Let me in on a conversation I have with my kids:

Me: Why can’t you buy that?
Kids: Because I don’t have a job.
Me: You don’t have a job because THE MAN is keeping you down.
Kids: Who is THE MAN?
Me: As soon as you figure it out you find out that YOU are THE MAN and you are keeping someone down.
Kids: Ugh!

But seriously almost all of us are part of THE MAN.  Take Wal-Mart for instance.  People bitch and complain about several things Wal-Mart does.  I have listed several below with some comments beside them.

• Wal-Mart does not pay well – Do you want to pay more for the stuff at Wal-Mart?  How about you start tipping your Wal-Mart employees if you think they should make more.
• Wal-Mart should provide better benefits – Remember your 401(k)?  I bet some of it is invested in Wal-Mart stock or something similar.  You OK with the price of that stock and thus your portfolio going down?
• Wal-Mart does not buy much American made stuff – Again, you cool with paying more?  I am not going to even get into the argument that you are helping people in other countries escape extreme poverty.

Everything is a trade off.  What are you willing to do or give up to make a change?

The Man

You have two choices: do something about it or shut up and suck it up buttercup.
The Man