Workers, people, died in the early 1900's fighting for the rights to collective bargaining. People hold high reverence for the military dead of this country and deservedly so, that high reverence should be equally bestowed on the deaths of the common man in his fight for a wage to support a decent living, the fighters of the peoples army if you will. Unions gave rise to national labor laws which have all but been ignored by government and industry in the last twenty years, this would not happen with strong unions. The January Supreme court decision giving "corporations" and "unions" decreased election funding restrictions is a major reason for the need for the reemergence of strong unions. I am surprised unions were specified in the ruling, but now unions are our(the working man's) counter balance to complete electoral funding by corporations. The Supreme Court ruling makes it that much more imperative that the working class have some kind of organized representation in the selection of our leaders. Without support for union wages the levels of nonunion wages would never have risen to the height that they did, nonunion workers have benefited by the fight of their union brothers. Now as corporations do everything in their power to drop American wages and the minimum wage workers had better second think unions. I am totally amazed by the turn in attitudes against unions, too much right wing speal is sinking into the wrong heads, it leads me to believe the theories on the dumbing down of Americans.
The economy started it's long decline thirty years ago when Wal Mart moved more and more of it's production to China each year. The trend struck corporate America, right on the balance sheet so the trend was unstoppable, facilitated by changing trade laws the American worker was left high and dry. Ross Perot was right when he said free trade would generate a tremendous sucking sound as industries vacated America. Unions did not drive industry out, greed did, all of a sudden millionaire was not good enough when the plateau of billionaire was so much nicer. Productivity rose tremendously and the American got screwed as his return to his contribution to productivity. Rewards went one way, right into the balance sheets of the corporations and directly into the pockets of CEO's. The only thing redemptive, and redemptive is the wrong word, of the CEO to justify his gross compensation is the CEO's socio-pathology and this should not be rewarded. "The smartest men in the room", bull shit, look what the smartest men in the room did to this country they are dumb like a fox or out right thieves, sociopaths, men without consciences. American business fears the word socialism, well a down trodden working public may come to realize socialism is where it is at. The push back on corporate America will increase as the duration of this downturn continues, I believe it would be in the corporations better interest to deal with unions over a socialized system, something has got to give and the less explosive it is the better for the recovery of this country and corporations had better realize their interests also. Corporations are going to learn the hard way that for them to make money, the American public has to have money also, there is a symbiotic relationship there that they give no thought to. Corporate greed has pushed them ahead 10 steps to now push us all back 5 steps to be lucky to regain those 5 back in 10 years, all this damage to all was not necessary, greed propelled it, now we pay for a learning lesson that will unfortunately pass over the heads of many.
Other countries protect their trade with tariffs, we did from the 1790's through 1980's, then as a country we swallowed the neocon flat earth free trade pill, it has poisoned us and half of the world. Tariff was made a taboo word, Republicans sure know how to do the PR; It is wake up time, force industry back home with tariffs to deal with labor unions and let this country begin to rebuild. At this point I and I would hope a plenitude of Americans would be happy to purchase products 20% more expensive if we are making 40% more. It is time to force industry back, put pride in the union label and get back to the America of post WWII to the 1980's, life may never get better than that for the bulk of Americans but it did work for most. Then with a single salary a man could own his own home, send his children to college, afford health insurance because it was mandated by law in most states as not for profit, and save money for his retirement, life was good then.
Another point to ponder is why is it that labor is always the party to take the hit on rates. We have a situation where American business moved everything to mostly China, if we can coerce them back, we will have an even greater supply of production facilities which of course means low wages. This oversupply is due to managerial decisions to increase profit ratios. Why should it be automatically assumed that labor will take the hit. It is time for a strong reemergence of the expression, "it is a two way street".Let greed driven management take the hit, the American worker has taken it for too long, let profit ratios decline, the already rich can do with less, especially when too many are homeless, fighting starvation, and trying to avoid crime to survive.
Americans had better realize that without sticking together under the umbrella of strong labor unions, life will probably never find a return to our previous norms. Unions were responsible for the rise in living standards after WWII, and fighting today's monopolistic capitalism is going to take organized effort.
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John F. Kennedy: " The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were. "
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Hang onto your ass for it may be all that is left you!
Good Luck
KAK
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