A total betrayal

My friend Nikica Senjanović from the Democratic Party told me about a moment at his old job that served as a massive wake-up call. It was the first time he truly realized just how broken our society can be.

Basically, a guy in his department—someone incredibly skilled and hardworking—was suddenly fired. The reason? To make room for a buddy of the manager who had zero qualifications but held all the right connections. It was a total gut punch to the whole team.

The department wasn't just dealing with an incompetent manager hiring his neighbor; they were also dealing with the reality that the manager only kept his own job because of the hard work these employees put in.

So, what did Nikica do?
He got the team together and they made a pact: they wouldn't accept this until the fired employee—a father of two young kids—was reinstated. Everyone was on board. They knew their value and knew they were the ones keeping the corporation running.

But when Nikica stood up to the manager to explain the group's stance, everything shifted. At first, the manager froze, caught off guard by the pushback. But then he found his nerve and demanded to know who was backing Nikica up. All he got was silence, blank stares, and people looking at the floor...

The petty mindset won out. Most of those people have mortgages and kids to worry about.
For the next few months, Nikica saw his paychecks docked while people mocked him behind his back.
It’s true—he got stabbed in the back by the very people he thought he could count on.
This story perfectly illustrates that deep-seated division that keeps us from ever actually making progress.
There is nothing wrong with choosing not to protest or wanting to stay out of the fray. It's okay to distance yourself from activists. But there is something truly shameful about agreeing to a cause and then turning around and betraying it.

Betrayal is a heavy word, but that's exactly what it is.
Why do we agree to things only to turn on each other later?
Are we forced to stab others in the back just to save ourselves, suck up to the boss, or get ahead?
That kind of betrayal brings to mind the old saying Homo homini lupus...

I used to think that "man is a wolf to man" only applied to kings in palaces, but it’s heartbreaking to see it happening among regular people who are just trying to make ends meet.

Haha, I know that feeling all too well. Unlike Nikica Senjanović, though, I just gave my thanks and walked out the door

(Just to clarify: I don't work there now, but I dealt with a very similar situation at my old job)

Sophia Moore52 said:Haha, I know that feeling all too well. Unlike Nikica Senjanović, though, I just gave my thanks and walked out the door

(Just to clarify: I don't work there now, but I dealt with a very similar situation at my old job)

How would you explain that kind of betrayal? Why does it even happen?

vividfox9 said:How would you explain that kind of betrayal? Why does it even happen?

It's all because of what Jacques Fresco used to call the "economy of scarcity"...

I’ve been down this road more times than I care to admit. It starts back in grade school when kids start revolting against a teacher they think is too harsh or just plain unfair. Then, during those group discussions where everyone is supposed to weigh in, she’ll pick one person to speak and then turn to the rest of the class to ask if they agree—but most people just sit there like statues. Or even worse (like what happened in your situation), once they start mocking someone behind their back, they suddenly pivot and act like little suck-ups just to stay on the teacher's good side). Honestly, it’s a pathetic way to behave. 👎

So, I join this new company, right? I’ve barely been on the clock for twenty days when suddenly everyone starts gearing up for a massive strike because, believe it or not, management hasn't cut anyone a paycheck in six months. It was such an absurd situation to find myself in—I had absolutely no reason to walk out, yet how could I possibly be the only one left standing there working while everyone else walked off? Eventually, they went on strike for a week until they finally secured two months of back pay (though, naturally, I didn't see a dime since I hadn't even earned anything yet). Afterward, the word around the water cooler was that while everyone stayed home during the morning shifts, some people were actually slipping back in during the evenings to wrap up tasks... As for me, they didn't bother renewing my contract, but honestly, I wasn't even disappointed, especially since the whole firm went belly-up a year later anyway.
The rest of them are still owed several months of wages, but frankly, I couldn't care less; isn't it just wonderful when you realize you dodged a bullet with a bunch of absolute bottom-feeders?

We were working ourselves to the bone with all this overtime, and I had just become a new dad at the time... so my coworker walks up to me around 6 PM—I'd already put in two extra hours—and says, totally sincerely, "Man, just go home. The company isn't going to look after your wife and baby..."

To his misfortune (or mine, who knows? I left, and now he's basically the lead developer at Microsoft), five minutes later my department head calls me over and goes, "Person X, the guy from a moment ago, mentioned you're always the first one out the door and everyone's complaining about being stuck here without you"... It’s hard when you're sitting just a few feet away from someone like that, especially since there were a couple of others with that exact same mindset

It’s definitely not just happening here. I mean, part of why things work in the West is because there’s this balance—employees take ownership, while management focuses on loyalty and, you know, having decent people skills.
But honestly, that rarely actually works out in practice.

