Since October 2024, I have been looking to find stable employment because I knew that it would be time to leave the United States if I was stuck working for the IRS; after all, I had worked for the Census Bureau in 2020, and that was a mess. With a few false starts, I have seen that even with consistent work in the empire, it would be near impossible to find a way to live without completely losing my humanity. Every time I have dejectedly come back to work, I have been reminded that there are no real opportunities here, just temporary, exhausting chances where people dangle “growth potential” like a carrot. After trying 5 different jobs that could potentially lead to more income, I have decided that feeling united with the rest of the world feels better than feeling a false unity with a country that hates its citizens.
One of my first jobs was AI work that was not explained until it was too late to rectify and potentially get paid money that I desperately needed. This was the second tech job I had tried, and for almost a week, I was thinking that I was completing work that would get me paid while doing two other jobs. With a lot of tech jobs, one gets paid per task, not per hour, so if the tasks are not approved, one can potentially work for hours and not get paid. Nobody got back to me until the end of the week, and two days later, I noticed that all but four of my tasks had been taken, which I had been hoping for so that I could feed myself. If a company fails to communicate anything other than “Look at this document and do these tasks,” then no, new people are not going to flourish.
Fortunately, my main reason for returning stateside was to complete a tech support contract, which would have been fine except for the fact that I was not going to be paid until the contract was technically over. I was one of the few “lucky” ones invited to extend the contract until four days after tax season, and that was the week that I worked my first 90+ hour work week. Maybe I will get paid in the middle of May, and my only guarantee of that was that there were other people who were working under the same expectations. I was told that if I worked a bunch of extra hours, then I would get bonuses, and I would be able to see those bonuses in my paycheck. Surprise, surprise, I was charged for access to this particular contract, and all the extra work that I did for those bonuses were eaten up with “fees.”
Because I had an unfortunate experience with my first opportunity for international employment, a friend and I decided attempted to start a consultancy on teaching in foreign schools. Even though I was working more than full time, I provided two days when we could test the theory, because I was skeptical about people paying for our time. The first day, which was free, was reasonable, and I was pleased with the turnout and considered that we might have a chance. As it turns out, people are more interested in “free trials” than paid engagement–something I was painfully aware of–and only one person showed up to the paid session. While there was a chance that this kind of consulting could have worked, my instincts were on point, and I reminded myself that I will only work as that kind of contractor again when money is paid upfront, not as an “idea.”
For my third and final attempt at working with AI, there was a social media post and I sent my resume, hoping that this would lead to reasonable income for full-time work. The owner pretended to be impressed with my education, which was a red flag because before people exploit me, they like to tell me how smart they think I am. This individual was no exception, and once I signed a contract, they then explained that they would be expecting me to learn a white-collar skill on my own time for which I would not be paid. During the first week, after two days, the owner requested a break despite only working with me for a combined total of three hours. Once we reconvened, I stated that the owner was very dismissive and that I needed more guidance. Because the owner had placed a dismissive message within emoticons and passive aggressive language, I was told that I was “triggered” and “emotional,” and that my feelings were my responsibility. We had one more conversation when he paid me for my time, tried to coerce me into accepting responsibility for his projective behavior, and I refused to take the bait. All in all, it was another largely unpaid AI work experience, and I beseech everyone NOT to take any AI jobs without a substantial salary down payment. They are the latest plantation owners, from small to large firms.
Only one job remains after all that, and it is a job I truly enjoy. Someone needed a substitute for conversational business English classes, and they would be remote English lessons. I met some really kind peers, two from Mexico and one from Argentina, and I am scheduled to offer more next week. The timing was off because Daylight Savings is a United States tradition, not everywhere else, but I still got two lessons in, so I am excited about future possibilities. Even though my last techie boss was desperate to convince me that I was bad with people, I was reminded the same evening that I work very well with people who are genuinely trying to communicate, so my instincts were correct.
Labor Day in the United States is celebrated in September because celebrating on May Day would put us in solidarity with the rest of the world. Between scheming outsourcers and chronic overwork, it is no surprise that an empire run by pedophile billionaires would want people as isolated and desperate as possible. I am here to remind my readers that this behavior is not normal, and only crazy people think that everyone should accept maltreatment for the sake of closing doors and being fed. Many “experts” like to claim that companies “over-hired” after the pandemic lockdowns, but if labor is required for sustenance, there is no such thing as “too many people having jobs.” Nobody should think any of the actions we have seen are worth maintaining, because they will all lead to our ruin.
Chasing A Dying Empire 