Biscuit Series Part 2: Just Some Excess, Greed and Exploitation Embedded in U.S. Lifestyle

I am part of a system which is increasing your problems rather than providing solutions. Let me elucidate a few acts of greed and excess we pursue during our everyday lives – why do you need to have two or more houses when you can be content with one, why do you need to have two or more cars when you can be content with one, why do you need to have millions or billions in cash when you can be content with thousands, why do you need to work so hard when you can be content with limited hardship, why do you need to eat heavy food and become over size when you can be content with just enough, why do you need to have two or more marriages in your life when you can be content with one, why do you need to write hundreds of blogposts when you can be content with tens, why do you need to publish tens of books when you can be content with single digit and why do you need to have hyper capitalism when you can be content with just enough of it. The reason for writing about all these reasons of greed is they become the very steps in the process you follow which are a part of your lifestyle. When you follow for days, it can be negated; when you follow for years, it become a lifestyle thing which gives a product or end result of the process followed all along. The increase in pursuit of these steps increases your chances of producing an unfavorable outcome. Greed feels great when we are increasingly pursuing but the end results of this extremism are not always in good taste and can sometimes be dangerous.

There are more registered cars in U.S. than there are adults. About 91.7% of U.S. households own at least one vehicle. Nearly 22% of households have three or more vehicles. Why do you need these many cars when you can be content with one. Why can’t people live without cars in the country and generally speaking car is a symbol of richness. How did the country become ultra rich and why does only rich can live in the country. Why can’t poor can even not travel from one place to another on a daily basis. U.S. is home to 40% of the world’s millionaires. Why do these people are daily in pursuit of millions and billions of dollars when it is not just for filling our stomachs. Why do U.S. need so much of hard work to live within it and build it. Why do 42 million Americans have married more than once. This was not hundreds or thousands but millions of Americans lived with more than one legal life partner. We are not even looking at hidden numbers. About 41.9% of America is considered obese or consume excess food than required. Coming to me, my stint in U.S. is marked with an element of greed as well. I had written more than two hundred blog posts or two in every week in a powerful sense ever since I came here overflowing my hunger repository and exceeding my self-content by a good limit in nearly three years. And hyper capitalism is extremely prevalent in America where entities are after millions and billions of dollars by promoting excessive consumerism, corporate power, economic inequality, commodification and offsetting social alienation, environmental degradation and mental health. Why can’t America shift towards moderate capitalism or a bit of socialism. As we can see in all these example ‘excesses’ is a cornerstone of our very existence in this country. Our every step of life thrives on excess and greed every day. In short, the mainstream American way of living is a way of living with greed and promoting the same behavior all over the world to the followers. 

We have talked about excess and greedy behaviors in our daily lives. Let us also look at exploitation. Anyone working with U.S. needs to be conversant in English. Learning English means earning in dollars and big money. Learning English means loss of native languages. I know more about the intricacies of English than my native mother tongue. This is a tiny example of cultural exploitation going on around us which few will deny. This is in addition to human exploitation, environmental exploitation etc which has a huge market for this country. This country purchases goods from this marketplace very often. We can look at human exploitation for the rest of this post which is very big ongoing trend and needs to be arrested. America, as a matter of fact exploits poor people and those who are desperate and in need of assistance. The poor and sorry state of affairs of many immigrants don’t have a match or equal in any part of the world. People are habituated to this pathetic sorry state so much so that they have even forgot to see it as sorry any longer. This is definitely a point of view which emerges within this nation. Poor nations and poor people often fall in this golden trap. Maybe it is not done fully intentionally but that is the picture which emerges. You cannot serve forever without getting served. 

One of the most prevalent forms of exploitation occurs in the labor market. Workers in low-wage industries such as agriculture, construction, and retail are particularly vulnerable. For instance, warehouse workers at major corporations like Amazon have long reported harsh working conditions. In 2021, investigations revealed that some workers were required to work unpaid overtime, endure grueling shifts with minimal breaks, and even face termination for taking necessary sick leave. Similar patterns have been observed in the fast-food industry. In 2018, McDonald’s faced a wage theft lawsuit in California that led to a $26 million settlement after evidence emerged that workers were routinely denied overtime pay and legally mandated breaks. These examples illustrate how exploitation in the workplace not only strips workers of their rightful earnings but also creates an environment where their health and well-being are compromised. 