I once worked in an environment where responsibility sat entirely on the manager's shoulders, and if they tried to pass any of that onto the staff, it was basically just a suggestion at best.
And let me tell you, in a setup like that, I never really felt like I became "part of the team," and I ended up clashing with another department.
As a reward for my efforts, I got handed instructions from that other department to basically dismantle our entire system. So, I did it. And my coworkers helped too. It's all a big circle of favors. That other department just makes up work for themselves, and then gets approved for three months of labor in just one month.

In return, when someone needs to be pushed out, everyone just stays quiet and keeps their heads down, right? Is that how the game is played?
It's all just one big loop..

I actually called out that other department in front of everyone for sending me those instructions to wreck the system, and then I got hauled into the boss's office. I told him, "Look, this is my responsibility."
The boss just looked at me and said, "Okay, fine. Just be smarter next time."🙂
Which is exactly why that guy is making millions..

Then there was this one colleague of mine—he wasn't great at communicating, or maybe he just seemed that way to others—but he was perfectly integrated into the group. He kept trying to push for professional growth and better ways of doing things, but he couldn't survive his probationary period.
Because every single time he tried to assert his will—strictly for the good of the company, mind you—he didn't realize that it just made everyone else look stupid, and they felt forced to follow his lead.
They canned him right after his probation, without a cent of severance...

He used to tell me about his time working in New York; he said Americans will stab you in the back and laugh in your face while they do it, whereas here in the Mediterranean, it's much more casual.

Man, this is the Mediterranean for you. You find the strongest guy in the pack and you just kiss his ass. There's no room for individualism here; the second you show any, you're finished.

Morgan Fox6 said:It’s definitely not just happening here. I mean, part of why things work in the West is because there’s this balance—employees take ownership, while management focuses on loyalty and, you know, having decent people skills.
But honestly, that rarely actually works out in practice.

I once worked in an environment where responsibility sat entirely on the manager's shoulders, and if they tried to pass any of that onto the staff, it was basically just a suggestion at best.
And let me tell you, in a setup like that, I never really felt like I became "part of the team," and I ended up clashing with another department.
As a reward for my efforts, I got handed instructions from that other department to basically dismantle our entire system. So, I did it. And my coworkers helped too. It's all a big circle of favors. That other department just makes up work for themselves, and then gets approved for three months of labor in just one month.

In return, when someone needs to be pushed out, everyone just stays quiet and keeps their heads down, right? Is that how the game is played?
It's all just one big loop..

I actually called out that other department in front of everyone for sending me those instructions to wreck the system, and then I got hauled into the boss's office. I told him, "Look, this is my responsibility."
The boss just looked at me and said, "Okay, fine. Just be smarter next time."🙂
Which is exactly why that guy is making millions..

Then there was this one colleague of mine—he wasn't great at communicating, or maybe he just seemed that way to others—but he was perfectly integrated into the group. He kept trying to push for professional growth and better ways of doing things, but he couldn't survive his probationary period.
Because every single time he tried to assert his will—strictly for the good of the company, mind you—he didn't realize that it just made everyone else look stupid, and they felt forced to follow his lead.
They canned him right after his probation, without a cent of severance...

He used to tell me about his time working in New York; he said Americans will stab you in the back and laugh in your face while they do it, whereas here in the Mediterranean, it's much more casual.

Man, this is the Mediterranean for you. You find the strongest guy in the pack and you just kiss his ass. There's no room for individualism here; the second you show any, you're finished.

while those local cops are busy using their "backcountry tactics,"
there’s just no way to make things better.

Does anyone know if there are any other active workers' councils out there?
🙂

Charles Lopez3 said:while those local cops are busy using their "backcountry tactics,"
there’s just no way to make things better.

And then there’s this thing people call civil society... I mean, if it actually exists, why doesn't it have any real power to oversee, recall, or actually penalize anyone?

Like, say a job in Germany pays someone around $1,600, but back home you get paid the same amount as someone working in Germany for $3,200.
It's like socialism in action, right? Everything leveled out...

But I guess it isn't just socialism at work, because the wages for people who would make $1,600 in Germany are being controlled here by this public establishment—which, honestly, feels like a hand-me-down from the old communist establishment.
Kind of wild, isn't it?

The old-school establishment basically forces wages in their sector to stay flat, even for people competing in the global market and bringing money in!

So, a woman moves to Sweden for work, and the first job she lands is one that would pay $1,600 in Germany.

But back home, for that exact same role, she'd need a specific degree and would still be paid the same as someone operating on a global scale.

I mean, I think the issue goes a bit deeper than just some local judge...

Take Finland, which everyone thinks is the gold standard for education. There, college is basically just an extension of high school. But here, there's this huge push from the intellectual crowd to scrap the current system and make higher ed way more intense again because they claim the current setup is a failure.

