@pdbartlett You’re absolutely right: it is possible to have a mutually caring relationship between employer and worker, but in today’s world, it’s very unlikely to happen.

In the 1950s, a (white) American (man) can expect to work for a company that will care for him for the rest of his life. He can join a union that protects him, and expect company executives and shareholders to extract a modest profit and have enough left over to pay for benefits and a pension. Corporate and individual taxes are progressive enough to pay for public goods and services.

That world is largely gone. Corporate greed is out of control. Regulatory capture is extensive, and corporate and individual taxes are now essentially regressive. Stock buybacks ensure that any benefit only accrues to shareholders, not workers, who are now considered undesirable expenses, not partners in progress.

There is no loyalty from employers left. The culture has changed. Our expectations must change as well.