Folks, we take a departure from book marketing to vent our collective frustrations over the state of the world. Please rant with me — and then do something about it!
Major League Baseball,
the world’s largest, oldest, and most successful professional baseball league,
is once again alienating the fans it takes for granted while billionaire owners
argue with millionaire players over how to divide their riches. Their latest
work stoppage, the first since they killed the World Series in a
strike-shortened 1994 season that spilled into the early part of 1995, reminds
fans, consumers, and citizens that we are to blame for the mess we are in.
If we muster the courage to overcome our addiction,
we can boycott and finally bring about real change — and get a seat at the
table.
It is not just organized baseball that exploits
its fans — it is every other huge corporation or government agency.
We have a love-hate relationship with every big
entity, forcing us to be self-loathing hypocrites who put up with less than
stellar services and results.
I am ashamed and
embarrassed at what I have become, accepting sub-par quality from our leading
institutions that shape our daily lives. I want to apologize to the youngest
generation for not doing a better job, for giving you an inheritance of a messed-up
world.
And now, our world is witnessing
a catastrophe in Ukraine, and our reaction thus far to the Russian bully, has
been inadequate. We need to defend democracy against unwarranted aggression.
But we have not managed to stop the bloodshed through diplomacy, sanctions, or
threats. I am not saying I want to see WWIII break out, but there must be more
that we can do to help.
Look at whom we admire and simultaneously despise
— but use regularly:
Cable-TV
— They take consumers for granted, but even as people cut the chord, they spend
a lot on the endless creation of streaming services. Cable overcharges for
sub-par stations that we don’t want or need, and then bundles their TV with
phone and Internet so that it makes it harder to put cable in the rearview
mirror.
Amazon —
On the surface they seem great — lower prices, fast delivery, great customer
service, and a huge variety of products. But they injure commercial real
estate, cut into brick and mortar stores, seek to kill entire industry
competitors, treat their employees poorly, fail to pay a fair share of taxes, and
use robots to kill jobs. It is dangerous for one company to be this powerful —
and for one rich guy to be more valuable than some countries.
Big Tech
— Facebook and others invade our privacy, let identities get stolen, cause
division with fake news, and perpetuate social media bullying. But we can’t
stop spending hours a day arguing online, surfing porn, shopping for things we
don’t need, laughing at stupid memes, fending off scams, and seeking a
popularity that will never fully satisfy our insatiable egos.
Big Pharma
— Sure, their drugs save and improve the quality of millions of lives. But they
also seem sinister, extorting huge profits while potentially giving us drugs
with defects that they either know about or simply hope won’t surface.
Oil Companies — Our cars and homes are still primarily powered by oil and gas, and
until we transition to cleaner energy that really is clean, we are stuck
sleeping with the enemy— at a high price to the planet and our pocketbooks.
Banks —
We need a place to borrow from and to cash a paycheck, but their bullshit fees
kill us. They are quick to raise loan rates, but interest on your money is crap.
Crypto —
This Ponzi-scheme has taken investors in, where one investor could leave the
next investor with a worthless asset. Buyer beware — and yet the allure of
riches convinces people that made-up nonsense has real value. Put NFTs
in this category, too.
College
— Higher education tuition, fees, room, and board have seemingly outpace
inflation for at least the past 30 years. This money doesn’t often reach the
professors. In fact, many courses are taught by adjuncts and associates, who
get paid little. So where does all of that money go to? Just as insulting, the
schools will seek to secure donations from alumni for life. There are
institutions that literally have endowments of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Several schools have billions — and they charge 60-80,000 bucks a year! Why?
Meanwhile, what is a college degree worth these days?
The Government — Yes, the government impacts every aspect of our lives, and on paper,
has the potential to bring safety, education, safety nets, and other helpful
things to the masses. Unfortunately, we know how this play ends. Both parties
fail to fulfill a promise to the American people. Partisan politics,
corruption, and ignorance get in the way of our leaders, elected and appointed,
from doing as much good as they could or should. The answer? Change the nature
of government so that our leaders are more productive. Citizens need to be more
informed, active, and aware. Only we can bring the change needed.
Contractors — Never met one reliable, fair-priced, trustworthy contractor who
delivers decent work, on time, within budget, as promised. Sorry, not one. They
simply seem to operate above the law with their extortionist tactics. Sure,
they build home extentions and remodel kitchens and bathrooms — but they also
hammer our wallet and patience.
Starbucks — I love their coffee, good
customer service, that they treat employees well, give back to the community,
and provide a safe, comfy environment to hang out. But, they raised their
prices by at least 25 percent in just the past year from a price threshold that
was already high. Slow down with the record profits!
My ire also extends to big non-profits who spend
so much of the money they take in to raise more money — and have little left over
after overpaying their leadership and marketing teams. How much of the world’s
problems would actually be solved, or greatly reduced, if money earmarked for
programs and services that help people actually make it there?
All of these things have certain elements in common:
* No voice at the table for
consumers/citizens.
* No unified effort of fans or consumers
exists.
* No willingness to boycott — we are addicted.
* No belief that temporary change is lasting.
* Not all bad — and still beats the alternatives.
Will anything change if we don’t change?
Shouldn’t activism be easier, thanks to social
media?
Is the nature of all large-scale capitalistic
ventures to screw those who fund them, to take the pursuit of profits too far?
As for baseball, greedy grown men argue over
billions of dollars for a game kids in youth leagues actually pay to play. It
hurts national morale and injures a sport with a long history — and could lead
to a shorter future. The lockout hurts local economies and impacts the earnings
of average Joes that work concessions, uber people to games, hotels that handle
visitors, food- cart owners, etc., and those who feed off of the crumbs of a
fleeting ecosystem, such as local memorabilia shops and restaurants in the
vicinity of a ballpark.
Will you be the solution?
What will you rant about?
Take action – NOW!!
Saw it on a poster:
LOVE YOUR FAMILY
BE THANKFÜL & THOUGHTFUL
BE KIND TO YOURSELF
SLOW DOWN
SPEND TIME OUTSIDE
GIVE OTHERS YOUR TIME
BE PATIENT
LISTEN MORE THAN YOU SPEAK
MAKE TIME FOR PLAY
Please Contact
Me For Help
Brian Feinblum, the founder of this
award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to
help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has
30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all
genres.
Happy Holidays! A gift for
you!
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About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This
is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he
now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab
rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s The Independent. This was named one of the best book
marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021
and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel
on book publicity for Book Expo America, and had spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah
Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and
Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The
Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday,The
Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. . He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and
Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.
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