tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post493623556142559511..comments2024-03-28T14:52:13.218-05:00Comments on Stonekettle Station: Labor Day 2018Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-42036600638618369722018-09-20T12:24:53.819-05:002018-09-20T12:24:53.819-05:00Hello, Jim, I am new to this and if this particula...Hello, Jim, I am new to this and if this particular point has been made, I am sorry for the redundancy. I want to thank you for this posting, I worked in the field of historical interpretation at living history sites and tried so hard to communicate these ideas to folks who viewed our history as some "romantic and simplistic" life. I told them "it was colder, darker, dirtier, riskier, completely unregulated and gave rise to every single comfort you have today." (A lot didn't want to hear it.) Case in point: The Triangle shirtwaist factory fire as a corollary to the Bangladesh fires in 2011. I watched this video <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noL8nFSzsDc<br /> (it's so well done; horrible but would give the average person perhaps a better awareness of the conditions in which their clothes are made and perhaps look at the relentless Pac-Man like consumerism that is so pervasive in this country). I am a scientist now (age 47) and was commenting to a colleague (age 22, grew up in a wealthy Republican household and knows it ALL)about this situation when she was discussing wages. "Would you work for $3.18/hour?" I asked. "Of course not," she replied. "anyone who would do that, or who will not better themselves, I have no respect for." And I told her about the wages of Bangladesh workers ($0.28/hour). Currently. Her reply, "They like making that. They are glad we employ them," My response, "they tried to get raises and were shot at." Anyway, you get the picture. Infuriating and I commend you and applaud you and think you are wonderful for taking this on...……. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-7104681185507481662018-09-10T09:15:21.482-05:002018-09-10T09:15:21.482-05:00I must disagree with some of what you say about th...I must disagree with some of what you say about the Federal Reserve. It was not created by J.P. Morgan, who died before Federal Reserve was established. To some extent, the Federal Reserve was created to replace J.P. Morgan, who acted as the lender of last resort during the panic of 1907. The Federal Reserve is a part of the Federal Government and is not a private central bank. <br /><br />That said, I agree that the Federal Reserve is not necessarily a friend of the working class. Bill Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05912897300742235588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-73615779570959246482018-09-09T10:46:28.183-05:002018-09-09T10:46:28.183-05:00Excellent commentary, lucid thinking, as per usual...Excellent commentary, lucid thinking, as per usual...I would like to offer further ironic food for thought: the "How 'bout that game?' Go-to avoider-distractor chorus regarding the US economy is a total gross fabrication, as well. The glowing stats dutifully churned out by the sycophants manning cubicles has long been transformed into a propaganda device, and light years from anything remotely approaching accurate. The BLS is generating PURE tripe, and should in fact be known as simply the BS Dept. The roseate picture they churn out, month after month, is tailored to the Administration's demands. Let me put this another way: the real complete unemployment figure is over 20%, not the utter illusionary 3.9% LIE they broadcast, like clockwork; rely upon shadowstats for ACCURATE economy indices, not the Federal Govt. lackeys of the BLS, each with their marching orders and all in lockstep. Of course they are going to Big Brotherize these figures, first and foremost I say. And EVERYONE simply takes them for granted. All MSM sources dutifully regurgitate this mindmush every month, and it is insured that all small town local tv News chime in and repeat the Big Lie, as well. In fact, look no further for the textbook exemplar of 'fake news': it's this innocuous monthly report. And THIS is Trump's go-to ,---'how bout that economy?' Yes, indeed, pass your bowls ladies and gents, there's plenty of mindmush for everyone...