In a world where the warm, fuzzy rhetoric of corporate America paints a picture of a benevolent employer, the latest news spit right in the face of that narrative. Seventy-eight percent of HR leaders claim that their companies are conducting "serial layoffs." This, coupled with the impending doom of a major cost of living shock, paints a grim picture indeed. But let's not play violin for the corporate choir, let's instead dissect the hypocrisy, lies, and grimy power game at play.

Firstly, this isn't an unexpected disaster like a hurricane or an alien invasion. This is a man-made catastrophe, engineered by the very power players now squawking about 'unexpected' circumstances. Companies aren't victims here, they're the perpetrators.

Let's call out these so-called 'serial layoffs.' They are not a natural disaster; they're a deliberate culling of the workforce for the sake of the bottom line. These corporations, bloated with profits and CEO bonuses, are choosing to throw their employees to the wolves instead of dipping into their hoarded wealth.

The 'major cost of living shock' is no bogeyman out of the blue, either. It's a creature birthed from decades of wage stagnation, exploitative pricing, and unchecked corporate greed. The cost of living has been steadily climbing while wages have been stuck in the mud. This isn't a shock or a surprise, it's basic math - something apparently too tough for our economic 'geniuses' to comprehend.

The corporate giants and their mouthpieces would have us believe they're struggling, that they're victims of an unforgiving economy. What they conveniently forget to mention is their record-breaking profits, astronomical executive paychecks, and scandalous tax avoidance. Their struggles are as real as the Loch Ness monster.

The major retailers and restaurant chains crying wolf aren't innocent victims either. They've been gorging on cheap labor, exploiting resources, and practicing business models that prioritize profits over people for years. Now, when they're faced with paying their workers a living wage or facing a tiny dent in their profits, they're suddenly "struggling." It's as laughable as it's tragic.

This narrative, this grotesque dance of corporate victimhood, is a lie. It's a smoke-and-mirrors act to justify shirking their responsibilities and hoarding wealth while the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces.

The real victims here are the hardworking people who are left jobless and penniless, while the executives sip champagne in their penthouses. The real victims are the families who can't afford to put food on the table while corporations dodge their taxes and hoard billions.

It's time we not only challenge this narrative but rip it to shreds. It's time we expose the power players and their self-serving agendas. It's time we confront the uncomfortable truth: that the 'unexpected' cost of living shock isn't unexpected at all. It's a calculated move in a rigged game where the house always wins.

We need to spark heated debates, question the status quo, and hold these corporations accountable. This isn't about politics or ideologies; it's about humanity, justice, and a fair chance at life. If that makes corporations panic and politicians sweat, so be it. It's high time they squirmed a little in their gilded thrones.