On this day, more than most, we need to recognize that the labor movement gave us the middle-class. Therefore, to be generally opposed to labor is to be generally opposed to the middle class. And, when one political party opposes labor by definition, and causes wealth to gush from the middle class to the rich, covering it with the lie that it will trickle down, that is class warfare.
Jim Hightower hives us an excellent piece on the subject.
America’s corporate chieftains must love poor people, for they’re doing all they can to create millions more of them.
They’re knocking down wages, offshoring everything from manufacturing jobs to high tech, reducing full-time work to part-time, downsizing our workplaces, busting unions, cutting health care coverage and canceling pensions — while also lobbying in Washington to privatize Social Security, eliminate job safety protections, restrict unemployment benefits, kill job-creating programs and increase corporate control of our elections.
It’s said that the poor and the rich will always be among us. But nowhere is it written that the middle-class will always be there. In fact, it is a very recent creation in our society (and an unavailable dream for most people in the world). America’s great middle class literally arose with the rise of labor unions and populist political movements in the 1800s, finally culminating in democratic economic reforms implemented from the 1930s into the 1960s.
Social Security, wage AND hour laws, collective bargaining rights, unemployment compensation, the GI Bill, the interstate highway program, civil rights laws, Medicare, Head Start — and more — provided the national framework necessary to sustain a middle class for the American Majority.
This essential framework was not "given" to us by corporate executives and politicians — indeed, they sputtered, spewed and fought every piece of it tooth and nail. Rather, it came from union-led grassroots movements, organizing for structural change.
This Labor Day, we see corporate executives and their politicians relentlessly dismantling that framework, piece by piece — and we see the middle class disappearing and poverty rising with each dismantled piece. But as labor icon Joe Hill said just before he was executed by Utah authorities for his unionizing activities, "Don’t mourn, organize." It’s time for working families to organize again for the revitalization of the middle class… [emphasis added]
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I’m a long-time follower of the principles of nonviolence, as taught by MLK. So to be clear, I am not proposing that we follow the Republican example of instigating acts of violence against our enemies. There are other ways to fight back, but we need to recognize that this is a war and we are under attack. That means we need to be as energized and committed as the most vile Republican racist. That even means that we need to support candidates who fall short of our progressive ideals. Unless we are willing to do whatever it takes to keep Republicans out of office, we will lose all the benefits that labor has won for us, and you can kiss your sweet class goodbye!
13 Responses to “Kiss Your Sweet Class Goodbye!”
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Tom you know as well as I do that them that control the power to sign the paycheck will be able to demand and will eventually receive every concession they say they require for the business(read jobs) to stay solvent.
You say to not use force for force. I say then that you are sending out people to be cannon fodder for them that want absolute control. You say vote them out. Have you looked at the electronic paperless voting machines?
I say for every violent act committed against labor in the past, ten nonviolent acts should be committed against business today. Don’t blow up their buildings but do confiscate the wealth they are sitting on to pay down the inflated debt they, not the people created. Nationalize all commodities and quit using them as sources of capital and profit. Wheat at $120 a metric ton and the family farm can’t sustain itself because the American taxpayer is subsidizing ConAgra? What bullshit.
Shit if you and this or any other administration don’t want to trade blows with them what the hell do you suggest now that we KNOW elections are easily stolen?
I say Vote them back into office in the congress and the WH and complete the economic slavery Reagan began. At least then 75% OF people may still be able to work and eat. The others will die but hell neither side really cares about that or there would be a public option ( and more) or they would have stayed on health care until there was.
The middle class died five years ago when a majority of them were carrying $20,000 of unsecured credit debt on top of a couple hundred thousand of secured debt (cars & houses) and the debt got called in. AND NOW THE GOVERNMENT IS SAYING TO SAVE OURSELVES WE HAVE TO QUIT SAVING AND START SPENDING AGAIN? We, labor, are to put it delicately fucked already.
I would hope that this could happen without putting Republicans back in power. If they again gain control, Electronic voting machines without paper trails will become mandatory and there will never be another real election again.
The decline of the American middle class will have troubling ramifications if it continues at this rate.
Ahab, I agree. If Republicans take power, the rate will accellerate.
One thing the gov’t needs to do is promote and subsidize all green technology. This will create industry and JOBS. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. If not, then other countries will zoom ahead of us, like Japan did in the 70’s with the manufacture of small, fuel-efficient cars. The writing is on the wall D.C., act NOW.
Nikolai, I agree. Green technology, infrastructure, R&D, education.
How the right can get literally millions to vote against what is in their best interests kills me and in this case it’s unions. I guess the fear card is better than a joker or some damn thing like that. They get ‘er done that is for sure.
Why these same people can not understand it was the unions who gave them what they have now as well. It’s pretty amazing actually. My boss and I go round and round on this at times when he trys to play the corporate card on me. Hate to be a prick on some of this stuff but in retrospect I should have been much more strong.
A very good post TC-now if only the ones who need to read these do!
Fly, it amazes me too, but they do it with lies. Thank you.
TC – the labor movement is dead in this country. Until all their jobs are outsourced they will not respond – look at the conditions that GM had to take when getting a government = management none and the unions gave their all. Why didn’t government govern exec pay? They fakely controlled it through TARP – but still very various salaries and bonus structures. The gave up next to nothing (they should have removed -inho from everyone that accepted TARP money, but they weren’t? What gives – they didn’t lose their jobs, were give lavish pay and bonuses and labor made both consession and bargaining agreements. They get paid (the execs) and their happy. Look at Geithner and Bernanke’s role in this. 🙄
Oh that was me posting under Eric’s account. Lisa G. 😳
Lisa, I would not call it dead, butr very weakened.
So to be clear, I am not proposing that we follow the Republican example of instigating acts of violence against our enemies.
I hear you and to be honest I still know of one or two fair minded republicans but I have a very bad feeling that the subject of violence will be less about us starting it and more about the left defending ourselves.
A point well taken, Beach. I will not oppose self defense.