Complex Numbers

The Fix

Only two left from "JAFBG"  [XGC]. After this, only one. Which I may or may not be able to post at the usual time.

Global supply chain issues. Is it a labor shortage, wage shortage, something else? How do we fix it?

Hell if I know.

I'm not even sure it needs to be "fixed." Not that it isn't inconvenient, but if we could fix everything that was inconvenient, we'd... you know, actually, that would be awesome. Get right on that.

I say that because these things tend to sort themselves out. Either we get shit moving again, or, if we don't, we get used to it.

As for the labor shortage / wage shortage thing... well, anything I say about that will be political. So I'm going to say it anyway: you want people to work, pay them more. If you want businesses to pay people more, don't be surprised when inflation happens. If people start getting paid better, and then inflation happens, don't be surprised when they end up being paid the same, adjusted for inflation, as they were before they got paid more. The system pretty much requires that some people be paid dogshit wages so the rest of us aren't inconvenienced. Don't like it? Change the system... or at least try not to be one of those getting dogshit wages.

Of course, it's not just about being paid more. It's also about not being treated like shit at work. I'm glad workers are finally starting to get the upper hand, because managers have become too complacent in thinking that they can do whatever they want and the peons will come to work anyway because they have no other choice. Well, now they have a choice. Just know that every time someone complains, "No one wants to work," what they're really saying is: "No one wants to work for me (because I'm an asshole)."

One thing I'm certain of, though, is the people who said that the exploited workers would come begging for their shit jobs back once stimulus ended were, obviously, completely wrong. Because it ended, and people are still not interested in working at your soul-deadening, productivity-optimized, unpredictable-schedule, doing-the-work-of-three-people, no-chance-for-promotion craphole business.

Don't get me wrong; I'd like to see the supply chain problems improve because I've been holding off on buying a car and a new laptop, both of which require computer chips that I hear are still in short supply. But I'm patient.

So far.