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149018700846834595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-64644078456041754452018-09-06T01:53:25.350-05:002018-09-06T01:53:25.350-05:00Taxes are what we pay because we like clean water,...Taxes are what we pay because we like clean water, emergency services that come when we need them, and education for our children. I have come to the conclusion that union dues, if you are in a unionized profession, are what you pay so that you are not put involuntarily in danger by your job. They make sure your working conditions are humane. They ensure you are not required to put in 70 hours a week or get fired, that children have a chance to go to school rather than be forced to work as soon as they are able, that provisions are made should you get hurt, sick, or need time off. Taxes are the dues of society; union dues are contributions to decent employment.TheMadLibrarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09103164355746196049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-88696539528720000922018-09-05T13:34:53.824-05:002018-09-05T13:34:53.824-05:00Just wonderin' what y'all do for a living....Just wonderin' what y'all do for a living.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-41088035847653913632018-09-05T08:25:08.361-05:002018-09-05T08:25:08.361-05:00Children like to make money, too.
Competition in ...Children like to make money, too. <br />Competition in the marketplace is a good thing. Nobody knows how much better conditions would be or would have been under a free market. Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14658730069022837576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-71954188806563871342018-09-05T02:37:14.903-05:002018-09-05T02:37:14.903-05:00"Trump has no idea what this day is about and..."Trump has no idea what this day is about and he is utterly ignorant *of* the history which led to it."<br />beyond that - yes, all of this. Obviously. nebelwaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04829512996129194649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-66342711602240718542018-09-04T18:25:45.507-05:002018-09-04T18:25:45.507-05:00Excellent essay as we've come to expect. Compa...Excellent essay as we've come to expect. Companion piece would be John Gray's essay, "A Day in the Life of Joe Republican" where all the benefits we enjoy today are the result of those 'damn liberals' fighting for better conditions everywhere. I would argue the The Federal Reserve should NOT be included in your list, Jim. It is a private central bank that was created by, among others, J.P. Morgan in 1913 and not created with the best interests of the working class in mind. Best book on the subject is the rather lengthy and scholarly "The Creature from Jekyll Island" by Edward Griffin. ConstantReaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00352153954105490806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-61751867757539450712018-09-04T15:51:25.160-05:002018-09-04T15:51:25.160-05:00A fascinating, perspective about horrible conditio...A fascinating, perspective about horrible conditions in 1918, when Labor Day was established… that leaves out what the Greatest Generation – and their favorite living person, FDR – did about all the things that Jim describes. They reformed America and created the wealthiest, fairest, flattest, most productive, safest, healthiest and fastest-rising middle class nation the world ever saw – scientific and proud of it. And that “great” time for America truly was great – above all – because it was determined to be greater still, by (too-gradually/painfully, but steadily) spreading the fairness to those who were excluded before. To Irish and Jews. To women and minorities. To those born into poverty. To stop… wasting… talent.<br /><br />All of these things were achieved with “rooseveltean” interventions that weren’t anti-enterprise, they saved market enterprise, engendering huge rates of entrepreneurship. They were slightly-socialist… and saved the world from communism. They broke up monopolies… and saved competition. And shredding the Greatest Generation’s social contract has been the top goal of the rising oligarchy since 1980…<br /><br />…leading to a stifling of competition, a rise in conniving among silver-spoon rentiers, skyrocketing wealth disparities and plummeting money velocity, where every Supply Side “reform” achieved exactly opposite results to every promise. In order to maintain this putsch, against such incredibly strong disproof, the oligarchy’s had to finance all-out war against every single fact-using profession. (Name one counter-example.) <br /><br />Stealing insatiably and antagonizing all the folks who know stuff… this is supposed to end well for you lords who – despite your flatterers – don’t even know the meaning of the word “tumbrels”?<br /><br />Oh, BTW I am at http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-20940347782939923842018-09-04T15:45:19.302-05:002018-09-04T15:45:19.302-05:00Interesting quote as Robert Todd Lincoln became a ...Interesting quote as Robert Todd Lincoln became a lawyer for, then a board member of the Pullman Palace Car Company and fought against labor. And this, ironically, became the eventual cause for the first labor union (which I'm sure Robert hated).DMchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598142352160552793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-67401551121817653312018-09-04T14:36:19.644-05:002018-09-04T14:36:19.644-05:00Nothing. Trumka failed to polish Trump's ego ...Nothing. Trumka failed to polish Trump's ego and disagree with his lies. Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04361950835604986014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-56246621927572655722018-09-04T14:35:21.207-05:002018-09-04T14:35:21.207-05:00With the addition of Trump's latest choice, th...With the addition of Trump's latest choice, the SC will definelty be on the side of the employer. Yes there is class warfare and the leisure class is determined to win. Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04361950835604986014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-64234132386606060052018-09-04T10:58:27.421-05:002018-09-04T10:58:27.421-05:00I believe the word order in the following sentence...I believe the word order in the following sentence got a little garbled:<br /><br />"Middleclass suburbia was a generation and another War World away."<br /><br />Other than that, I have found your essay to be as incisive as ever. Excellent work.J. Traemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14660379049051263447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-11240667992472155782018-09-04T10:15:15.784-05:002018-09-04T10:15:15.784-05:00People love aristocracies, as long as they get to ...People love aristocracies, as long as they get to be aristocrats.<br />It is fascinating to me, that in the midst of a class war, the ruling (or, shall we say, the owning) class has managed to convince a large percentage of their natural adversaries that the real enemies are within their own class -- those of different race, gender, language, religion. The most successful con in US history, IMO.<br /><br /> EMHEric Hammerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09420538869878785164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-47853020695788873802018-09-04T10:09:01.446-05:002018-09-04T10:09:01.446-05:00Excellent essay, Jim. I am astounded that so many ...Excellent essay, Jim. I am astounded that so many can ignore the history of labor. They reap the benefits while they cheer for ignoramuses like Trump and demean unions. I've worked in union jobs where fellow employees, who were not union members, derided the union daily saying how they were treated well by the employer and didn't need to waste $50 a month of their $5K salary on dues. I tried, without effect, to tell them the employer was not their best friend and would as soon feed them only scraps were it not for the unions. Very few came around, and then only after seeing some of their non-union co-workers fired without cause and unable to access union representation. My retirement is pretty sweet now. I'm still in what's considered lower middle class but it would look pretty bleak had I not had a union job. I despise cheapskate bosses. I've worked for them too. Sixty hours per week, no paid vacation or sick time, no overtime pay and unpaid vacations could only be taken during the school year. I'd probably be a Wobbly today if I was working still.Desert Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15643398691179264189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-27246401401286855712018-09-04T09:16:47.815-05:002018-09-04T09:16:47.815-05:00What was the first thing ex union president (SAG) ...What was the first thing ex union president (SAG) Ronald Reagan did? He fired the striking PATCO workers: and thus began the true decline of unions in this country; the Supremes haven't helped either. Jim look up 45's 2 choices for the high court: both have ruled for corporations over the worker. Both cases are truly egregious.whitelillynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-59588266400758550892018-09-04T09:11:30.439-05:002018-09-04T09:11:30.439-05:00Where my wife worked; privatized government agency...Where my wife worked; privatized government agency dealing with abused children, due to her decade of seniority she was earning more than her boss. Upper man agreement wanted/tried to fire her on bogus grounds. Why?: they could hire 3 workers for what she was getting paid. It didn't matter that she did the work of 4, by putting in 60 and 70 hour weeks with NO overtime or comp time (or that a lot of meals couldn't be served hot because I NEVER knew what time she'd get home): or that she knew how to do jobs even the boss couldn't do. All they saw was the salary she was drawing, and we were still month to month our bills. Too much salary my skinny azz.whitelillynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-55736776126482911722018-09-04T08:59:23.464-05:002018-09-04T08:59:23.464-05:00My great uncle hand built his home in Colorado. I ...My great uncle hand built his home in Colorado. I always loved visiting because the walls were papered with color photos cut from outdoor magazine and newspapers; very unique. The wiring for the house was the old tube and post style and ran on the inside of the room; where it was visible! I think that since electricity was so new it wasn't trusted and by being able to see the wires if there was trouble you could see it before it caused a fire.whitelillynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-58092221750762840702018-09-04T08:47:09.008-05:002018-09-04T08:47:09.008-05:00Triangle shirtwaist factory fire. 146 dead; locked...Triangle shirtwaist factory fire. 146 dead; locked doors, no fire escapes, no sprinklers, flammable cotton cloth: a tragedy in the making. 