“Some people say a man is made
Out of mud.
A poor man’s made out of muscle
And blood.
Muscle and blood”
— 16 Tons, by Tennessee Ernie Ford
Written by Bryan Lutz, Editor at Dollarcollapse.com:
—
The Mafia and Average Joe both earn their wages out of muscle and blood, but…
there’s a righteous difference between the two:
The mobster’s elbows are completely clean.
They earned their day on the beaches because they eschew honest work. They don’t put elbow grease into an honest economy. The honest exchange of goods and services…
That’s where the Average Joe becomes the hero with the greasy elbow.
You and I are willing to put in the hard work, muscle, blood, and elbow grease with a little bit of hard work.
Unfortunately, that’s how the people who are getting ahead in this economy are getting on. They’re working extra hours and twice as hard…
According to the US Census Bureau, the trend started in 2010… More people started working multiple jobs, but it was only a gradual increase.
The story did get coverage until last year, when the mainstream media started paying more attention to the economy. (Fed interest rates raise, SVB Bank crash, etc.). Six months after the first effects of pandemic spending could be seen the Guardian hit the streets for interviews.
They reported:
‘I’m selling my blood’: millions in US can’t make ends meet with two jobs
“Cashe Lewis, 31, of Denver, Colorado works two jobs and is currently trying to find a third job to cover the recent $200 monthly rent increase to her apartment. She works days as a barista at Starbucks, but claims it’s been difficult to get enough hours even with taking extra shifts whenever she can due to scheduling cuts as part of the crackdown on union organizing by management.
At night she works at a convenience store because the hours are reliable, and works six days a week, often 16 hours a day.”
And when 16 hours a day isn’t enough, the mobsters force you to sell your blood too.
“I’m exhausted all the time,” said Lewis. “On the one day I have off a week, I donate plasma for extra money. I’m literally selling my blood to eat because I have no choice.”
Needless to say, a lot of people are working hard right now.
What’s more is that over the past year (from Dec. 2022 to Dec. 2023) FRED reports an increase of more than 550,000 Americans working multiple jobs to put food on the table and keep their heat on.
So when you do your investigation, you find the case of the greasy elbow:
It’s those people putting in the extra elbow grease that are getting on. The average joe is the one that really deserves the honor. Although, some keen investigators will dive a little deeper.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released their latest report on the employment situation.
Manufacturing, Hospitality, Information, and Professional Services are all flat lining.
Government jobs turned out to have the largest increases in 2023, which turned out to double the monthly average increases in each month of 2022.
“Government employment increased by 52,000 in December. Employment continued to trend up in local government (+37,000) and federal government (+7,000). Government added an average of 56,000 jobs per month in 2023, more than double the average monthly gain of 23,000 in 2022.”
That includes education and social assistance programs…
What this means is that the federal government’s fiscal spending is increasingly going towards government funded employment, while the private sector is laying off more employees, and hiring part-timers to fill positions.
What does this reveal?
The federal government is propping up unemployment rates by hiring and spending more, but only slightly more than they did pre-pandemic. Government spending to GDP was at 35% in 2019, whereas it’s up around 38% now.
Still very high, when you consider the government does not contribute to economic productivity. But they still may get some revenue with an increase in IRS agents, enforcement, and more efficient systems.
And that all means, eventually the government won’t be able to grab enough tax dollars to pay via elbow grease…
Eventually, instead of taxes, it’s going to be someone else’s muscle and blood.
I’ll give you one guess whose blood the case of the greasy elbow reveals…
