Wednesday, November 7, 2007

The Winner of our Discontent

Disgruntled (adj). 1: in a state of sulky dissatisfaction [syn: disgruntled, dissatisfied].
Against, annoyed, bad-tempered, beefing, bellyaching, bitching, browned off, complaining, complaintful, con, crabbing, crabby, cranky, croaking, cross, disappointed, disapprobatory, disapproving, discontent, discontented, disenchanted, disillusioned, displeased, dissatisfied, dissenting, envious, exasperated, faultfinding, fed up, griping, grouchy, grousing, growling, grumbling, grumpy, ill-humored, ill-tempered, indignant, irritated, low, malcontent, malcontented, moody, murmuring, muttering, opposed, opposing, out of humor, peeved, peevish, petulant, poor, put out, querulant, querulous, rebellious, resentful, restive, restless, sulky, sullen, testy, turned-off, unaccepting, unaccommodating, unappreciative, unapproving, uncomplimentary, uneasy, unfavorable, unfulfilled, ungratified, unhappy, unsatisfied, vexed, whiny.
Ahh, disgruntlement.

The workers' greatest sin.

When they protest the arbitrariness of 'employment at will' [whose will? Not the will of the employee; if we truly had the economic freedom to quit bad jobs 'at will', more than a few companies would lose their entire workforces].

When they catch the boss with both hands in the till up to the elbow, and try without success to find an authority that will take this seriously.

When they object to being accused of 'time theft' for taking an extra 30 seconds to clean their bottoms on a bathroom break, or for greeting a colleague on the display floor, while being forced to clock out for the evening before putting in hours of unpaid mandatory overtime. [Can you say... double standard? Projection? Abuse?]

There are companies in this country in which access to bathroom facilities is so savagely restricted that adult employees must resort to wearing diapers on the assembly lines.

Please note: in this country. Land of the free, home of the brave, birthplace of the American Dream. [Don't forget to wear your Depends to the office, dear; because although it makes a lovely myth, you are not free, not once you cross that threshhold.]

What good could possibly come from disgruntlement?

Zippers.

The electric light.

Anaesthetic available to women during childbirth.

Smallpox vaccine.

Rabies vaccine.

Polio vaccine.

Catholic Worker Houses.

DNA forensic testing.

Hybrid automobiles.

Solar power.

Wind farms.

Whistleblower protection [such as it is].

Laws against domestic violence [such as they are].

Laws against the abuse of animals [such as they are].

Sex offender registries [Megan's Law].

"America's Most Wanted".

Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Autism Speaks.

ACT-UP.

FDIC insurance for your bank account.

Traffic lights.

'Panic button' burglar alarm systems for bank tellers and convenience store clerks.

Waterproof matches.

Cybernetic prostheses.

Cochlear implants.

Surgical lasers.

Child labor laws.

Public education [such as it is].

Voting Rights for people of color and women regardless of color.

Vitamin C...

As a matter of fact, if you think about it with an open mind, you will soon realize an astonishing truth:

We actually must credit a vast number of the 'improvements' in our lives....

to disgruntlement.

To people who had the great good sense to be malcontents.

Long may they dwell among us, and may their tribe forever increase.

3 Comments:

Blogger Valorosa said...

Amen lol

June 22, 2008 at 11:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think one of these results of disgruntlement is actually Australian...the cochlear implant..

We are slow to catch up with our American cousins with all of the rest of these unfortunately.

Our human rights record is pretty dismal.

October 5, 2008 at 2:40 AM  
Blogger Stormchild said...

Hi Meg

I think you are right about the cochlear transplant.

And heart transplants were pioneered in South Africa - Christian Barnard was at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town when he performed the first successful one. In 1967, with apartheid rampant...

The lightning strikes where it will. Good will come wherever it can, I think, wherever there is a heart and mind, hands and hope, ready to receive and practice it.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Barnard was a prominent opponent of apartheid, and refused to consider race when accepting patients for transplant surgery.

Good will come wherever it can. :-)

October 11, 2008 at 5:12 PM  

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