I LOL'ed at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNHXESQF2Fk
So much of what happens in our lives is a direct result of our history. WWII and storming of the beaches at Normandy is a well-worn metaphor for the struggle of life itself. Of late though, the metaphor usually precedes some conservative crap about our fathers/grandfathers not fighting and dying for men to be able to marry other men or for wealthy people to be taxed, just for being successful. The truth is that none of these things were issues at the time of the D-Day, Normandy invasion. That they would be considered, is some very abstract thought that makes for a cute commercial about inexpensive shaving cream.
Does anyone, for example, think that our dad's and granddads fought on Omaha beach so that a German automobile manufacturer could come to the American south and have low-paid, non-union labor build their vehicles? I don't even think Senator Bob Corker (Corksoaker, Tn.) could think that abstractly. In WWII our men were fighting first to stay alive, but primarily to keep America free of Hitler's rule. They weren't thinking of men marrying each other or black president's bypassing a do-nothing congress via executive orders.
Ironically, the notion of Germans manufacturing anything in America was fightin' words at the time!
Who would have thunk though that today, the Germans would be the good guys here and Americans the bad?
I don't know that VW is completely innocent here but their background in Germany is one of working with the unions. They welcomed the UAW into the plant in Chattanooga to speak to the workers about joining. So, there was that. Corksoaker Bob Corker and other conservative republicans would not go that far. In a WWII analogy they would be in the bunkers on the cliffs machinegunning the Americans (metaphorically speaking) who were fighting for Union representation. Now, Is that any way to treat American workers?
In the American south and to conservative legislators all over America, yes. yes it is. Corksoaker Senator Corker would have us believe that THE American worker despises unions and the representation of workers that they offer. America is chock full of rugged individualists who, if they want to better their position in life, go in and talk to the boss man all by their self. If the bossman opts to not pay them more, they are free to go down the road until they find suitable employment or their hat floats, whichever comes first. That is how Jesus and the other founders intended it if I'm hearing Foxnews right.
If the United Auto Workers (UAW) had been successful at organizing the Chattanooga VW plant, other plants and factories in the south may have opted for union representation too. This would only lead to better wages and benefits for more workers. We had that right here in America after our guys came home from WWII. We won that war, by the way. You wouldn't think so now but, the American worker never enjoyed more prosperity than in the 35 years after WWII ended and Reaganomics began. It was a short but wonderful run! Kids of the future will never know how grand it was! Corksoaking Senator Bob Corker and those of his ilk will never allow our grandchildren to know about those wonder years. Why? Because they would want it back. They would fight to get that back.
Corksoaking Senator Bob Corker and the GOP do not represent America. They only represent the already wealthy, be they Americans or possibly even car-making Germans. Do flags even matter any more? Corksoaking Bob Corker wants the world to know that the Confederate States of America are open for business. Have your way with them! Take the country from the inside out! Forget about our borders. No one does borders anymore. No more beach-heads. No more heroes. It turns out, grandad didn't fight for fair wages, benefits, retirement and some kind of illusion called The American Dream.
Who knew? Just the corksoakers knew....
4 comments:
Politicians have managed to convince the younger generations that unions are a blight on society. They don't tell them about all the things the unions fought for that ALL workers benefit from. Decent wages, sick leave, penalty rates, health and safety etc. The generation before me had to queue up each morning and the lucky ones were employed for the day. Not that there's much job security these days either.
In my opinion, if you aren't in the union you shouldn't be entitled to anything that they fought for.
I disagree, Sue, The things that the Unions literally fought for were for all of us. A rising tide raises all boats and Union wages have benefited workers in similar fields. A non-union plumber is not going to make as much as his union counterpart but he'll make more with that man's pay as the benchmark. Beyond wages, the 8 hour day and 40 hour work week and other things that people take for granted now, would disappear without unions. Conservatives here HATE the minimum wage and try to get rid of it with the mumbo jumbo that it is "restrictive" and "intrusive". They tell people that about unions too. They say you as an individual are "handicapped" by the union and the agreement signed by them, keeping you from seeking a better deal for yourself. People fall for that, especially when they are sold the bill of goods that society rewards rugged American individualists.
Post a Comment