The rise of the gig economy has introduced a new layer of complexity to worker exploitation. Companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash often classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees. This classification denies them access to basic benefits such as health insurance, paid sick leave, and unemployment protection. As a result, many gig workers find themselves in precarious financial situations, earning less than minimum wage after expenses. The lack of job security and the absence of a safety net leave these workers especially vulnerable during economic downturns or personal emergencies. The country attracts millions of desperate individuals from all over the world and then forces into these desperate roles without proper safeguards and protections. 

The healthcare sector, despite its advanced technological capabilities, is not immune to exploitation. Pharmaceutical companies have been notorious for price gouging essential medications. Insulin, for example, has seen its price skyrocket over the past few decades. While it may cost around $10 to manufacture a vial of insulin, patients in the U.S. often pay between $300 to $600 per vial. This dramatic markup forces many diabetics to ration their medication, with potentially life-threatening consequences. Similarly, Purdue Pharma’s role in the opioid crisis is a well-documented case of corporate exploitation. By downplaying the addictive nature of OxyContin, Purdue not only profited immensely but also contributed to a public health crisis that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. These examples highlight the dual role of exploitation in both financially burdening patients and exacerbating public health emergencies. 

Labor exploitation and wage theft among undocumented immigrants in the United States remain persistent and deeply troubling issue, often hidden in plain sight within industries that rely heavily on cheap labor. Undocumented workers are especially vulnerable due to their precarious legal status, limited access to legal recourse, and fear of deportation. This vulnerability allows unscrupulous employers to exploit them with below-minimum wages, unpaid overtime, and unsafe working conditions. 

One clear example can be seen in the agricultural sector. Migrant farmworkers, many of whom are undocumented, often endure long hours under grueling conditions with little protection. In California’s Central Valley—a major hub for produce—there have been numerous investigations into wage theft practices. For instance, a 2019 investigation by a local advocacy group found that several farms were paying workers significantly less than the minimum wage, with deductions made for housing and transportation that further reduced their already meager earnings. Workers reported being forced to work extra hours without proper compensation, and some were even threatened with job termination if they complained about wage discrepancies. 

In the construction industry, undocumented laborers are similarly exploited. Construction sites in major metropolitan areas, such as Los Angeles and New York, have been found to employ undocumented workers who are paid a fraction of what their documented counterparts earn. In one notable case, an investigation in New York City uncovered that a large construction company systematically underpaid its undocumented workers by withholding overtime pay. These workers were often required to work 12-hour shifts under dangerous conditions without proper breaks, with wage theft allegations surfacing when workers received checks that barely covered their basic living expenses. The workers’ inability to seek legal recourse due to their immigration status left them with few alternatives but to continue in these exploitative conditions. 

The country should work for rich people and the country should also work for poor people. The country should minus the greed, subtract the excess and end exploitation. Everyone deserves a good life and a clean lifestyle devoid of the many ills. It is very important that U.S. is led in a direction that is fruitful for the citizens temporarily and in long run. We should not look at our hindsight and feel the country treated us bad by inculcating all these habits and exploited us. We should not set our destinations to hopelessness while living in this country and leaving the country should not become an option to get back hope. The hard workers should feel enriched in their lives and not exploited. It takes the laws of the land to work more harder and staying on top of the game. Simply, the country needs a great leadership if Americans need to fare well. The country needs to be set on a path to progress and success wherein everyone leads meaningful lives by working within the great laws enacted. Everyone lives with a hope that a new leadership brings great pills to treat all the ills. We are looking for more solutions than problems from the government and everyone concerned like a magician with a magic wand. Who would other than a magician can change our lifestyles for the better and we fare better.