The System is Wrong

The system where we live in is awfully wrong. I thought that things were just, and that people got what they deserved and worked for, but the truth is that the more you have, the more you end up having; while the less you have, the more fucked up you will be.

I came to the US with a goal in my mind of getting a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA). I did got that sucker after 24 months of hard work my friends, both inside and outside school. Inside school that shit was very hard in itself, but even more for this foreigner whose native tongue is not english. I always caught myself translating in my mind all the concepts that I learnt back in college, in order to make sense of all the shit that I was learning in english. And is not just understanding lectures: it's also reading, writing papers, taking exams and opening my mouth in class for something else than "can I go to the restroom?".

Outside school I had a fucking lot of jobs in order to pay for my master's. I was a waiter, server, Barista, Cashier, bartender, I painted houses in hot, cold, rainy, sunny, cloudy weather, flipped burgers in a (shit hole) burger joint until the owners fire me, I also taught my native tongue for $20 an hour (cash), mowed the lawn, and overall did a little bit of everything. The whole experience of working all those jobs alone was eye opening and very good for my soul (specially for this spoiled high-class private Catholic schools red-haired, whom had never cleaned a toilet before setting foot in the US).

I pay for the MBA with my own money, but I also had the financial support (not help) from my family. Let me explain: my parents sold a property for a very generous amount of money, and wired me the money so that I could open a money market account for them here in the US. What I end up doing was putting that money in my savings account -that was already on red ink-, and kept it there. When my parents questioned me about the money and "why you haven't open that money market account yet?", I always managed to change topics, or to tell them something about interest rates and shit leaving them confused.

I did use that money as a "rotatory credit", without them knowing. If I was short of money for school, I would take some and would putted back as soon as I could. They never knew about this little scheme, and I never told them. So without they knowing, they did help me out paying for those tuition fees whenever ends were a bit apart. Hey!, I was studying a fucking MBA, I had to come up with some kind of ideas related to managing money and keeping customers happy (my parents), hadn't I?

All this story gets together last October, when my mom came to visit me for 3 loooong weeks. The second day of her trip, she dragged me to the bank to get the money out of my savings account and into a money market account in a different bank. Once again, I have an MBA, I had to be able to persuade her to keep me inside the loop when it comes to money, hadn't I? So, I affirm to her (categorically!) that the best would be to open a join money market account. According to American regulations for foreign citizens banking in the US -and this is true I swear I didn't made it up-, if the foreign holder of a bank account passes away -God forbid- the money goes to the government -being the same rule true for real state.

Of course you just have to give someone else your online password, and after the funeral that person will move the funds electronically to whatever account he/she wants. Duhhh. Or just leave the ATM card handy with the password written in your will, and no problem. But once again: I do have an MBA and I got away with that story. So now that account is under both my mom and my red-haired head.

When I had all that money in my savings account, I never pay any service whatsoever in the bank: no transfer fee, unlimited transactions, no monthly maintenance, no charge for electronic withdrawal or e-purchase, nothing! Not even for the fucking check books! When you have money -I was rich!- everybody smiles to you and ask you "how can I help you?". And they always find a way to say "Yes!" to whatever you ask for. If somehow the people in the bank were reluctant to or finding excuses to do something, I just asked them "Could you please tell me what my balance is today?" And after they find out that I was a rich motherfucker, who could dent their financial statement if chose to close that bank account, all doors would open. Money talks.

These days, when all the money is gone in another bank and I'm no longer rich and handsome, the bank is charging me for every single thing they can. Last time I was there, they even tried to charge me for the free coffee right by the entrance. I have to pay now monthly fee, plus for everytime I use my debit card "charge!", check "charge!", ATM "charge!". Now that I'm broke and that I could really use some of that money for my bills, they are coming down on me hard.

The system is fucked up. They charge the people that don't have money for all type of services, while rich dudes can do whatever they want completely free of charge. Shouldn't that be the other way around? A monthly fee for me is really a kick in the nuts these days, but not for someone with plenty of zeroes in their bank account. Shouldn't be a "progressive" type of maintenance? The more you have, the more you can pay; and not the other way around (regressive).

Yes, I do have an MBA and I do know better. When you have a lot of fucking money in a financial institution, they are playing with your money and making money, therefore your money is paying for your fees. But when you're a broke ass guy, you have to get the cash out of your pocket and put it up front.

But, isn't the system fucked up? Shouldn't that be the other way around?

The good thing is that the government is not like that, they really care for their citizens. That's why George W. Bush gave us the tax cuts. . . I mean, the tax cut was fine when I was rich, but now? Hell, even my working-class taxes went up!

Oh shit! The system is fucked up; and it's fucked all the way to the top -the very top.