25 March 1911. It changed everything.whitelillynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-58299058553476144252018-09-04T08:41:55.020-05:002018-09-04T08:41:55.020-05:00"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capit..."Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." Lincoln's First Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1861whitelillynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-75800078620770420352018-09-04T08:07:32.744-05:002018-09-04T08:07:32.744-05:00A much-needed and powerful reminder of what it'...A much-needed and powerful reminder of what it's really all about. And correct that Donald Trump hasn't a clue about it. But unfortunately that is also true of virtually all American politicians, Democrats as well as Republicans. They are 99% against labor and against everything that the New Deal stood for and accomplished. What's needed is to turn ALL of those buggers out and re-set America; focusing upon the Donald alone (or the Republicans alone) is a fatal mistake. Whatever anyone may think of Bernie Sanders -- and he has plenty of flaws (one of which is believing that the neo-conservative, anti-labor Democratic Party can really be reformed) -- he is one of the very, very few who doesn't need Labor Day explained to him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-83748643707296566162018-09-04T00:39:06.455-05:002018-09-04T00:39:06.455-05:00I think, or at least HOPE, that this time, if they...I think, or at least HOPE, that this time, if they try to throw us back 100 years, THEY will be the ones stacked up like cordwood...talontshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529847632826061298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-29746329277458954082018-09-03T23:20:27.993-05:002018-09-03T23:20:27.993-05:00I in my last job finally had a union. I joined and...I in my last job finally had a union. I joined and paid my dues. It was like night and day compared to the unionless shops I wasted my time with. Only problem was co-workers who did not want to pay union dues and were vocal about how stupid we were to waste good money. One day two non-union workers messed up and got fired. They asked for and got union assistance, and were reinstated. I lit into the union rep. for assisting them. He said they needed the work, and he just couldn't desert them. I replied they were scab laborers always badmouthing the union. I asked why I should dues if the union worked for members and non members. Maybe I'm wrong in my thinking, but unions are in a war with management, and I am a warrior.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02482748574382480506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-89057878312347786722018-09-03T22:02:31.116-05:002018-09-03T22:02:31.116-05:00Thank you. Again. Were I a teacher, this would be ...Thank you. Again. Were I a teacher, this would be the first assignment of the school year: Read this essay.<br /><br />A couple of typos:<br />- Second sentence, "Our Country is doing better ... " - lower case "c" for country.<br />- Paragraph beginning "You could still be a cowboy, or a cop, or carpenter" - "a" carpenter? <br />- Paragraph beginning "In 1918, maybe three out of ten Americans ... another War World away." - World War.<br />- Paragraph beginning "It is a measure of how far we've come, and the danger of complacency ... without benefit ... " - benefits?<br />- Paragraph beginning "Trump has no idea what this day is about and he is utterly ignorant the history ... " - "of" the history.Donna Snoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-40828973514901730072018-09-03T21:49:01.753-05:002018-09-03T21:49:01.753-05:00Very well written and so true. I was a union membe...Very well written and so true. I was a union member as a teacher and proud of it. I could give numerous examples of how unions improved my working conditions and my life. I am raising my 3 boys to work hard, respect others who work hard and speak truth to power. Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it. Those are words it would do many to the right of me politically (which is just about everyone-I am a child of the '60s) well to remember and learn by.Matt Romannoreply@blogger.com