One question though... if the system is a failure, isn't it really the people running it?..
Are we supposed to believe a new system will magically work just because the same people are behind it?

Looking at it through an American mindset, are you saying responsibility lies with some abstract concept like "the system" instead of the actual individuals running it?

What else can I say besides, long live Appalachia? At this rate, our weather forecasters will probably start blaming the sun for not shining bright enough just so their forecasts stay accurate.

Appalachian mentality🙂

Morgan Fox6 said:And then there’s this thing people call civil society... I mean, if it actually exists, why doesn't it have any real power to oversee, recall, or actually penalize anyone?

Like, say a job in Germany pays someone around $1,600, but back home you get paid the same amount as someone working in Germany for $3,200.
It's like socialism in action, right? Everything leveled out...

But I guess it isn't just socialism at work, because the wages for people who would make $1,600 in Germany are being controlled here by this public establishment—which, honestly, feels like a hand-me-down from the old communist establishment.
Kind of wild, isn't it?

The old-school establishment basically forces wages in their sector to stay flat, even for people competing in the global market and bringing money in!

So, a woman moves to Sweden for work, and the first job she lands is one that would pay $1,600 in Germany.

But back home, for that exact same role, she'd need a specific degree and would still be paid the same as someone operating on a global scale.

I mean, I think the issue goes a bit deeper than just some local judge...

Take Finland, which everyone thinks is the gold standard for education. There, college is basically just an extension of high school. But here, there's this huge push from the intellectual crowd to scrap the current system and make higher ed way more intense again because they claim the current setup is a failure.

One question though... if the system is a failure, isn't it really the people running it?..
Are we supposed to believe a new system will magically work just because the same people are behind it?

Looking at it through an American mindset, are you saying responsibility lies with some abstract concept like "the system" instead of the actual individuals running it?

What else can I say besides, long live Appalachia? At this rate, our weather forecasters will probably start blaming the sun for not shining bright enough just so their forecasts stay accurate.

Appalachian mentality🙂

That would be fine if it weren't Snowden.

As it stands, this whole mess prevents us from reaching our full potential in IT, and even our heavy industry can't keep up, all because of Snowden

Larry Moore83 said:Does anyone know if there are any other active workers' councils out there?
🙂

Do you mean a workers' council? They exist on paper, sure. But more often than not, the people sitting on them are just connected to management and answer directly to them. Plus, you have union reps who can be bought off to influence who gets on the council. Honestly, it’s a pretty weak tool.

vividfox9 said:Do you mean a workers' council? They exist on paper, sure. But more often than not, the people sitting on them are just connected to management and answer directly to them. Plus, you have union reps who can be bought off to influence who gets on the council. Honestly, it’s a pretty weak tool.

Oh, I get it... it all stems from... well... privatization 🙈—that process where it becomes impossible to fully divest without essentially privatizing the worker themselves. That would be... how should I put this... far too obvious. 😬
Do these people even know one another personally?...
Is there any line left that they won't cross?

Larry Moore83 said:Oh, I get it... it all stems from... well... privatization 🙈—that process where it becomes impossible to fully divest without essentially privatizing the worker themselves. That would be... how should I put this... far too obvious. 😬
Do these people even know one another personally?...
Is there any line left that they won't cross?

If I remember correctly, the Council usually consists of about 3 to 5 workers. They’re all elected, and sometimes two of them come directly from the union...
But at the end of the day, it’s a powerless group. Unions are often corrupt, and there’s rarely any real pushback against unfair layoffs—like when people get canned just because they don't have the right connections, while those who do stay safe.
A Workers' Council should actually be a safety net for an employee who gets fired on a whim without any real proof or solid reasoning.
Honestly, if everyone in that circle knows each other, the whole thing falls apart fast. It's just unprofessional; people scramble to grab those cushy roles just so they don't have to actually work.
Meanwhile, the people who actually show up and do good work end up looking like fools because they refuse to play those petty games. Unfortunately, that's just how our society works.
The smart, honest people stay away from politics, leaving it entirely to the liars and thieves who made a career out of it...

vividfox9 said:My friend Nikica Senjanović from the Democratic Party told me about a moment at his old job that served as a massive wake-up call. It was the first time he truly realized just how broken our society can be.

Basically, a guy in his department—someone incredibly skilled and hardworking—was suddenly fired. The reason? To make room for a buddy of the manager who had zero qualifications but held all the right connections. It was a total gut punch to the whole team.

The department wasn't just dealing with an incompetent manager hiring his neighbor; they were also dealing with the reality that the manager only kept his own job because of the hard work these employees put in.

So, what did Nikica do?
He got the team together and they made a pact: they wouldn't accept this until the fired employee—a father of two young kids—was reinstated. Everyone was on board. They knew their value and knew they were the ones keeping the corporation running.

