annoying automated menu. No leave a message after the beep. Just more lies. The system runs on lies.