But when Nikica stood up to the manager to explain the group's stance, everything shifted. At first, the manager froze, caught off guard by the pushback. But then he found his nerve and demanded to know who was backing Nikica up. All he got was silence, blank stares, and people looking at the floor...

The petty mindset won out. Most of those people have mortgages and kids to worry about.
For the next few months, Nikica saw his paychecks docked while people mocked him behind his back.
It’s true—he got stabbed in the back by the very people he thought he could count on.
This story perfectly illustrates that deep-seated division that keeps us from ever actually making progress.
There is nothing wrong with choosing not to protest or wanting to stay out of the fray. It's okay to distance yourself from activists. But there is something truly shameful about agreeing to a cause and then turning around and betraying it.

Betrayal is a heavy word, but that's exactly what it is.
Why do we agree to things only to turn on each other later?
Are we forced to stab others in the back just to save ourselves, suck up to the boss, or get ahead?
That kind of betrayal brings to mind the old saying Homo homini lupus...

I used to think that "man is a wolf to man" only applied to kings in palaces, but it’s heartbreaking to see it happening among regular people who are just trying to make ends meet.

Did Nikica's salary decrease once the new manager took over?
If it didn't—then Nikica doesn't know how to read the room, and he'll always run into trouble; eventually, it'll kill him.
If it did—then Nikica should have just done his job, kept his mouth shut, and actively looked for a new position.

An employee should do exactly what they are told to do, nothing more and nothing less. It is not a worker's job to introduce innovations of any kind, because they won't be properly compensated for "showing off their brains." At best, they'll get a pat on the back and some verbal praise, and in the end, they'll feel like an idiot for helping the boss cut costs or boost profits without extra pay. In fact, the boss will respect them even less, thinking they're foolish for not understanding how the game is played.
Around here—and honestly, in much of the world—bosses don't promote valuable, innovative workers. Management textbooks are basically fairy tales for adults.

Gary Wilson said:Did Nikica's salary decrease once the new manager took over?
If it didn't—then Nikica doesn't know how to read the room, and he'll always run into trouble; eventually, it'll kill him.
If it did—then Nikica should have just done his job, kept his mouth shut, and actively looked for a new position.

An employee should do exactly what they are told to do, nothing more and nothing less. It is not a worker's job to introduce innovations of any kind, because they won't be properly compensated for "showing off their brains." At best, they'll get a pat on the back and some verbal praise, and in the end, they'll feel like an idiot for helping the boss cut costs or boost profits without extra pay. In fact, the boss will respect them even less, thinking they're foolish for not understanding how the game is played.
Around here—and honestly, in much of the world—bosses don't promote valuable, innovative workers. Management textbooks are basically fairy tales for adults.

Life passes you by.
Your career does too.
What were you?
A worker.
What kind of worker?
A good one.
And what did you get out of it compared to the people who played games and lied their way up?
I got the realization that people aren't as reliable as they claim to be.
In the corporate grind, it's just a constant struggle for a paycheck, a raise, or a better office.
Can you win that struggle if you insist on being "just" or "fair"?
No.
So why do people keep hitting their heads against that wall?
Because that mindset needs to be broken. Whether it's me or someone else, whether it's Nikica Senjanović or whoever comes next, things eventually have to be leveled out.
The truth is, Nikica Senjanović was an excellent employee. He was innovative, professional, and never caused trouble at the office. He actually improved the way things ran at the company, so his contributions were real and notable.
Why did he stand up?
Because it was time.
There's a time for everything.

There were times when Americans went into battle armed with nothing but hunting rifles, facing down an enemy backed by heavy tanks and advanced fighter jets. Fast forward to today, and the same people are too terrified to even ask for their own hard-earned, unpaid wages.🍿

The contrast between those two realities is so jarring, so fundamentally broken, that I’m left with only one conclusion: the American people are suffering from a collective psychological breakdown that requires massive, large-scale psychiatric intervention.

Americans can be incredibly passive. There’s this tendency to sit around waiting for something that’s never actually going to happen—expecting someone to just hand out money because we’re being polite hosts or showing a little compassion during a crisis.
A lot of people here rely too much on the "good faith" of their employers. They settle for mistakes far too easily and don't dare to shake things up because they're terrified of where it might lead, how much time they'll waste, or if the effort will even pay off in the end...
But when you look at the big picture, the time is already gone..
Just like how some people treat jealousy and envy as if they're perfectly normal social traits, there's an almost instant reflex to criticize anyone who actually tries something and fails...
If you take a shot and miss, you become the local laughingstock.
That's just another symptom of the reality we're dealing with..

I’d like to... well, say something—if you all can promise me there won't be a total feeding frenzy.
🙈